Author talk and signing: Sharon Bennett Connolly
Sharon Bennett Connolly uncovers the life of Nicholaa de la Haye, a woman instrumental to Norman and Plantagenet England. She shaped some of the most significant events in English medieval history. Nicholaa was appointed the first female Sheriff in England by King John, hours before his death in October 1216.
Sharon Bennett Connolly, Saturday 20 May Lincoln Museum Auditorium, 7pm
Tickets: prices £7, £29 single with book, £32 couple with book.*
Sharon Bennett Connolly uncovers the life of Nicholaa de la Haye, a woman instrumental to Norman and Plantagenet England. She shaped some of the most significant events in English medieval history.
Nicholaa was appointed the first female Sheriff in England by King John, hours before his death in October 1216.
She successfully defended Lincoln Castle in no less than three sieges, halting a French invasion in doing so.
The book also aims to understand why Nicholaa stayed beside one of the most hated Kings in English history. Why did an intelligent and powerful woman support King John until the very end? In a time when men fought and women stayed home, Nicholaa de la Haye held Lincoln Castle against all-comers. Not once, but three times, earning herself the ironic praise that she acted ‘manfully’. Nicholaa gained prominence in the First Baron’s War, the civil war that followed the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215. Although recently widowed, and in her 60s, in 1217 Nicholaa endured a siege that lasted over three months, resisting the English rebel barons and their French allies. The siege ended in the battle known as the Lincoln Fair, when 70-year-old William Marshal, the Greatest Knight in Christendom, spurred on by the chivalrous need to rescue a lady in distress, came to Nicholaa’s aid. Nicholaa de la Haye was a staunch supporter of King John, remaining loyal to the very end, even after most of his knights and barons had deserted him. A truly remarkable lady, Nicholaa was the first woman to be appointed sheriff in her ownright. Her strength and tenacity saved England at one of the lowest points in its history. Nicholaa de la Haye is one woman in English history whose story needs to be told…
About the Author
Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history her whole life. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Sharon has studied history academically and just for fun – and even worked as a tour guide at historical sites. Sharon writes her own blog, [url=http://www.historytheinterestingbits.com]http://www.historytheinterestingbits.com[/url], researching and writing about the stories that have always fascinated, concentrating on medieval women. Her last book, Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey, released in May 2021, was her fourth non-fiction book. It tells the story of the Warenne earls over 300 years and 8 generations. She is also the author of Heroines of the Medieval World, Silk and the Sword:The Women of the Norman Conquest and Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England. Sharon regularly gives talks on women's history; she is a feature writer for All About History magazine and her TV work includes Australian Television's 'Who Do You Think You Are?'
*If you wish to make a booking with any accessibility needs, or require a carer's ticket, please contact Lindum Books directly.