VALENCE, Sir Aymer de
Appointed the King’s Lieutenant in Scotland and, in 1314, Earl of Pembroke, he was one of the leading supporters of Edward II against the Earl of Lancaster, mainly because of Piers Gaveston. Originally one of the Ordainers, de Valence had assisted in the capture and arrest of Gaveston but considered his dignity and honour outraged when Lancaster high-handedly seized Gaveston from de Valence’s prison and summarily executed him. At Bannockburn, de Valence was one of the voices of reason and, when that failed, helped get the King to safety from the debacle of defeat. Subsequently, he supported Edward II against the rebel barons and, when Lancaster was eventually captured and put on trial following the Battle of Boroughbridge, de Valence had his revenge and assisted in the conviction and execution. In 1324, on an embassy to France, he collapsed and died in Picardy and was returned to be buried in Westminster Abbey. In the eighteenth century, looking for a place to install the hero of the moment, General Wolfe of Quebec fame, the Dean of Westminster wanted the de Valence monument removed; he mistakenly thought Aymer was one of the Knights Templars, whom he considered to be ‘a very wicked set of people’. When he found out that Aymer was not one of these he allowed the tomb to remain. The tomb was restored in the early nineteenth century.
VILLERS, Gerald de
Actually named after Gerard de Villiers, a named Templar Knight in the Crusades. One of the last of the dying Order.
VON ESBECK, Widikind
Fictional character, though a real von Esbeck was a Master of the Templars in Germany. With de Bissot, de Villers and de Grafton, Widikind is one of the last Templar Knights in Scotland.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As ever, the list of people who made this book possible is enough to form both sides at Bannockburn – but special mention must be made to:
Katie Espiner, who edited me to within an inch of my life.
Jim Gill, my agent, who spotted the potential and to whom I raise yet another glass.
My wife, Kate, who handles all the stuff I bodyswerve in order to selfishly write.
And the folk at the Bannockburn Heritage Centre. I am glad they are pulling it down – in order to build a spiffy new one in time for the 700th anniversary in 2014.
Hard on the heels of these has to come Nigel Tranter, whose books on Scotland’s history, particularly the trilogy on Bruce, are hard acts to follow. I hope he is not birling in his grave too much.
I am also continually indebted to the members of The HWA (http://www.thehwa.co.uk), Glasgow Vikings (www.glasgowvikings.co.uk) and the rest of the Vikings, national and international (www.vikingsonline.org.uk) who have all contributed to shaping this trilogy one way and another.
The process of writing this has been encouraged by a firm band of fans, who have followed the Oathsworn and now want to carry on reading – so thanks to all the honest reviewers from all over the world with whom I have exchanged views.
Slainte mhath!
Rowallan House, Malvern, 2012
About the Author
Robert Low has been a journalist and writer since the age of seventeen. He covered the wars in Vietnam, Sarajevo, Romania and Kosovo until common sense and the concerns of his wife and daughter prevailed.
To satisfy his craving for action, having moved to an area rich in Viking tradition, he took up re-enactment, joining The Vikings. He now spends his summers fighting furiously in helmet and mail in shieldwalls all over Britain and winters training hard.
www.robert-low.com