Figure of Hate

by Bernard Knight

  Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, became a Home Office pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, in 1980. During his forty-year career with the Home Office, he performed over 25,000 autopsies and was involved in many high profile cases.

  Bernard Knight is the author of nineteen novels, a biography and numerous popular and academic nonfiction books. Figure of Hate is the ninth novel in the Crowner John series, following The Witch Hunter, Fear in the Forest, The Grim Reaper, The Tinner's Corpse, The Awful Secret, The Poisoned Chalice, Crowner's Quest and The Sanctuary Seeker.

  Also by Bernard Knight

  The Sanctuary Seeker

  The Poisoned Chalice

  Crowner's Quest

  The Awful Secret

  The Tinner's Corpse

  The Grim Reaper

  Fear in the Forest

  The Witch Hunter

  Figure of Hate

  Bernard Knight

  POCKET BOOKS

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  First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2005

  This edition published by Pocket Books, 2005

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster UK Ltd A Viacom company

  Copyright © Bernard Knight, 2005

  This book is copyright under the Berne Convention No reproduction without permission

  ® and © 1997 Simon & Schuster Inc. MI rights reserved

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  ISBN 0-7434-9214 5

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Typeset in New Baskerville by palimpsest Book Production Limited, Polmont Stirlingshire

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bookmarque Ltd, Croydon, Surrey

  'Comfort me by a solemn assurance, that when the little parlour in which I sit at this instant, shall be reduced to a worse-furnished box, I shall be read with honour by those who never knew nor saw me and whom I shall neither know or see. '

  History of Tom Jones,

  Henry Fielding, 1749

  HISTORICAL NOTE

  In the Middle Ages, especially from the thirteenth_ century onward, the tournament was an important aspect of medieval life. Although actual participation was confined to the knightly classes, it was also a popular-spectator sport, giving rise to the medieval equivalent of today's football mania, even to serious hooliganism and rioting. The 'fans' were forbidden to bring any weapons to the tourney grounds, for fear of provoking mayhem!

  At the period of this story, the 'tourney' had not developed the flamboyant complexity of later centuries, with no heavy plate armour or enclosed helmets, nor the use of the 'list', a long barrier separating the charging combatants. Norman knights wore their usual chain-mail tunics and round helmets, fighting on their destriers, huge warhorses whose descendants became the carthorses of more recent centuries, replacing the oxen that were previously used as draught animals.

  Originating in France in the eleventh century, the tournaments were 'war games' meant to keep knights in practice for battle and for them to show off their prowess. The earlier tournaments were mock battles, called mêlées, in which scores mounted warriors fought in" teams across wide tracts countryside, often with fatal casualties and extensive damage to local property. Both the Church and kings frowned on these activities, as they caused the unnecessary death and injury of valuable fighting men and posed a potential threat by training baronial armies that might challenge the monarchy. Papal decrees condemned them and Henry II forbade tournaments in England, which drove .many enthusiasts to the Continent. In 1194 Richard the Lionheart relaxed his father's prohibition and licensed five tournament grounds in England, mainly to raise money from the high fees he charged. One of these was at Wilton, near Salisbury. There were still many illegal tournaments, however, and knights would travel all over the kingdom and often go abroad to compete, some making or losing their fortunes in the process. The object was to defeat an opponent, whereby his horse, armour and weapons would be forfeited, and, if rich, the loser could be held to ransom. There were also large wagers placed on the combatants both by the knights and by gambling spectators.

  The mêlée was so dangerous and destructive that by the end of the twelfth century the joust, in which a pair of knights fought each other with lance, shield and sword under the scrutiny of judges, had become more popular. Subsequently, the more colourful and romantic concept of tournaments developed - they became lavish and ornate festivals with ladies bestowing favours and their champions claiming amorous rewards from them. In the early year-s there were virtually no rules, but in later times a highly complex code of chivalrious behaviour developed, which persisted up to the sixteenth century.

  In Devon in the late twelfth century, the most common language spoken would have been early Middle English, unintelligible to us today. The Norman ruling class would have spoken Norman French and the language of the clergy in which almost all documents were written would have been Latin. In addition, many in Devon would still have spoken 'western Welsh', the pre,Saxon Celtic language that persisted as Cornish and still flourishes in Wales.

  The vast majority of the population were illiterate; and the ability to read and write was confined to about one person in a hundred, mainly the 'clerks', those in religious orders: Most of these were not ordained priests, being in minor orders as lectors, acolytes and subdeacons, as opposed to deacons, priests and bishops, who were the only ones able to celebrate the Mass and absolve penitents.

  The only coin in circulation, apart from a few foreign gold coins, was the silver penny. The terms 'pound' and 'mark' were notional accounting values, not actual currency. The pound was 240 pence or twenty 'shillings', the mark being 160 pennies or 13 shillings, and fourpence. Pennies were cut into halves and quarters for convenience, as a penny was about half a day's pay for most workers.

  GLOSSARY

  ABJURER

  A criminal or accused person who sought sanctuary in a church and then elected to abjure the realm of England to avoid being hanged, by confessing to coroner. He had up to forty days in sanctuary, had to proceed on foot, dressed in sackcloth carrying a wooden cross, to a port nominated by coroner and take the first ship available. If there was any delay, he had to wade out up to his knees in every tide, to show his willingness to leave.

  ALE

  A weak brewed drink, the most common beverage medieval times, made before the advent of hops. The name is derived from an 'ale', a village celebration where much drinking took place.

  AMERCE

  To impose a fine on a person or village. When by a coroner who would hot collect it at the time but would record it for a later decision by the visiting judges.

  APPEAL

  In contrast to the modern legal sense, this was an sation by one person against another, claiming criminal act. It was settled by combat parties, sometimes using a champion, unless claimant accepted money or could be persuaded take the case to trial by jury in the royal courts.

  ATTACHMENT

  A summons to appear at a court, usually
enforced by imposing a bail payment, which would be forfeit by the person or his family if he failed to appear.

  AVENTAIL

  A flap of chain mail attached to the front neckline of the hauberk, which could be pulled up to protect the chin and mouth,

  BAILEY

  Originally the defended area around a castle keep ('motte and bailey') but later also applied to the yard around a dwelling. A similar word is 'ward', applied to the inner and outer defensive areas of a castle or fortified manor house.

  BAILIFF

  An overseer of a manor or estate. He would have manor-reeves under him and would report to the ,reward or seneschal.

  BOTTLER

  The servant responsible for providing drink in a household - the origin of 'butler'.

  BURGESS

  A freeman of substance, usually a merchant, in a town or borough, his dwelling being a 'burgage'. A group of burgesses ran the town administration and in Exeter They elected two portreeves (later a mayor) to lead them.

  BYRNIE

  A Saxon word for the hauberk or chain-mail shirt.

  CARUCATE

  A measure of land, originally that which could varied ploughed by a team of oxen each year. It varied greatly in size in different parts of England, but was often taken as about a hundred acres (three 'virgates').

  COB

  A mixture of clay and straw used for forming the walls of wattle-and-daub buildings.

  COG

  A small merchant ship with one mast and sail.

  COIF

  A close-fitting cap or helmet of felt or other cloth, tied under the chin. Worn by both men and women.

  COMPLINE

  The last of the nine religious services of the day, usually in the late afternoon or early evening.

  CONEY

  A rabbit, introduced into England by the Normans.

  CONSTABLE

  Has several meanings - either a senior military • commander, usually the custodian of a royal castle such as Exeter, or a watchman, who patrolled the streets to keep order.

  CORONER

  A senior law officer in each county, second only to the sheriff. The office was instituted in September 1194 although there was a brief mention of a coroner in Saxon times. Three knights and one clerk were recruited in each county to perform a wide range of legal duties, mainly recording cases so that no money would be lost to the King's courts. The name comes from the Latin phrase custos placitorurn coronas, 'keeper of the pleas of the Crown'.

  COTTAR

  A low-grade villein, an unfree man in the feudal system. He had no field strips to work, but had a croft and toft. He worked at various tasks, such as hedging, thatching and labouring, for his manor-lord and others.

  COVER-CHIEF

  More correctly couvre-chef, a linen head-cover worn by women, held in place by a band around the head and flowing down over the back and front of the chest.

  Known as a 'head-rail' in Saxon times.

  CRESPINE

  A hairnet, often gilded, holding two plaited coils of hair over each of a lady's ears.

  CROFT

  A plot of ground in a village belonging to a freeman or villein, upon which a 'toft' or cottage was built.

  CURFEW

  Derived from couvre-feu, the covering or banking down of fires. Open fires were prohibited in towns after dark, owing to the fear of starting a conflagration. During the curfew, which lasted from dusk to dawn, the town gates were closed - one thirteenth century mayor of Exeter was hanged for failing to ensure this.

  CURIA REGIS

  The royal court, consisting of the major barons senior bishops who supported and advised the King and provided the judges for the courts.

  DAGGED

  The lower edge of a man's tunic or cape, when cut in steps like battlements.

  DEODAND

  Literally 'a gift from God', applied to the forfeiture any object that caused a death. Anything from a knife to a mill-wheel could be confiscated by the coroner and sold for the Treasury; occasionally the proceeds were given to the family of the deceased.

  • DESTRIER

  A large warhorse capable of carrying an armoured knight. When firearms made them redundant, destriers became shire horses, replacing oxen as draught animals.

  EXIGENT

  To declare someone exigent was the legal mechanism for making a person an outlaw (q.v.).

  EYRE

  A sitting of the King's justices, introduced by Henry II in 1166, which moved around from county to county.

  There were two types, the 'General Eyre', held at very infrequent intervals, which scrutinised the administration of each county, and the 'Eyre of Assize', which, was the forerunner of the assizes and the more recent Crown Courts. As the eyres also occurred infrequently there were additional sittings by Commissioners of Gad Delivery, to clear the jails of prisoners awaiting trial.

  FARM

  The taxation from a county, collected in coin by the sheriff and taken personally by him twice a year to the Exchequer at Winchester or London. The farm was fixed each year by the Curia Regis, but if the sheriff could collect more, he could keep the difference.

  FIRST FINDER

  The first person to come across an unattended dead body. He had a duty to knock up the four nearest households immediately and 'raise the hue and cry' to try to apprehend any killer, then report the death to a bailiff or constable, for notification to the coroner.

  Failure to do so would result in amercement (a fine).

  FRANKPLEDGE

  A system for self-regulation of both freemen and serfs, where all men had to form groups of ten (later twelve) who were mutually responsible for each other's behaviour. If one failed in some legal obligation, the rest were fined.

  GAMBESON

  A padded, quilted garment worn under chain mail, to diffuse the force of blows.

  HAUBERK

  A long armoured tunic of chain mail, the lower part slit for riding a horse.

  JUSTICIAR

  The chief minister in Norman times, a great noble or churchman appointed by the King. At the time of this story it was Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, who had also been Richard the Lionheart's second-in-command at the Crusades and who was virtually regent as the king never returned to England during the five years of his reign.

  KIRTLE

  A woman's dress, usually reaching her feet. The style especially of the sleeves, varied considerably at different times. It was worn over a thin chemise, the only under garment.

  LEMAN A mistress or concubine.

  MANOR-REEVE

  A foreman elected by his fellows in each village to organise the daily farm work. He was usually a villein, not a freeman.

  OSTLER

  A servant in a stable or inn who took charge of horses.

  OUTLAW

  A man 'outside the law' who had no legal existence.

  Usually escaped prisoners or sanctuary-seekers, they were declared 'exigent' by a coroner if they failed to answer four calls to appear before the county court, either as a defendant or witness. An outlaw could be legitimately killed on sight by anyone, who could then claim a bounty of five shillings if he took the head to the sheriff.

  OUTREMER

  The four Christian kingdoms in the Levant at the time of the Crusades, of which one was Jerusalem.

  MURDRUM FINE

  This was applied to any unnatural death where the community could not prove 'presentment of Englishry' (q.v.). It was assumed that a Saxon had murdered a Norman and was the origin of the term 'murder'.

  ORDEAL

  Though sometimes used to extract confessions, the Ordeal was an ancient ritual, abolished by the Vatican in 1215, in which suspects were subject to painful and often fatal procedures, such as licking red-hot iron, picking a stone from a vat of boiling water or barefoot-over nine red-hot ploughshares. If suffered no significant burns they were judged innocent, otherwise they were hanged. Women were bound hand and foot and thrown into deep water - if they san
k they were innocent!

  PALFREY

  A small, docile horse suitable for a woman to ride.

  PEINE FORTE ET DURE

  Literally 'severe and hard punishment', whereby prisoners who refused to confess were tortured by having progressively heavy weights placed on their chest until they submitted or died.

  POMMEL