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ella Fitzpain: noblewoman’s Role in 14th-Century Clergyman’s Murder Revealed
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In May 1337, on the dimly lit streets of London, a clergyman named John Ford was ambushed and fatally stabbed by a group of men near St. Paul’s Cathedral. While eyewitnesses identified the perpetrators, a powerful noblewoman, Ella Fitzpain, suspected of orchestrating the attack, evaded trial. Newly uncovered historical documents now reveal the extent of Fitzpain’s alleged involvement in the brutal crime and the motivations behind it.
The Crimes of Ella Fitzpain
Ella Fitzpain, a woman of considerable wealth and influence, was allegedly involved in various criminal activities, including theft, blackmail, and ultimately, the murder of John Ford, who was also her former lover.Recent research suggests that Ford was part of a criminal gang led by Fitzpain, which targeted a French-controlled priory, exploiting strained relations between England and France to extort money. The findings were published in the Criminal Law Forum on june 6th.
Did You Know? Public humiliation was a common form of punishment in the Medieval era. This could involve being paraded through town or forced to wear a sign detailing the crime.
Analyzing coroner’s records revealed Fitzpain persuaded four men, including her brother, to kill Ford. (The London Archives/City of London Corporation)
Betrayal and Revenge
Ford’s betrayal of Fitzpain by informing the superior clergy triggered a series of events that culminated in his assassination. A 1332 letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury accused Fitzpain of infidelity, alleging relationships with both single and married individuals, including knights and clergymen. Ford, identified as one of fitzpain’s mistresses and the chief priest of a parish church in Dorset, was also implicated.
The church ordered Fitzpain to undergo public humiliation as atonement, which included making ample donations to the poor, abstaining from wearing gold and jewelry, and walking barefoot through Salisbury Cathedral to the altar, carrying a heavy candle for seven consecutive autumns. Though, Fitzpain seemingly ignored the Archbishop’s demands, and this humiliation “may have ignited a heart that craved revenge,” according to the researchers.
The Medieval Murder Map Project
Manuel Eisner,lead author of the paper,a professor at Cambridge University,and director of the university’s Criminology Institute,suggests that Fitzpain orchestrated Ford’s assassination as an act of revenge. Dr. Hannah Skoda,an associate professor of medieval history at St. John’s College, Oxford University, who was not involved in the research, noted that the 688-year-old murder provides new evidence of clergy involvement in secular matters and highlights the active roles women played in their own affairs and relationships.
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