The Butcher of St Peter's: (Knights Templar 19) Read online

  THE BUTCHER OF ST PETER’S

  Michael Jecks

  Copyright © 2005 Michael Jecks

  The right of Michael Jecks to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

  First published as an Ebook by

  Headline Publishing Group in 2014

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

  eISBN: 978 1 47221 9800

  HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

  An Hachette UK Company

  338 Euston Road

  London NW1 3BH

  www.headline.co.uk

  www.hachette.co.uk

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Also by Michael Jecks

  Praise

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Cast of Characters

  Author’s Note

  Map

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  About the Author

  Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry to concentrate on his writing. He is the founder of Medieval Murderers, has been Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association, and helped create the Historical Writers’ Association. Keen to help new writers, for some years he organised the Debut Dagger competition, and is now organising the AsparaWriting festival for new writers at Evesham. He has judged many prizes, including the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. Michael is an international speaker on writing and for business. He lives with his wife, children and dogs in northern Dartmoor.

  Michael can be contacted through his website: www.michaeljecks.co.uk.

  He can be followed on twitter (@MichaelJecks) or on Facebook.com/Michael.Jecks.author.

  His photos of Devon and locations for his books can be found at: Flickr.com/photos/Michael_Jecks.

  Also by Michael Jecks

  The Last Templar

  The Merchant’s Partner

  A Moorland Hanging

  The Crediton Killings

  The Abbot’s Gibbet

  The Leper’s Return

  Squire Throwleigh’s Heir

  Belladonna at Belstone

  The Traitor of St Giles

  The Boy-Bishop’s Glovemaker

  The Tournament of Blood

  The Sticklepath Strangler

  The Devil’s Acolyte

  The Mad Monk of Gidleigh

  The Templar’s Penance

  The Outlaws of Ennor

  The Tolls of Death

  The Chapel of Bones

  The Butcher of St Peter’s

  A Friar’s Bloodfeud

  The Death Ship of Dartmouth

  Malice of Unnatural Death

  Dispensation of Death

  The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover

  The Prophecy of Death

  The King of Thieves

  No Law in the Land

  The Bishop Must Die

  The Oath

  King’s Gold

  City of Fiends

  Templar’s Acre

  Praise

  ‘Michael Jecks is the master of the medieval whodunnit’ Robert Low

  ‘Captivating… If you care for a well-researched visit to medieval England, don’t pass this series’ Historical Novels Review

  ‘Michael Jecks has a way of dipping into the past and giving it that immediacy of a present-day newspaper article… He writes…with such convincing charm that you expect to walk round a corner in Tavistock and meet some of the characters’ Oxford Times

  ‘Great characterisation, a detailed sense of place, and a finely honed plot make this a superb medieval historical’ Library Journal

  ‘Stirring intrigue and a compelling cast of characters will continue to draw accolades’ Publishers Weekly

  ‘A tortuous and exciting plot… The construction of the story and the sense of period are excellent’ Shots

  ‘This fascinating portrayal of medieval life and the corruption of the Church will not disappoint. With convincing characters whose treacherous acts perfectly combine with a devilishly masterful plot, Jecks transports readers back to this wicked world with ease’ Good Book Guide

  About the Book

  The nineteenth novel in Michael Jecks’s medieval Knights Templar series.

  Exeter, 1323: a strange figure – obsessed with children – seems intent on entering people’s homes at night. Though many believe him to be harmless, a man now lies dead, slaughtered for protecting his family, and the person responsible must be caught.

  To Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, the death is suspicious. For the victim had many enemies amid the city’s criminal underworld. As the country prepares for yet another civil war, Baldwin faces an impossible task. And when two further bodies are uncovered, the city shudders at the prospect of a killer still at large …

  For Billy

  With all a father’s love.

  And – for my excellent friends

  the Medieval Murderers:

  Susanna Gregory

  Ian Morson

  Bernard Knight

  and

  Philip Gooden

  With thanks for all the fun!

  Acknowledgements

  This book would have been impossible to write without the help and support of all of the Medieval Murderers. Not only did they give me the initial idea while we collaborated on The Tainted Relic, it was Susanna Gregory who found the relevant stories about the Friars Preacher in Exeter that actually led to this book. Her researches once again have given me much of the period colour and historical fact. To all of them, and especially Susanna, many thanks.

  It could not, of course, have been written were it not for the indefatigable spirit of Jane Conway-Gordon, star among agents, who is more friend than business partner.

  And finally, were it not for my wife there would be no series at all. I can only thank her for her patience and understanding while I lock myself in my study, and she copes with the twenty-first century on my behalf.

  Cast of Characters

  Investigators

  Sir Baldwin de Furnshill

  once a Knight Templar, Sir Baldwin is now the Keeper of the King’s Peace. He is motivated by his hatred of hypocrisy and in
justice, the result of witnessing the persecution of his Order.

  Lady Jeanne de Furnshill

  Baldwin’s wife, Jeanne is in Exeter to help her husband recuperate from a wound.

  Bailiff Simon Puttock

  the Abbot of Tavistock’s man in Dartmouth is known to be a shrewd investigator of local crimes.

  Edgar

  Baldwin’s long-standing servant, Edgar was with Baldwin in the Knights Templar and still sees his primary duty to be defending his master.

  Sir Peregrine de Barnstaple

  the newly installed Coroner of Exeter, Sir Peregrine is a lonely middle-aged man. He would be a fairly good catch for a woman who could snare him, but he’s dangerous because of his political views about the King and his advisers, the Despensers, which is why his master, Lord Hugh de Courtenay, turfed him out of his household after the recent Despenser wars.

  From the Cathedral

  Bishop Walter

  Walter de Stapledon, the Bishop of Exeter at this time, was one of the most powerful men in Britain, being the Lord High Treasurer to the King. Being such a prominent figure, he was the target of many accusations and political intrigues.

  Dean Alfred

  the head of the cathedral chapter, and the most powerful man in the cathedral after Bishop Walter himself.

  Vicar Thomas

  like Alfred, an older man but not at all greedy for power or money, he is a useful comrade to the Dean when Alfred needs unbiased advice.

  Peter de la Fosse

  a canon at the cathedral, Peter is one of the second-rate clergy – not clever enough nor sufficiently politically astute to win advancement, but prepared to take risks to improve his position.

  Paul

  a clerk in the cathedral, Paul is observant and astute.

  Exeter City

  Guibert

  the Prior of the Black Friars who has taken to vilifying the Bishop for his attack on the friars when he tried to wrest the body of Sir Henry Ralegh from them.

  Friar John

  a Black Friar who was involved in the defence of the body of Sir Henry Ralegh at the Dominican church.

  Reginald Gylla

  father of Michael and husband of Sabina, Reginald is miserable living in a loveless marriage and seeks escape through adultery.

  Sabina Gylla

  aware of having lost her husband’s love, Sabina is bitter and jealous of his infidelity.

  Michael Gylla

  son of Reginald, he guesses that his father is an adulterer.

  Jordan le Bolle

  a powerful member of the city’s Freedom, with wealth based on prostitution and gambling, Jordan is a dangerous man to have as an enemy.

  Mazeline le Bolle

  wife of Jordan, Mazeline is entranced by Reginald because he shows her affection and sympathy.

  Jane le Bolle

  daughter of Jordan and Mazeline, Jane is quite spoiled by her father.

  Estmund Webber

  a butcher, who loses his mind when his wife commits suicide.

  Emma Webber

  wife of Estmund, who commits suicide when her child dies.

  Henry Adyn

  a friend of Estmund and Emma, who tries to help the butcher to bury the bodies of his wife and daughter after their deaths.

  Daniel Austyn

  an official in the city, sergeant Daniel is eager to enforce the laws, and is determined to bring Jordan to book for his criminal activities.

  Juliana Austyn

  wife of Daniel, Juliana has been married to her man since 1313. They have two children: Cecily, nine, and Arthur, four and a half.

  Agnes Jon

  sister of Juliana, Agnes is independent and strong-willed; she is also intensely jealous of her sister.

  Gervase de Brent

  a merchant addicted to gambling, Gervase owes a great deal of money and must soon leave Exeter to return home.

  Mick

  working for Jordan, Mick is a ‘pander’ or pimp for prostitutes, with responsibility for making them work hard and bring in the money for Jordan.

  Anne

  a young prostitute reliant on Mick for her clients.

  Betsy

  a friend of Mick and Anne, Betsy runs the brothel where Anne works.

  Ralph of Malmesbury

  an educated and successful physician, Ralph is known as an expensive but effective leech.

  Author’s Note

  One aspect of my books which has caused upset to some readers, I know, is my depiction of the attitudes and behaviour of religious men and women in the early fourteenth century.

  For many people (myself included when I first began to research this period) it is hard to believe that those who were supposed to have dedicated their lives to God could have been quite so avaricious, argumentative and violent. However, I have not invented much. The tales about conniving canons and their friends in the friary are not made up. In particular the case of Sir Henry Ralegh’s burial is well documented.

  Sir Henry had lived for some years as a confrater of the monks, and although there’s no evidence that he actually took the oaths it seems clear that he wanted to be buried in their church. Many people at this time wanted to be buried in churches or cathedrals, because it was felt, logically enough, that the nearer the corpse lay to the altar, the better their prospects in the afterlife.

  However, as Sir Henry and the friars would have known perfectly well, in Exeter, the cathedral had a monopoly on funerals and burials. This was not a privilege which the cathedral was likely to give up without a fight because it was worth a lot of money to them – there were the sales of funeral cloths and candles, and the potential donations from family members.

  Nicholas Orme points out in ‘Death And Memory In Medieval Exeter’ (David Lepine and Nicholas Orme, Devon and Cornwall Record Society, 2003) that disputes about burials were not unique to Exeter. The Church everywhere benefited from such occasions, and was not happy to give up its right to the profits to be won. Matters came to a head in 1300 when the papal bull Super Cathedrum was issued by Pope Boniface VIII, laying down that any man could be buried in a friary, but that one quarter of his estate must then be donated to the local church. He was trying to calm matters.

  Why? Well, the case of Sir Henry de Pomeray shows the problem. He asked permission to be buried in the friary. In 1281 he died, and the friars apparently respected the cathedral’s rights and brought the corpse to the cathedral for the funeral service, but then the friars took away all the funerary ornaments, the candles, the money, everything, when they took his body back to be buried. That rankled.

  It was 1301 when the friars had Sir Henry Ralegh’s body in their church and the canons heard about it. A number of men from the cathedral forced their way into the friary church, beat up some of the friars, broke the lattice, removed the dead man’s remains, and incidentally took the cloth, the wax, the gifts, and all other movables. Back they went to the cathedral, where they held the funeral, and then they carried the body back to the friary so that the friars could actually bury it. Except the friars were by then sulking. To the shame of both groups, the friars locked their gates and refused to let Sir Henry enter to be buried: the canons huffily indicated that it was nothing to do with them, and left poor Sir Henry’s remains outside the doors.

  These characters were, of course, members of important religious foundations, and yet they were prepared to use a dead man as a bargaining counter. The corpse was left for some little time, until, apparently, the canons skulked back and took him to the cathedral. It would seem that he was buried there, and although it’s possible he was later dug up and taken to the friary, it’s quite probable that there was no exhumation, and that ‘the body of Sir Henry Ralegh still rests under his effigy in the cathedral’ (‘The Franciscans And Dominicans Of Exeter’, A. G. Little and R. C. Easterling, Exeter, 1927).

  The ramifications of this dispute dragged on for several years. There were court cases, demands that justices should hear the claims of t
he friars that the canons had broken the Peace, and claims for reimbursement of up to twenty pounds, and the friars went so far as to declare the canons concerned to be excommunicate.

  All of which is interesting, but to me it became much more relevant when I learned that one of the canons involved in the carrying off of Sir Henry from the friars’ church was my own Bishop Walter of Exeter, Walter Stapledon. He was still being accused of being excommunicate in 1305 when he was about to incept as Reader and Master in law at Oxford.

  Bishop Walter was clearly an aggressively ambitious individual. He survived the fights with the friars over some four years, saw off challenges to his position as bishop, and increased his political influence by supporting a middle of the road grouping in Parliament. In 1320 he was made Treasurer to the King, largely due to the patronage of the Despensers, but then in 1321 he resigned on the eve of the Despenser wars – it would seem he disapproved of King Edward II’s decision to allow the Despensers back into the country when he had previously committed to exiling them both.

  I like to think that this behaviour, resigning a position of great value with the potential for huge personal aggrandizement over a matter of honour, shows the real Bishop Walter. It points to his character too that he founded Stapledon Hall – later Exeter College – at Oxford, that he created a grammar school at Ashburton, that he tried to help the poor, and that he appears to have been a tireless diocesan. He did much that was good.

  While at the Treasury, he was an effective and undaunted administrator. He tidied and sorted out much of the rubbish in the Exchequer, and indeed a lot of his initial unpopularity may have been due to his habit of chasing debts which had been long forgotten. However, there are other hints that in an age when no man was a saint, Bishop Walter was not unwilling to line his own pockets. True, everyone else did too, and it is fair to point out that he seems to have collected money mostly in order to spend it on things such as the cathedral rebuilding, a project close to his heart – and yet the rumours were strong that he exploited his position. One such indicates that he took Queen Isabella’s estates for himself. It’s quite possibly true, but he would have seen others, notably the Despensers, stealing estates willy-nilly from any man they wanted, even, not being notably chivalrous, from widows. He would have seen the King stealing lands and legacies from many in order to reward his friends. In short, up and down the country, people were taking what they could. There was no point having an advantageous position in the world if you weren’t going to use it to further your own or your family’s interests.