Lupold von Wedel (25 January 1544 – 13 June 1612/1615) was a German travel writer, mercenary leader and landowner.
Career
He was the son of Kurt (Curdt) von Wedel (died 1552) and his second wife Anna von Borcke (died 1573). After the death of his father, he attended school for a short while in Stargard, but soon became a
squire
In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight.
Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...
to the mercenary leader
Vollrad von Mansfeld (1520-1578) and traveled and fought at his side all over Germany. This was to shape the rest of his life.
In the years from 1561 to 1606 he traveled the world as a soldier, later as a mercenary leader, a war reporter and travel writer. In 1566 he took part in the campaign against the Turks in Hungary. He also fought on the side of the Protestants in 1575 and 1591 in the
Huguenot Wars in France, the
Cologne War
The Cologne War (german: Kölner Krieg, Kölnischer Krieg, Truchsessischer Krieg; 1583–88) was a conflict between Protestant and Catholic factions that devastated the Electorate of Cologne, a historical ecclesiastical principality of the Holy ...
1583-1584 and the
Strasbourg Bishops' War
The Strasbourg Bishops' War (German: ''Bischöflicher Krieg'' or ''Straßburger Kapitelstreit'';Gerhard Taddey: ''Straßburger Kapitelstreit''. In: Gerhard Taddey (ed.): ''Lexikon der deutschen Geschichte. Personen, Ereignisse, Institutionen. Von ...
1592-1593. He traveled to the Holy Land, to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
(1578-1579),
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
(1580-1581) and from August 1584 to May 1585 to England and Scotland. His notes about his stays in
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
(1593) and Karlsbad are also historically valuable.
Wedel was only married at the age of 54, on 13 September 1598, to Anna von Eickstedt (1560-1629), the daughter of the
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
n chancellor Valentin von Eickstedt (1527-1579), lord at Klempenow, and Anna von Jasmund (1539-1607).
England and Scotland
This is a summary of Gottfied von Bülow's 1895 translation of Wedel's journal of his 1584-1585 travels in England and Scotland. Wedel and his companion Ewald von der Goltz sailed from Flushing on 14 August 1584 and up the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
towards London. He wanted to get an English passport for Scotland from
Queen Elizabeth at
Oatlands, so he took a small boat up the Thames, visiting
Richmond Palace
Richmond Palace was a royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminster, which w ...
and
Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief ...
where he was particularly impressed by the fish ponds. At Oatlands, Wedel's interpreter forwarded his petition for the passport to
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster".
Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wals ...
, who came to speak with him, and gave him a passport. This was not routine, and other travellers had been refused passports for Scotland because of political troubles.
Wedel returned to London and watched dog and bear fights in a
round theatre on 23 August. The next day,
St Bartholmew's fair, he saw the
Lord Mayor preside over wrestling. On 25 August he sat in the
Coronation Chair
The Coronation Chair, known historically as St Edward's Chair or King Edward's Chair, is an ancient wooden chair on which British monarchs sit when they are invested with regalia and crowned at their coronations. It was commissioned in 1296 by ...
at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
then visited
Bridewell Palace
Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI for use as an orphanage and place of correc ...
and the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
, where he was more impressed with the beds and tapestry than any armour. On 26 he went to
Whitehall Palace
The Palace of Whitehall (also spelt White Hall) at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, except notably Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Hen ...
and saw an anamorphic portrait of
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
and the banqueting house for embassies hung with tree branches.
On 29 August he set off for Scotland with Goltz, Francis von Trotha, Wulf Sigismund von Honsberck and John Wachendorf, a resident of the German merchant
Steelyard who could speak
Scots, staying the first night at
Ware
Ware may refer to:
People
* Ware (surname)
* William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian
Places Canada
*Fort Ware, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Ware, Devon
*Ware, Hertfordshire
*Ware, Kent
United States
* Ware, Elmore County, Al ...
. Riding north, at
Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge is a village in West Yorkshire, England. Ferrybridge lies at a historically important crossing of the River Aire which borders the North Yorkshire village of Brotherton. It is linked to other communities by the A1, which follows t ...
, Trotha's tutor fell off his horse and badly injured his face. They brought a letter from Sir Peter Middleton to his steward who arranged a day's hunting at
Stockeld Park
Stockeld Park is a Grade-I listed country house and estate situated between the towns of Wetherby and Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, which is now the home of Peter (a great-grandchild of Robert John Foster) and Susie Grant. The estate spa ...
near
Wetherby
Wetherby () is a market town and civil parish in the City of Leeds district, West Yorkshire, England, close to West Yorkshire county's border with North Yorkshire, and lies approximately from Leeds City Centre, from York and from Harrogat ...
and saw five Roman columns near
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge () is a town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is north-west of the county town of York. Until a bypass was built the town lay on the mai ...
. At
Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census reco ...
they showed their passports to the governor
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon Knight of the Garter, KG Privy Council of England, PC (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596), was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, William Shakespeare's playing company. ...
. On 11 September they crossed the border and met their Scottish escort, as arranged by Hunsdon, a mile from Berwick.
In Scotland Wedel saw the usual sights, and went to Perth where
James VI
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
was staying at
Ruthven Castle, and he saw the king in church on 20 September, dressed in red in the Italian fashion with a diamond cross in his hat, with the young
Duke of Lennox
The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenn ...
standing beside him. The cross had been sent to James VI at Perth from
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
on 31 August, and was recorded as a gold cross with seven diamonds and two rubies.
Wedel noted that the
Earl of Arran was keeper of
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
and very powerful, and he met
Colonel William Stewart
Sir William Stewart of Houston (c. 1540 – c. 1605) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish soldier, politician and diplomat.
He is often known as "Colonel Stewart", or the Prior of May (Pittenweem), Commendator of Pittenweem.
Life
He began his ca ...
and his wife, Erika, the widow of Willem van Bronckhorst-Batenburg. In Edinburgh he stayed with
Janet Fockart, and her son the poet
William Fowler rode with Wedel, and he learnt that Fowler was a favourite with the king for teaching him the
art of memory
The art of memory (Latin: ''ars memoriae'') is any of a number of loosely associated mnemonic principles and techniques used to organize memory impressions, improve recall, and assist in the combination and 'invention' of ideas. An alternative ...
. Wedel went to
Seton Palace and enjoyed the garden but could not get in. Wedel and his friends rode to London and continued their sight-seeing.
On 18 October 1584 he saw the queen at Hampton Court, wearing black velvet as mourning for the deaths of
William the Silent
William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...
and
Francis, Duke of Anjou
'' Monsieur'' Francis, Duke of Anjou and Alençon (french: Hercule François; 18 March 1555 – 10 June 1584) was the youngest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici.
Early years
He was scarred by smallpox at age eight, a ...
, embroidered with silver and pearls. On 12 November Elizabeth came to
St James Palace, riding in an open gilt carriage, drawn by four horses, under a canopy of red velvet embroidered with gold and pearls. The
Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837.
Early creations ...
rode beside the carriage and twenty four ladies-in-waiting followed on horseback. On 14 November he went to Tower of London to see the treasury. Wedel saw a
tournament on 17 September,
Queene's Day
Queene's Day celebrates the accession of Queen Elizabeth I to the throne of England on 17 November 1558. Observance of the accession was a national holiday in England and Wales for about 300 years, often with the building of enormous bonfires. I ...
. The Queen and her ladies watched from the windows of
Whitehall Palace
The Palace of Whitehall (also spelt White Hall) at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, except notably Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Hen ...
, anyone else could watch from stands below for a shilling. A week later he saw the opening of Parliament. The queen arrived in a sedan-chair like a half-covered or half-roofed bed carried between two horses. He left London on 23 April 1585.
[Gottfied von Bülow, 'Journey Through England and Scotland Made by Lupold von Wedel in the Years 1584 and 1585', in ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'', vol. 9 (London, 1895), pp. 247-270.]
Publications
* Max Bär (ed.): ''Lupold von Wedel’s Beschreibung seiner Reisen und Kriegserlebnisse, nach der Urhandschrift herausgegeben und bearbeitet'', Stettin 1895
LinkGottfied von Bülow (transl.): 'Journey Through England and Scotland Made by Lupold von Wedel in the Years 1584 and 1585', in ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'', vol. 9 (London, 1895), pp. 223-270.
Further reading
* Max Bär:
Wedel, Lupold von. In: ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB). Vol. 41, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, p. 413 f.
*Albert Emil Brachvogel: ''Ritter Lupold von Wedels Abenteuer'', 3 volumes, Verlag Otto Janke, Berlin 1874
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wedel, Lupold von
1544 births
1610s deaths
Wedel family
German male writers