T.D. Rhodes' 'The Crest of the Little Wolf' - 1904

The Robert Clarke Company first edition - 1904

This is a strange little book, beautifully produced (bound and printed) by a Cincinnati publisher. It is dedicated To My Wife In memory of delightful days when I wooed a Lovell maid at Beaumont; hence the obvious interest in that family. Furthermore, the author devotes another page to explaining why he wrote the novel: This little book is but a page from history, with a bit of added romance, written in leisure moments for the pleasure of some youthful descendants of the House of Lovell. It is published in deference to their wishes, and with the hope that those of the author's friends who chance to read it may in so doing pass a pleasant hour. Well, Mr. Rhodes, this reader did pass 'a pleasant hour' or two.

Essentially, it is a simple love story between Francis Lovell and Anne FitzHugh. Francis rebuts Anne's remark that his regard for her is but a childish folly. "Childish folly dost thou call it?...Thou knowest I love thee passionately and devotedly and have so loved thee ever. Lands and titles change not the Knightly heart, and the Lord of Minster Lovell is as much thy bond slave today as was the boy Francis Lovell when thy playfellow. So, a constant 'good egg'. He crosses both Anthony, Lord Scales (Queen Elizabeth's brother), who had fancied his chances with Anne. and the Earl of Warwick, who wished for a Nevil kinsman to marry Anne. Luckily, his good friend, Richard of Gloucester, holds sway. "At my side Francis, at my side, and thy fortunes ever intertwined with mine..."

Warwick and his brother Montague rebel and are defeated and killed at the battle of Barnet (which is well described). Warwick is referred to as the very type of the feudal baron, whilst Edward IV had a pleasure-loving, self-indulgent temperament and self nature which required the constant stimulus of danger or pressing necessity to rouse him to action. Lovell - who had in him the genius of a statesman -is used by Edward as an ambassador to Charles the Bold of Burgundy.

Lovell regularly returns to his ancestral home in Oxfordshire, Minster  Lovell. The author refers to it as a historic pile and as a castle. As with Sir Walter Scott referring to Ashby de la Zouch 'castle' in Ivanhoe, it is wrong. Minster Lovell was never a castle but a Manor House. It is one of my favourite spots in England, with an atmospheric church nearby, where Lovells are buried. Interestingly, when Edward fled abroad in 1470, it was assumed Lovell also left the country. Here, Rhodes has him hiding in a secret chamber at Minster Lovell. Precursor to his tragic end after the battle of Stoke in 1487?

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, figures fleetingly in the text. Anne FitzHugh is not a fan!  Richard has that sinister, unfathomable look they all knew so well.  The author, sensibly, does not dwell on Lovell's further rise under Richard as king - those later, sterner days leave we for another chronicle...   Notes at the end of the novel include the letter from Wm. Cowper Clerk of the Parliament, dated 9th August 1737.  Here is related the oft-told tale of the discovery of a large underground vault at Minster Lovell in 1708, in which was the entire skeleton of a man as having been sitting at a table which was before him with a book, paper, pen &c. In another part of the room lay a cap all much mouldered and decayed... So Francis did escape from Stoke to die another day.

Two minor comments on the novel's 'facts'. There is no actual proof that Lovell was at the battle of Bosworth. Admittedly, the York City Council Minutes included Francis Viscount Lowell [sic] in their list of participants at Bosworth; moreover, Henry Tudor's proclamation after the battle had Lovell as one of the slain.  Clearly this was incorrect and Francis may not have made it to Bosworth from Southampton in time for the fight. Secondly, he was actually married to Anne FitzHugh in 1466 (Calendar of Patent Rolls), even though, at 14, he was still technically under age. Thus, Rhodes is wrong to date the marriage to 1471.

Finally, I have reproduced the two illustrations from the book below. Francis Lovell's costume seems to depict a late 16th century garb, whilst Anne's is surely 17th century. Does it really matter? So many 19th century novels on the Middle Ages were illustrated with totally anachronistic plumage!

Francis Lord Lovell and Anne FitzHugh 

FOOTNOTE:

The house of Lovell was founded by Robert, Earl of Yvry and Brehervel who followed William the Conqueror to England in 1066. He had several sons, the elder, Ascelin Gouel de Percival, because of the violence of his temper and actions, was surnamed Lupus or 'The Wolf'. William, son of Ascelin, was called 'The Little Wolf'. He softened Lupel to Luvell, which became Lovell.