Eleanor Cobham faced trial in 1441 for plotting against Henry VI with occult methods. Explore the crime, the people and the places.

The trial of Eleanor Cobham and her co-conspirators for occult crimes is a window onto several aspects of late medieval culture.

Eleanor Cobham (c. 1400 - 1452), second wife of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, was put on trial in 1441. Eleanor was accused along with three other people, Thomas Southwell, Roger Bolingbroke and Margery Jourdemayne, of plotting to harm the King, Henry VI, by occult methods. Humphrey was the king's uncle and next-in-line to the throne to the childless Henry, who struggled with periods of severe mental incapacitation throughout his long reign, and so the potential political consequences were extreme.

Dr Joanne Edge will introduce the crime, and discuss the changing contexts of magic and its relation to politics in the century before the witch trials. You'll also discover how astrology, necromancy and witchcraft all linked together in this period. The talk will also situate the crime in the geography of London: it is where Eleanor was arrested, where the accused were held before trial, and where co-accused Roger Bolingbroke and Margery Jourdemayne were executed.

About the speaker:

Dr Joanne Edge is a cultural historian of late medieval and early modern medicine. Since finishing her PhD in 2014, she has worked at the universities of Cambridge, Manchester, Edinburgh, Portsmouth, Goldsmiths and Hertfordshire in a range of research, teaching and special collections roles. Her first book, Onomantic Divination in Late Medieval Britain, was published in 2024. She is currently preparing a monograph on bewitchment in Richard Napier's (1559–1634) astrological casebooks for a public audience. Find out more on Joanne's website: www.joanneedge.co.uk

What to expect:

The talk will last approximately 50-60 minutes followed by Q&A.

IMPORTANT: This talk will be taking place in-person only at The London Archives.

About The London Archives:

The London Archives is a free public archive focusing on the history of London, from 1067 to the present day. We preserve and share millions of historical manuscripts, maps, photographs, books which tell the story of the city. Everyone is welcome.

You can find us in central London in Clerkenwell, close to Farringdon Station - details on our Getting to The London Archives webpage.

Visit our exhibition:

Before the talk you can visit our current exhibition Londoners On Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924, on display at The London Archives in Clerkenwell from 9 March 2026 to 25 February 2027. The exhibition is free to visit during normal opening hours, please check our website for details.

Description supplied by the event organiser.