- Descendants of some 20 families who fought at the Battle of Bosworth, that ended the reign of Richard III, are to meet for the first time.
- Researchers who identified the king using DNA from his distant family used the same techniques to find descendants of those who fought in the battle.
- They will meet family members directly related to the last Plantagenet king at a reception in Leicester later.
- Some have flown from Australia, South Africa and Canada for the occasion.
- Richard, the last English king to die in battle, was killed at Bosworth Field in 1485, at the end of the Wars of the Roses.
- The pro-vice chancellor at the University of Leicester, Prof Kevin Schürer, who conducted the research, said it was "challenging" but had "thrown up some interesting stories".
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- Among those identified by Prof Schürer are relatives whose ancestors include:
- Marmaduke Constable who survived at Bosworth and later fought in the Battle of Flodden, aged 71, but died after swallowing a frog while drinking a glass of water.
- Sir John Babington of Dethick, Derbyshire who had been Sheriff of Derby and Nottingham and is reported to have fought for King Richard's cause.
- Samuel Spriggs a Leicestershire man who accompanied Richard to battle and is reputed to have been made an esquire of his body.
- John Hardwick who knew the local terrain and advised Henry of Richmond on the best battle positions thus being credited as "the architect of Richard's defeat".
- Sir Reynold Bray from Worcester who is credited with having found Richard's golden crown on a hawthorn bush on the Bosworth battlefield and handing it to Lord Stanley who placed it on Henry's head.
- Simon Digby from Leicester who was knighted and given the manor of Coleshill, Warwickshire for his part in the battle.
- Thomas Iden who fought for the Lancastrian cause and subsequently served as the Sheriff of Kent in 1500.
- Prof Schürer said: "The stories are a mixture of continuity and change, with a fair measure of fame and glory thrown in.
- "The inter-relation between some of the families from Bosworth is another interesting feature - in some regards it truly was a battle of cousins.
- "Bringing together these families for the first time in over 500 years will be a remarkable event."
- King Richard's reburial ceremony will be held at Leicester Cathedral on Thursday, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
From :http://www.bbc.com/
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