William Skelhorn
Encyclopedia
William Skelhorn was a blacksmith
who reportedly lived in Mucklestone
, Staffordshire
, England
in the 15th Century.
Legend has it that he assisted in the escape of Queen Margaret of Anjou
from the Battle of Blore Heath
in 1459 by reversing the shoes of her horse. The anvil from the Mucklestone smithy stands in the church yard and has the inscription:
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who reportedly lived in Mucklestone
Mucklestone
Mucklestone is a small village in Staffordshire, England. It is about nine miles northwest of Eccleshall, and four and a half miles northeast of Market Drayton in Shropshire.It is notable for its associations with the Battle of Blore Heath...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 15th Century.
Legend has it that he assisted in the escape of Queen Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
from the Battle of Blore Heath
Battle of Blore Heath
The Battle of Blore Heath was the first major battle in the English Wars of the Roses. It was fought on 23 September 1459, at Blore Heath in Staffordshire, two miles east of the town of Market Drayton in Shropshire, England.- Background :...
in 1459 by reversing the shoes of her horse. The anvil from the Mucklestone smithy stands in the church yard and has the inscription:
"This anvil came from the smithy when it was demolished and is
believed to have been used by William Skelhorn in 1459."