Around June 1447, John Greenwell was poisoned by a monk, William Downom. The abbot of Fountains Abbey (ruins pictured), Greenwell led the richest abbey in England; his office made him an important figure in Yorkshire. The first half of the century saw the abbey wracked with internal strife, including a disputed election which had violent repercussions as well as, possibly, embezzlement. Greenwell appears to have brought a degree of peace to the abbey upon his election, but he does not seem to have been popular. Downom poisoned a dish of pottage, which he attempted to feed to Greenwell while he was sick. He survived the poisoning, and the case became notorious. Although it took over a year and discussions with Fountains' motherhouse of Cîteaux Abbey, Downom was eventually expelled. Greenwell remained controversial and was both accused and accuser in local lawsuits, and incurred the distrust of King Edward IV for his political leanings. (Full article...).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Abbot_Greenwell> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1862: American Civil War: Union General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Order_No._11_%281862%29> 1939: World War II: After sustaining moderate damage in the Battle of the River Plate two days earlier, the German cruiser Graf Spee was scuttled by its commander, Hans Langsdorff, to avoid its internment by Uruguay. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cruiser_Admiral_Graf_Spee> 1945: The modern flag of Kurdistan was raised for the first time in Mahabad, Iran. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kurdistan> 1990: American gay rights activist William E. Woods brought three same-sex couples to fill out marriage licenses in Honolulu, leading to the eventual legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Woods> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: choleric: 1. Senses relating to choler or yellow bile (“one of the four humours formerly believed to be secreted by the liver”). 2. (medicine, historical) 3. Of or relating to choler. 4. Of a person: having an excess of choler, and thus having a tendency to become angry easily; also, of a person's complexion or temperament: dominated by choler. 5. (astrology, historical) Of a planet or zodiac sign, season, etc.: affecting people having an excess of choler, causing anger or irritability. 6. (obsolete) 7. Of a disease or symptom: caused by choler, especially when abnormal or excessive. 8. Of a body organ: affected by or containing choler, especially when abnormal or excessive. 9. Of food: causing an excess of choler in the body. 10. (by extension) 11. Of a person: having a tendency to become angry easily; bad-tempered, irritable; also, feeling or showing anger; angry, enraged. 12. Of an act, feeling, words, etc.: arising from or showing anger. 13. (obsolete) hot; also, hot and dry. 14. Senses relating to cholera (“any of several acute infectious diseases caused by certain strains of the Vibrio cholerae bacterium”). 15. 16. (medicine) Synonym of choleraic (“of or relating to cholera; also, affected by cholera”). 17. Senses relating to choler. 18. (medicine, historical) A person having an excess of choler, and thus having a tendency to become angry easily; preceded by the: such people collectively. 19. (by extension) A person having a tendency to become angry easily; preceded by the: such people collectively. 20. Senses relating to cholera. 21. 22. (medicine, obsolete) Synonym of choleraic (“a person suffering from cholera”). <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/choleric> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying — and this is the fundamental thing — that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience. --Pope Francis <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pope_Francis> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
