RICHARD III, WHITE SURREY AND HIS OTHER HORSES

Stained glass depiction of King Richard and his legendary horse, White Surrey.

As we now know sadly, Richard, did not own a horse called White Surrey or, as he has sometimes been called, White Syrie (1). But Richard did own horses aplenty and we are fortunate lists of these horses have survived – see below (2). What I know of horses you could put on a postage stamp but the late John Ashdown-Hill explains in his book ‘The Mythology of Richard III‘ that liard or lyard are grey horses which could be described as white. So therefore it can clearly be seen that Richard did have grey horses which could appear white. If one of these horses was not called White Syrie – well – he should have been! John goes on to explain it was once believed ‘that a horse called White Syrie was actually listed in a 15th century manuscript’ – see below – ‘however this proved to be a misreading. There is therefore no 15th century surviving evidence of the name of the horse that Richard rode in his last battle (3)’

THE NAMES OF HORSE BEING AT GRISSE IN HAVERING PARC

First Liard – trotting

Liard Clervax of Croft – ambling

The Whit – ambling

Baiard Babingtone – ambling

Liard Strangwisse – Ambling

Baiard Rither – Ambling

Liard Cultone – trotting

The litille Whit of Knaresburghe – ambling

My ladies grey gelding (name unknown) – Ambling

Liard Carlile – trotting

Liard Norffolk – Ambling

THE NAMES OF HORSES BEING AT GRISSE IN HOLDERNESSE

Liard Mountfort – ambling

Powisse Tomlynsone

THE NAMES OF HORSES BEING AT HARDMET AT NOTTINGHAM

Liard Danby – Ambling

Liard hoton – Ambling

The gret grey that came from Gervaux -ambling

Baiard Culton – trotting

Blak Morelle – Trotting

The Whit of Gervaux – Ambling for my lady

The Walssh (hoby) nag – for my lady ambling

Jak

Liard Bradshare – ambling

The gret Bay Gelding of Gervaux ……. (John Ashdown-Hill suggests this horse is a candidate for the very horse Richard rode into battle being stabled at Hardmet (Harmet) in Nottingham)

Lyard Say

Beyard Chambreleyne

The Blak of Holderness – trotting

Beyard Chamberlain

Liard Bowes

Alas no White Surrey or Whyte Syrie – it’s a great shame that the name of Richard’s horse he rode into battle that day is lost to us for, without a doubt, he would have been magnificent and as such surely deserves recognition.