As a very young man, my grandfather, John the first of Marlborough served King Richard "The Lion Heart" in the third Crusade. Upon his return from the Holy Land, my father took my grandfather's place as Lord of Marlborough after Prince John, brother to Richard and now King of all England, commissioned the Township, Mott and Bailey Castle of Marlborough in 1240.

John established our beloved township allowing us to have one festival a year and one Farmer's Market a month void of taxation. My town and the Manner House where I was reared was the halfway point and overnight stop for John from his home in Wiltshire as he traveled to London.

I was born in the Castle of the Lord of Marlborough in the winter of 1258. The second son of the Lord of this land, I was a child who grew and was nurtured in privilege. Although I was raised primarily by my mother, my education came from the good monks and friars of the nearby monastery. As a young boy, and then an adolescent, I grew closer to the common people rather than the aristocracy, as my older brother did. As second son I was not to inherit any lands, money, or title anyway. My father died a few short months after my 18th birthday, and a year later I set out to find my own fortune and adventure in other lands.

I stole off one cold January morning and soon found myself in the city of London. By the docks, I got work on one of the King's ships as cabin boy to the Master and Commander of the ship. I was also put to work in the kitchen as a Cook's assistant and later assisting the Ship's Surgeon as needed. There was plenty of work to do aboard the ship and many adventures for a young man at sea. Many "Ports of Call" did I see, many skirmishes did we have with French Privateers and the wretched Spanish. One of the many ships I served upon was the HMS Brigantine, but that ill-fated ship and her adventures are good tales for the telling for another day.

In 1285 I met and married a fine Lady of nobility, Ann McAlystre; there was none so fair. It was she who made me realize that I should return home to fulfill my birthright. As our children came to us, I decided to do just that. My good lady had melted away many years of bitter feelings towards my family and now it was time to make amends.