The Honourable Lady Isabella Oakwood

Arms: Azure, an oak leaf and on a chief argent, three acorns azure Born: January 26, 1233 in Maidstone, England Ancestry: Anglo-Saxon / Norman Husband: Bevin Bruce de Lyons, Cloth Merchant, born August 7, 1234, married May 26, 1265 Home: Seven Oaks, near London Father: Robert Oakwood, Knight in the service of Simon de Montfort, born February 24, 1203, married Eleanor de Montegarde May 14, 1227, died at the Battle of Evesham Mother: Eleanor de Montegarde, born April 20, 1211, died of a fever January 17, 1244

Life: Isabella had an uneventful, happy childhood for the first 10 years of her life and then her mother died. At the time of Eleanor's death, there were five surviving children: the two eldest, Richard (age 15) and William (age 13) were squired to earls in the north and west; the three youngest, Isabella (age 10), Edward (age 9) and Nell (age 5) were sent to live in Seven Oaks with their father's sister, Matilda and her husband, Henry who was a cloth merchant and had a small shop in the High Street. Matilda and Henry had no children.

Isabella, the eldest of the three, helped out in the shop by sorting fabric and tidying up after the customers had left. In time, as his sight began to fail, her uncle came to rely on her judgement in choosing fabrics from the traders who brought goods from Europe and Asia. Under his tutelage she learned the cloth trade, including keeping his written records of account, and, it was there that she met her future husband, Bevin, who came to work for her uncle as an apprentice in 1250. Isabella married Bevin on May 26, 1265. When her uncle Henry died the following year, Bevin took over the shop. Isabella helps him run it.

Even though the family was scattered by the death of their mother, Isabella remained close to her father and older brothers who came as often as they could to visit. She also made regular visits to Earl Simon de Montfort's home, where her father was a knight in his service. She adored her 'Uncle Simon' and was devastated when he, her father and both her older brothers were killed at the Battle of Evesham on August 4, 1265. She has never quite forgiven King Edward (then Prince Edward) for the unspeakable butchery which took place on that day.

Husband's Occupation: Cloth Merchant, has small shop in High Street, home on second floor above shop.

Enjoys: Spinning, Card-Weaving, Loom-Weaving, Embroidery, Sewing, Singing and Bardic Arts.

Covets: Fine cloth and yarns of all kinds (and repents NOT of her sin)!

Is Isabella Alone? Strangely enough, no! Ever so slowly, another personality is emerging ... Her name is Gytha Bjornsdottir and she's a 9th century Norsewoman living in Norway, but venturing forth with her kinsmen as they strike out boldly and bravely to explore the northern waters for new lands and riches.