Kenneth of Shaftesbury

Born March 1 in the year of our Lord 1399, to Richard Archer, son of William Archer, and Sarah, daughter of William Millar, in the town of Shaftesbury, Kenneth was baptised on October 13 of the same year, also being the day that Henry Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV at Westminster Abbey.

His father, Richard, distinguished himself during a battle in Shrewsbury on the 23rd of July in 1403 when he helped with the defeat of Harry Hotspur of the powerful Percy family. As reward for his valiant service to the King, he was appointed to the guard of Prince Hal, the then Prince of Wales who had already campaigned in Wales against Owain Glyndwr. This was not always an easy job because Hal’s father faced constant opposition. There was even a time in 1411 when Hal was barred from the king’s court.

Kenneth was brought up in the footsteps of his father which meant that he was trained to use a bow almost from the moment he could walk so that, by the time Hal became King Henry V in 1413, Kenneth was the newest and youngest member of his guard. As there was already a much older Kenneth Archer in the guard, the younger Kenneth became Kenneth of Shaftesbury.

Two years later on the 15th day of October 1415, Richard and Kenneth took part in the one day battle near Agincourt. During this battle the older Kenneth was killed but, by then, Shaftesbury had become a permanent part of the younger Kenneth’s name.

In December of 1421, at age 22, Kenneth was parted from service with his father and became guard to Henry V’s son Henry who became king of England at the age of 8 months and king of France at the age of 9 months. Kenneth ably served this king as guard and later as captain of his guard until April of 1445 when Henry wed the 15 year old Margaret of Anjou. As a wedding and retirement present, Kenneth was given a holding near his birthplace, the only condition being that he return, if called, with 10 trained archers under his command.

To his home, near Shaftesbury, Kenneth brought his wife, of many years, Vivien. Here they now live, in relative ease, with days full of visiting friends and sons and daughters by their side at the holidays.