On Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 7:32:05 AM UTC-7, [email protected] wrote: > Who is to say that Professor J. S. Roskell’s conclusion that Philippa > Bonville was the daughter of Lord William Bonville and Margaret Grey > inaccurate? According to the Proceedings of the British Academy, “His > insistence on never going a step beyond the evidence, his profound > distrust of speculation, and the down-to-earth commonsense of his > Lancashire stock, gave his conclusions a solidity that commanded assent. > He steered to successful completion the official history of The House of > Commons, 1386–1421, which bears the imprint of his approach.” > > We should trust the conclusion of Professor Roskell as it concerns the > parentage of Philippa Bonville, because that is what all the evidence > has ever supported. This appeal to authority is unconvincing. Yes, you can show us a quote in which Roskell is praised for his distrust of speculation and his common sense, but I can show you a case in which he repeated information from Vivian that was chronologically untenable on its face, and known to be false since the start of the 20th century. This doesn't mean he is wrong in any partcular case, but it does show that Roskell does not merit the benefit of the doubt (partiularly when he appears simply to be copying Vivian). taf