If you are among those of us who claim John of Middlesex as our ancestor, or even if you are not, you may be interested in the Brother Cadfael series of mysteries set in Shropshire in the mid 1100's when Stephen and Maud were contending for the throne of England. Written by Edith Mary Pargeter under the pen name of Ellis Peters, this series of stories follows the mystery-solving activities of a crusader-turned-monk of the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury, a town in north-central Shropshire. While the focus is on solving the mystery, Pargeter has done a remarkable job of describing the life and times of 12th century Shropshire. To locate these books, visit your favorite bookstore (online or brick and mortar) and search for Cadfael or for Ellis Peters. There are 20 novels written in chronological order (I'm presently on #11) as well as one book of three short stories including one that tells how Cadfael became a monk. Hope you find this interesting. Charlie Hartley