Let's not forget the man responsible for royal link

Published Date: 11 September 2009
By Staff Copy
From: Rachel Kidd, Keighley, West Yorkshire.
I READ with interest your article 'Royal Visitor may be in town for 800-year celebration' but was upset to see no mention of my father, the late Dr Arnold Kellet, who was the very person who made the exciting discovery in 1985 that King John gave the first Royal Maundy in 1210 in Knaresborough. If it wasn't for my father the Knaresborough people would never have known that King John gave clothing to 13 paupers and yet he is not acknowledged.

People need to know that my father wrote to the Palace soon before he died, inviting a member of the Royal Family to the celebrations in Knaresborough next year. The Palace wrote back saying that they would see what they could do. My sister, Ruth, has replied to their letter to explain dad has died and to ask if they could let her know their decision.

In 1985 my parents were presented to the Queen and Prince Philip, following the royal Maundy service in Ripon.

Dad was Mayor of Knaresborough at the time and he had recently informed the Royal Almonry that King John had, in 1210, given maundy gifts to 13 Knaresborough paupers - the first known example of such an occasion. Dad gave an account of this discovery to her Majesty. She was fascinated that the Royal Maundy might have started in Yorkshire.

Up to that point the Royal Almonry had thought that the earliest known Maundy was in Rochester in 1213 when it was recorded King John gave 13 pence to 13 paupers. The Royal Almonry accepted dad's research on King John's connection with Knaresborough in 1210. His research was also awarded the Yorkshire History prize in 1988 by the Yorkshire Society.

Dad's research on this subject was extensive. He went to the Public Record Office in London to examine the Rotulus Misae – King John's account of his personal expenses (one of the oldest documents of its kind in existence), which proved beyond doubt he distributed gifts in Knaresborough in 1210.

It states that on the 'Dies Jovis Cene' (on the Day of the Lord's Supper) on Thursday April 15th 1210 King John was in residence at Knaresborough Castle and provided clothing to 13 male paupers. On the following day, Good Friday, 1,000 people were fed by King John for a total of £4,13 shillings and 9 pence – 100 of those people being in Knaresborough.

Dad organised a reconstruction of this unique occasion - with the Royal Almonry's blessing – in April 1987.No professional actors were involved, it was a local affair and a huge success.

News of dad's discovery quickly spread and was on the front page of The Guardian, national radio and even the Canadian broadcasting network. Dad showed beyond doubt that Knaresborough holds an important place in the nation's heritage.

I have had huge pleasure looking through dad's clippings of all his stories in the Knaresborough Post and other newspapers.He was a remarkable man, a great scholar and he truly loved his beloved Knaresborough.

It would be appropriate, we feel, to acknowledge dad's unique discovery and even dedicate the celebrations next year to Arnold Kellett, without whom you would not be having them.