About Us
Dr Hazel Pierce

Dr Hazel Pierce
Hazel is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of History, Law and Social Sciences, Bangor University. She gained a first-class honours degree at Bangor in 1992 and her PhD ‘The Life, Career and Political Significance of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, 1473-1541′ was conducted under the supervision of Professor David Loades.
Between 2014 and 2016, Hazel followed the Pharos and Society of Genealogists intermediate certificate: Family History Skills and Strategies, which she passed with Distinction.
Hazel is an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Member of AGRA (Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives). She is also a contributor to the pan-Wales not-for-profit HistoryPoints project, which brings Welsh history to mobile phones on the spot via more than 2000 QR Codes. Please see this page for Hazel’s contributions.
Hazel’s Publications
Books
Edward IV’s Fatal Legacy: The Restoration and Ruin of the Courtenays, 1479-1558 (Pen and Sword Books, September 2025).
See here for more details.
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, 1473-1541: Loyalty, Lineage and Leadership (Cardiff University Press, 2003).
See here for more details.
Journal Articles
‘Margaret Courtenay, Lady Herbert: Edward IV’s Elusive Granddaughter’, The Ricardian, Vol. 35 (September 2025).
‘A Remembrance of the Sons of Edward IV by their Sister Katharine Courtenay, Countess of Devon’, The Ricardian, Vol. 35 (September 2025).
‘The King’s Cousin: The Life, Career and Welsh Connection of Sir Richard Pole, 1458-1504’ The Welsh History Review, vol. 19, no 2, (December 1998).
Contributions to Other Works
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, 2004)
Pole, Margaret, suo jure countess of Salisbury (1473–1541)
Pole, Arthur (1531/2-1570?)
Loades, D.M., (ed.), Reader’s Guide to British History (London, 2003)
The Plantagenets (1154-1485)
Cardinal John Morton
The Lambert Simnel Rebellion (1487)
The Perkin Warbeck Conspiracy (1490s)
General Interest
Wolf Hall: Princess Mary was not so alone in her fight against her father, Henry VIII, as the TV series would like you to believe. The Conversation, 15 November 2024.
Brian Robbins
Technical and IT support

Brian Robbins
Brian has considerable experience in the field of information technology and management. As such, he ensures that all the digital requirements of our clients are met.