Ela Fitzpayne and John Forde- A Medieval Scandal from Okeford to London

In the spring of 1325, John Forde became rector of this parish and a trusted administrator on the Fitzpaine estate. Seven years later, the Archbishop of Canterbury publicly accused Lady Ela Fitzpaine of adultery with John Forde. When she refused to perform the public penance imposed on her — including a barefoot walk through Salisbury Cathedral — he declared her excommunicated. Five years after that, John Forde was ambushed and killed in the streets of London. A coroner’s jury recorded that Ela Fitzpaine had persuaded five men — including her brother Hugh Lovel — to carry out the attack.

How did events in this quiet Dorset village lead to a violent death in the heart of medieval England? Come and hear the remarkable true story that began at St Andrew’s.

Professor Manuel Eisner is a criminologist from the University of Cambridge. His research into Ela Fitzpayne was one of several medieval murder mysteries published in 2025 on an interactive map.