A bit of history this week from Da and Sh, two well-known setter/solvers who have migrated here from Listen With Others. This was their first Listener but they have an Inquisitor and Magpie under their belt.
Four clue numbers in the preamble, but one had a clue given: 5dn Kernels from oaf’s farm acre primarily yield something very different (7, three words). A FAR CRY would be an easy entry [(o)AF(‘s) (f)AR(m) (a)CR(e) + Y(ield)], but that would have to wait for a bit, if for nothing other than 1ac not being a straightforward shoo-in for me (Russia once cut old pledge in Perth over sugar (9) for MUSCOVADO [MUSCOV(y) + [W]AD + O]. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that there was an extra letter in the wordplay of across clues.
As expected, the grid was finished fairly quickly. Most was done in under an hour with just the bottom right corner delaying the finish. WHITESHOE [(SI[G]HT HE)* in WOE] and P-CELT [C in PELT, down clue so no extra letter] the last to go in. I also mused over whether 28ac Threaten periodically duller trifle (6) was PADDLE, PEDDLE or PUDDLE! (It was the middle one [PE[N]D + D(u)L(l)E(r)].) I’m not one of those clever clogs who can determine who in a collaboration set each clue!
The grid done and E, T, P, I, D got slotted into the unclued entries to reveal HENRY, STEPHEN and MATILDA. A FAR CRY at 5dn (with both F and R unchecked) got changed to ANARCHY, and all became clear.
I was lucky that it became clear quickly because I had recently read (recently enough to remember) Unruly, a book by David Mitchell about England’s Kings and Queens, and he of Ludwig fame (another series in the offing apparently). If you like history mixed with humour, I can recommend the book. [Are you on commission? Ed.]
Anyway, in the chapter on King Stephen, he explains all the shenanigans (small initial s) between Stephen and Matilda. There were a lot of Matildas around that time, but it was Stephen’s conflict with the one called the Empress, daughter of Henry I, that culminated in the civil war from 1138 to 1154, known s the Anarchy. She was not to be confused with Matilda, Countess of Boulogne who became Stephen’s wife.
Meanwhile, the extra wordplay letters gave us William in boat and new King which referred to the WHITE SHIP disaster where it capsized off the coast of France in 1120 killing some 300 people including Henry I’s son, William ADELIN. He could be found together with the ship at the bottom of the grid which needed highlighting, together with HENRY II in row 4.
Thanks for a fascinating history lesson, Dash, and a satisfying puzzle.
Full clue analysis can be found at the Listener Crossword website.