Category: House Of York

Lionel of Antwerp and Elizabeth de Burgh

15/8/2019

Lionel of Antwerp, the third son of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault had been betrothed as a child to Elizabeth de Burgh, the only daughter of William de Burgh Earl of Ulster and Maud of Lancaster.

The marriage took place on the 13th of August in 1352.

In 1333 on the murder of her father Elizabeth became the sole heir to all the family lands in Ireland. As a baby, she was taken to England leaving the control of the Burgh lands to be fought over by the heads of three different branches of the extended family.
Lionel and Elizabeth's marriage lasted eleven years and produced one child a daughter who they named Phillipa. The marriage ended with Elizabeth's death at the age of thirty-one in 1363. It would be the through Phillipa that the Yorkist would make its claim to the throne of England.

He married secondly Violante, the daughter of Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Pavia five years later. Lionel would not survive their wedding day!

There is a tiny bit more on this subject here

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-bites/a-cold-case

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THE DEATH OF CECILY NEVILLE

1/6/2016

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Cecily Neville...."wife unto the right noble prince Richard late Duke of Yorke, fader unto the most cristen prince my Lord
and son King Edward the iiijth' died this day in 1495.

The aforementioned quote is taken from Cecily's last will and testament which was also made on the 31st of May. You will note that she makes no mention of Richard as her son or as king, but this may be because her servants were too afraid of Henry VII rather than favouritism on her part.

The will makes provisions for several members of her family, including her granddaughter Elizabeth of York and her sons Arthur,
Prince of Wales and Henry the future Henry VIII. She also remembers Margaret Beaufort and leaves money and goods to pages within her household and religious houses.

Cecily's will was proved on the 27th August at Lambeth.

Also I geve and bequeith to the Kinges noble grace all such money as is owing to me of the customes and two cups of gold Also I geve and bequieth to the Quene a crosse croselette of diamantes a sawter with claspes of silver and guilte enamelled covered with green clothe of gold
and a pix with the flesh of St Christofer Also I bequieth to my lady the Kinges moder a portuos with claspes of gold covered with black cloth of golde Also I geve to my lord Prince a bedde of arres of the Whele of Fortune and testour of the same a counterpoint of arras and a tappet of arres with the pope Also I geve to my lord Henry Duke of Yorke three tappets of arres oon of them of the life of St John Baptist another of Mary Maudeleyn and the thirde of the passion of our Lord and Saint George…

…Also I geve to my doughter of Suffolk the chaire with the covering, all the quoscions , horses and harneys belonginge to the same and all my palfreys Also I geve to my son of Suffolke a clothe of estate and iij quosions of purpull damaske clothe of goldAlso I geve to my son humfrey two awter clothes of blewe damaske brawdered and a vestyment of crymeson satten for Jhus masse. Also Igeve to my son William a traves of white sarcenet twoo beddes of downe and twoo bolsters of the same. Also I geve to my Doughter Anne priores of Sion a boke of Bonaventure and Hilton in the same in Englishe and a boke of the Revelacions of Saint Burgitte

Transcription

Also I give and bequeath to the kings noble grace all such money as is owing to me of the customs, and two cups of gold. Also I give and bequeath to the queen a cross crosslet of diamonds, a salter with clasps of silver and gilt enameled, covered with green clothe of gold, and a pyx with the flesh of St Christopher. Also I bequeath to my lady the king's mother a portuos with clasps of gold covered with black cloth of gold. Also I give to my lord prince a bed of arras of the wheel of fortune and tester of the same, a counterpoint of arras and a tappet of arras with the pope. Also I give to my lord Henry, duke of York three tappets of arras, one of them of the life of St John Baptist another of Mary Magdalene and the third of the passion of our Lord and Saint George…

Cecily then bequeaths gifts to Fotheringhay College, the college at Stoke Clare, the nunnery at Sion and her granddaughters (the children of Edward IV) and makes a range of bequests to the de la Pole family (John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, having married her daughter Elizabeth):

…Also I give to my daughter of Suffolk the chair with the covering, all the cushions, horses and harness belonging to the same and all my palfreys. Also I give to my son of Suffolk a clothe of estate and 3 cushions of purple damask clothe of gold.
Also I give to my son Humphrey two alter clothes of blue damask embroidered and a vestment of crimson satin for Jesus' masse. Also I give to my son William a traves of white sarcenet, two beds of down and two bolsters of the same. Also I give to my daughter Anne, prioress of Sion, a book of Bonaventure and Hilton in the same in English and a book of the Revelations of Saint Bridget.

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Edward Courtenay

18/9/2015

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On the 18th September 1556, Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon died in Padua, Italy.

A number of 'ailments' have been suggested as the cause of the Earl's death, fever, syphilis, falling down a flight of stairs and even poisoning.

Edward Courtenay had Yorkist blood flowing through his veins, his grandmother was Catherine of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Catherine had married William Courtenay, Earl of Devon by 1496.

In 1538, at the age of twelve, Edward joined his parents Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exeter and Gertrude Blount in the Tower of London. His father was suspected of being in cahoots with Reginald Pole and Gertrude was accused of encouraging the traitorous behaviour of her husband. Henry Courtenay was executed at the end of 1539 and his wife was released at the start of the following year, however, Edward was to remain a prisoner, he would remain in the Tower of London for fifteen years. He was finally released on the 3rd August 1553.

After his release his fortunes improved, he was considered as a possible husband for Henry VIII's daughter Mary and when she married Phillip of Spain he set his sights on Elizabeth who would later become Elizabeth I. Edward and Elizabeth were suspected of being involved in the rebellion of Thomas Wyatt and others who were fearing persecution under Mary's rule.
They were both imprisoned, but when no evidence was found they were both released and Courtenay fled the country.

I've always wondered why this family, as a possible threat to the Tudor dynasty, were not hunted down like that of the family
of George Duke of Clarance's for instance, Henry VIII had no qualms about seeing off the aged Margaret Pole and
Henry VII had executed Edward's grandfather.

Maybe, this new generation didn't consider the Yorkists as much of a treat anymore?

Words on the engraving of Courtenay above state:

En! puer ac insons et adhuc juvenilibus annis,
Annos bis septem carcere clausus eram,
Me pater his tenuit vinclis quae filia solvit,
Sors mea sic tandem vertitur a superis.

Behold! a guiltless boy and still in his youthful years,
during twice-seven years had I been shut in prison,
the father held me in these chains which the daughter released,
thus at last is my fate being changed by the gods above."

Interestingly, in this engraving Courtenay stands in front of a crumbling castle, whats the significance of that do you think?

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The Death of Margaret Countess of Salisbury.

23/5/2015

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Bishop Gardiner wrote of the date of the Countesses execution as the 27th of May but Eustace Chapuys wrote of it as the 28th, either way Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, the daughter of George Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville was taken to her place of death at the end of May in 1541.

By the time of Margaret's execution, three years had passed since her son's Geoffrey and Henry Pole had been arrested on a charge of treason at the beginning of November 1538. It was just over a week later, the 12th November that Cromwell's henchmen came knocking on the Countesse's door.

Probably not tortured, but certainly coerced by the Earl of Southampton and the Bishop of Ely Margaret said nothing, her two interrogators eventually telling Cromwell that they had to conclude that her sons had told her nothing or that she was

"the most arrant traitress that ever lived"

Margaret was sent to Cowdray Park, the home of the Earl of Southampton where the abuse at the hands of Cromwell's men continued. It was there in the May that a Bill of Attainder was issued and evidence of 'guilt' was presented in the form of a silk tunic embroidered on the back with the Five Wounds of Christ. This and other trumped up charges were brought against her, and Margaret was sent to the Tower where she was kept for just under two years. The Countess was not treated well during her incarceration, the conditions were austere and inadequate for woman her age let alone her status, the room was cold and damp and she suffered as a result.

Margaret heard of her execution only hours before it was due to happen.

Looking pale and thin, it must have been a distressing sight as she made her way to Tower Green, but her suffering was not over. At the hands of inexperienced executioner a

‘wretched and blundering youth who literally hacked her head and shoulders to pieces in the most pitiful manner’

Margaret Pole, the last true Plantagenet was dead.

She was sixty eight year old.

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Christmas 1484 with Richard III

24/12/2014

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Standing proudly in the Fenlands of Lincolnshire are the ruins of the Abbey of Crowland, and as autumn brings its misty evenings, or winter its old crisp mornings, standing among the abbeys broken arches you cannot help but think of the forthcoming Christmas festivities.

Today, Crowland Abbey joins in the fun of Christmas just like any other religious establishment, on the 6th December it had its Christmas Craft and Food Fare when mince pies were eaten and maybe a drink of mulled wine was sampled. That very day in 1484, the second Christmas of King Richard III's reign, people celebrated St Nicholas's saints day.

On that day, our ancestors believed this Saint Nicholas brought gifts such as nuts, fruits and marzipan sweets, and with these gifts the ability to foretell the events of the following year. While most of the Fenland community where knocking back the Christmas ale, Crowland Abbey was not so festive. Within the abbey the monks were busy with local and national affairs, on one hand they were trying to keep talk of a local dispute quiet and on the other being quite vocal in its criticism of Christmas in the court of King Richard III.

Whoever it was that put ink to parchment, had much to say on the subject of the shenanigans going on at Richard's Christmas parties. The writer of the famous Croyland Chronicle states that he was unable to account for many of the activities in the court at this time “because it is shameful to speak of them” even Queen Anne and Elizabeth of York were considered "vain" because they had more than one party outfit. Richards best buddy, Bishop Thomas Langton, joined these medieval party poopers by stating "‘sensual pleasure holds sway to an increasing extent.’

What on earth did this mean?

Did Richard kiss the lovely Ann more than once under the mistletoe I wonder?

Not one of the writers made any attempt to elaborate on any of the events they were writing about.

All the criticisms of Richards "wild parties" came from the clergy who were very quick to point out that Richard saw himself as a " good, learned, serious and virtuous man" while also pointing out that he had called his brothers court "licentious and morally corrupt." The University of Leicester School of Historical Studies quite rightly points out ‘compared with the wild parties that were held at Rome during the reign of Pope Alexander VI, the English court under Edward IV and Richard III was a 'model of virtue’.

Surely, even the pious, like Richard, should not be frowned upon for having a good time, obviously there was more to these statements than meets the eye.

Perhaps these people were just a tad miffed and just bit disgruntled at not to being invited. Did they watch from a distance or listen enviously to tales told the following morning of how Catesby, Lovell and Ratcliffe danced in silly animal party hats or King Richard drank way too ale and threw iced cakes at the Earl of Warwick.

In reality of course, all these damning words were written years later. Those who pooh poohed the kings festivities were not irritated because a invitation hadn't landed on their door mat, they were spouting propaganda, words they thought their new king wished to hear, words that would keep them safe in the new Tudor era. History suggests that the events at court in 1484, as written in the Croyland Chronicles, were written two years later in 1486, by someone who was educated in law and who was privy to information within the court.

The Benedictine residents of Crowland Abbey had at their head one Lambert Fossdyke who had been Abbot at Crowland since January 1484 and who was a Bachelor of Law and it was such a man with a degree in law who was considered to be the writer of these malicious rumours about Richard III.

John Russell, Bishop of Lincoln, is commonly thought to be the author but it could just as well have been Fossdyke dictating to one of his monks?

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Lionel of Antwerp and Elizabeth de Burgh

THE DEATH OF CECILY NEVILLE

Edward Courtenay

The Death of Margaret Countess of Salisbury.

Christmas 1484 with Richard III

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