On this day in 1398 the death of Roger Mortimer, the 4th Earl of March aged twenty-four.
Roger Mortimer was killed in a skirmish in Ireland fighting against two of the country's rebellious clans, rashly riding out alone towards the enemy he was hacked to death. Mortimer was considered heir presumptive to Richard II.
Roger Mortimer was killed in a skirmish in Ireland fighting against two of the country's rebellious clans, rashly riding out alone towards the enemy he was hacked to death. Mortimer was considered heir presumptive to Richard II.
However, the Mortimer History Society writes:
"Richard II identified Roger as the heir to the throne, apparently in an attempt to thwart the claims of Henry of Lancaster (the future Henry IV). In so doing Richard was ignoring both the accepted rules of succession and the entailment of the throne drawn up by Edward III*. It filled the Mortimers with false hope. Richard never officially recognised the Mortimers as having a claim; in fact, he placed them in an inferior position to his uncles in the order of precedence, and pointedly refused to acknowledge Roger as his heir in 1394. Nevertheless, it was widely believed that Roger would be the next king if Richard died childless."
"Richard II identified Roger as the heir to the throne, apparently in an attempt to thwart the claims of Henry of Lancaster (the future Henry IV). In so doing Richard was ignoring both the accepted rules of succession and the entailment of the throne drawn up by Edward III*. It filled the Mortimers with false hope. Richard never officially recognised the Mortimers as having a claim; in fact, he placed them in an inferior position to his uncles in the order of precedence, and pointedly refused to acknowledge Roger as his heir in 1394. Nevertheless, it was widely believed that Roger would be the next king if Richard died childless."
Mortimer was buried at Wigmore Abbey, which incidentally is now owned by John Challis who played Boycie in the television series Only Fools and Horses.
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I wonder how different history would have been if he had lived?
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