Meandering Through Time - Wars of the Roses Blog

Rene of Anjou

16/1/2020

On this day in 1409 the birth of Rene of Anjou at Angers Castle in Anjou. Rene was a French noble of the family of Valois and Anjou. Known as Good King Rene simply because he inherited the crowns of Naples, Sicily and Jerusalem, he controlled large areas of land, he was therefore, an important figure during the last years of Hundred Years War.

Rene was the father of Margaret of Anjou Queen of Henry VI. Rene played his part in the negotiations with the English at Tours in 1444 and the marriage of Margaret to Henry - the fall out of which (the loss of French territories of Maine and Anjou, that had formed part of the marriage contract) as you will know, was far-reaching.

A wonderful description of Rene is given by Conn Iggulden in his book Stormbird, the first of his Wars of the Roses series (read it if you haven't already, its a must) The description comes from the mouth of the teenage Margaret.

"He was just a great white slug of a man. His face was unnaturally pale, perhaps from his years languishing in prison. His eyes were grey and cold, half hidden by heavy, unwrinkied lower lids, so that he always seemed to be peering over them. He had clearly not starved in prison."

I would not be surprised if Conn Iggulden took his inspiration from the Matheron Diptych that it is pictured here. The painting, by French artist Nicolas Froment was given to Jean Matheron, statesman and later a French ambassador, by Rene himself. He is depicted with his second wife Jeanne de Laval it is held in the Louvre in Paris.

Death of Edmund of Rutland

30/12/2019

On the 30th December in 1460 after the Battle of Wakefield, Edmund Earl of Rutland, son of Richard Duke of York was executed in an act of revenge.

The Murder of Rutland by Lord Clifford by Charles Robert Leslie

The most common story told is that Edmund was captured, whilst escaping the battlefield, on a bridge in the town where the Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin stood, but the quality of his armour was noticed by Lancastrian John Clifford who asked him his name. At that point, it seems, Clifford was unaware who Rutland was and was possibly thinking along the lines of a ransom, but a priest going by the name of Aspell shouted: "spare him for he is the Prince's son." And thus Rutland's fate was sealed.

It was then that John Clifford saw an opportunity to avenge his father's death, his father Thomas Clifford died in the first battle of St Albans in 1455. For Clifford, the "sight of any of the House of York was fury to torment his soul."

It is John Leland, the 16th century antiquary, who first mentions that it was Clifford who murdered the seventeen-year-old Edmund, William of Worcester in his Annales Rerum Anglicarum writes "and in the flight after the battle, Lord Clifford killed Edmund Earl of Rutland, son of the Duke of York, on the bridge at Wakefield." but its Shakespeare who puts the following words into Clifford's mouth.

"Thy father slew mine; and so will I do thee and all thy kin."

The violence and family feuds did not end with the death of Edmund.

Interesting, the word feud in English and in Latin means the threat to take revenge and these acts of vengeance were often the result of a long standing feud, and you will get no bigger than the ill feeling between York and Lancaster.

Vengeance, in what ever time period, is one of the worst of human traits, but it is an intriguing one none the less.

There is a little more on the act of revenge in my blog which can be accessed here:
meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/wars-of-the-roses-blog/vengeance-is-mine

Death of Edward, Earl of Warwick

28/11/2019

November 1499, saw the death of the grandson of the Richard, Duke of York and Cecily Neville. Edward Plantagenet, was the son of George, Duke of Clarence, brother to Edward IV and Richard III who death is recorded as the 28th of this month.

Image Edward Earl of Warwick. Engraving 1793

Edwards life was abysmal, his mother died when he was just a year old and he was only three when his father was executed, his wardship was granted in 1480 to Thomas Grey, the son of Elizabeth Woodville by her first husband. It has been said that Edward suffered from some sort of mental illness, but I imagine it was more to do with anxiety and lack of care and/or the fact that he received little or no education. By the time he was twenty-four he had spent sixteen years in confinement, away from court, away from influences and activities of Yorkist sympathisers and he would have known little of what was going on in Henry's new kingdom. Bearing this in mind and the fact that he was heavily guarded it is hard to believe that he was in cahoots with Perkin Warbeck and knew of the plans to overthrow Henry VII, it is more than likely that Henry VII used this opportunity to rid himself of a man with better claim to the throne than his.

At some point Richard III may have considered Edward Plantagenet his heir and had him placed at Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire for his own protection, but it may be that he considered him a threat to his throne, but on Richards death in 1485 the new Lancastrian regime quickly had him removed and placed under heavy guard at the Tower of London. Despite being ten years old, Henry also considered him a threat and needed him watched to prevent Yorkists organising his escape and using him as a reason to rebel. Henry used Edward two years later when he paraded him in London after Lambert Simnel's challenge to his throne. In 1499 Warbeck entered the scene and it was he whose actions were the beginning of the end for Edward. It was alleged that Edward had plotted with and was involved in Warbeck's attempt to overthrow the king. Warbeck confessed to the plot, under torture, but I cannot say if Edward did. Either way, Edward went to his death Tower Hill a week after Warbeck execution.

Battle of Edgecote

25/7/2019

On the 26th July in 1469, the Battle of Edgecote took place on Danes Moor in Northamptonshire at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell between a royal army and well-supported rebels from the north of England.

Despite his victory at Towton in 1461, Edward IV was still concerned with Lancastrian plots, however, he had not understood the gravity of his betrayal of Richard, Earl of Warwick and how much he wished to be avenged. By 1468 Edward's popularity in England was reduced and this gave Warwick his opportunity to take back control of England.

Rebellion in the north began in the spring of 1469, it gathered under the banner of a man going by the name of Robin of Holderness. Another man going by the name of Robin, whose true identity has never been identified only suspected, appeared again in the summer of 1469, he was known as Robin of Redesdale (he would later appear again, under this guise at the Battle of Luscote Field in the March of the following year.) Pulling the strings, or at least stirring the pot was Richard Neville and the sly old fox was clever enough not to be seen to be involved in any plotting of the downfall of the House of York.

Edward was at Newark in Nottinghamshire when he heard of the Redesdale rebellion and by the night of the 25th July, the forces of the king under the command of William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke and Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Devon and a rebel army under the aforementioned Robin of Redesdale arrived at a moor not too far from Banbury in Oxfordshire. The battle began on the morning of the following day took place on the east side of the River Cherwell, but the exact battleground has never been identified. This battle has been written about by two chroniclers, Jean de Wavrin and John Warkworth both were living and writing at the time of these events. Both note that the royal army was in trouble from the start, an argument in the ranks took place at some point before the fighting took place, but they disagree as to the reason, whatever went on the Earl of Devon withdrew his troops.

In the first part of the battle, the royal forces were successful but with the arrival of the army of Richard Neville, the Battle of Edgecote went the way of the rebels.

This battle saw the executions of a number of high ranking members of the Yorkist party and the king himself captured and placed under arrest. Robin of Redesdale, as we have seen, (may) have lived to fight another day.

With the Earl of Warwick now in control the question should be asked could he run the country?

Elizabeth of York

22/4/2019

Elizabeth of York, later Duchess of Suffolk was born in Rouen in Normandy, the second daughter of Richard, Duke of York and Cecily Neville. She was the sister of both Richard III and Edward IV.

It is commonly thought that the date of her birth was the 22nd April in 1444 however, in the Annals of William Worcester the date of her baptism is quoted as being five months later on the 22nd September, and as it has quite rightly been pointed out it is unlikely that a child would be left unbaptised for such a long period. Therefore we can assume that Elisabeth was born on the 21st September in 1444 in France at the time when Henry VI was playing yo-yo with her father's career - the time between Henry appointing the Duke of York as Lieutenant of France and the death of John, Beaufort the Duke of Somerset in the May of that year.

Elizabeth marriage to John de la Pole was thought to have been arranged by de la Poles mother Alice, it took place three years after the first Battle of St Albans at a time that is often considered the beginning of the Wars of the Roses.

At the time of John de la Pole becoming Duke of Suffolk his family was one of the least wealthy titled families in the country - although if his marriage to Margaret Beaufort (John Beauforts daughter) had not been annulled John's life may have been a different one altogether. The fifteen-hundred pounds that Elizabeth brought to the marriage was not a patch on what Margaret would have brought, made little difference to his finances.

Although this marriage allied de la Pole to the Yorkist party he is noted as having not shown any true support for either side. However, in 1461 he had made his decision, fighting for the Yorkist at the second Battle of St Albans and at Towton.

Elizabeth assumed the title of Duchess of Suffolk in the May of 1450 when John became Duke of Suffolk following the murder of his father William de la Pole. Elizabeth gave birth to eleven children, she would outlive eight of them. The three son who did survive their mother were Edmund, William and Richard all would suffer due to the Yorkist blood that ran through their veins.

Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk died in 1503/4 and is buried at Wingfield Church in Suffolk, alongside her husband.

Edward IV arrives in England

14/3/2019

"It is a difficult matter to go out by the door and then try to enter by the windows. They think he will leave his skin there."
writes the Duke of Milan's ambassador to France on Edward IV's prospects of retaking England.

It was in the second week of March 1471 Richard Neville had received news that ships flying the Yorkist banner had been spotted off the coast of Norfolk, and on this day the 14th of March, Edward, William Hastings and Richard, Duke of Gloucester had arrived at Ravenspur on the east coast of England, the very port Henry IV had landed seventy years before to claim the English throne

A Blot on the Landscape

26/9/2018

Sadly, last evening Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council passed the application for planning permission to build a test track on Bosworth Field. I'm disappointed and angry. Those opposed were allowed one representative and three minutes to state their case. So much for democracy!

I'm saddened by this not only by the lack of regard for our countries heritage/history but the dangers, if it ever comes to fruition, of driverless cars on our roads.

https://www.economist.com/…/why-ubers-self-driving-car-kill…

This build is a blot on the landscape for more than one reason.

The next step, according to Matthew Lewis, author of the latest book on Richard III, would be to take it to a national level and ask the government to review the decision, a process he said that "allows the minister to take the decision out of the hands of the local council"

Berwick on Tweed

24/8/2018

The town of Berwick stands on the banks of the River Tweed in Northumberland. Historically, its position proved useful as it is situated on the border between England and Scotland, and because of this, it has seen its share of both war and peace. Because of its situation, its governance has been the responsibility of both countries on numerous occasions.

In 1357 a treaty was signed here, the first of five Treaties of Berwick, this particular treaty, between King Edward III of England and David II of Scotland, brought to an end Scotland's second attempt at independence.

In 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, when Henry VI's wife Margaret of Anjou had fled to Scotland she negotiated a deal with the recently widowed Mary of Guelders over the town in return for help with her Lancastrian cause. When all the papers are signed Berwick upon Tweed became part of Scotland, and it was not until the August of 1482 that Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III retook the town and returned it to England.

A second treaty, signed in 1526, was issued in order to keep the peace between warring factions on the English/Scottish border.

A third, signed on this day in 1560 saw the completion of yet another Treaty of Berwick. This treaty was Elizabeth I's efforts to give some protection to those who practiced Protestantism in Scotland. The document was signed for and on behalf of the queen by Thomas Howard the Duke of Norfolk. The agreement was in respect of an alliance with Scottish nobles who were opposed to the regency of Mary of Guise, the widow of James V of Scotland, who had retained a French army for her protection. The treaty allowed English forces to enter Scotland and expel these French troops and it would be the first time in history that the English and Scottish fought together against a common foe rather than against each another.

There would be two more signing of treaties at Berwick, one in 1586 following an agreement between Elizabeth I and Mary of Guise's grandson King James VI and another in 1639 that ended the First Bishops War.

Execution of Richard Woodville

12/8/2018

To the surprise of many, and disregarding the acknowledged rules of diplomacy King Edward IV had, in the May of 1464, made his own choice of a bride. The king's new wife was one Elizabeth Grey, the daughter of Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, a family of lowly stock from the County of Northampton.

There was, of course, a little more to the Woodvilles than the fact they were 'social climbers.' Richard Woodville had been in command of an army during the French wars. He had met Jacquetta, the young widow of the Duke of Bedford when he had accompanied her on the voyage home to England from Rouen. In 1433 Woodville married Jacquetta in secret. Their eldest child, the aforementioned Elizabeth, was born four years later.

Garter Stall Plate of Richard Woodville at St George’s Chapel, Windsor

Jacquetta was a member of Margaret of Anjou's court and Richard Woodville, as a loyal servant to Henry VI was eventually rewarded with a barony in 1448.

Edward, as we all know, fell instantly in lust when he came across Elizabeth. Richard Woodville's daughter was a strong-willed widow with two young sons and eight siblings to boot and Edward, as previously mentioned would undertake this marriage without the knowledge of one man who was so instrumental in bringing him to the throne - Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. This event was a turning point for Richard Neville and the first the nail in the coffin of Richard Woodville.

Richard Neville was angered by the fact that the Woodville men were placed in important administrative roles. Other events such as the king’s refusal to sanction the marriage of his daughter to George, Duke of Clarence and the influence of the Herbert family the Earls of Pembroke in the royal court just rubbed salt into his wounds. Richard Neville was about to jump from the Yorkist ship into Lancastrian waters.

Warwick’s rebellion would see off William Herbert and his brother Richard at Northampton on the 26th July in 1469 and on this day, just seventeen days later Richard Woodville and his son John would be beheaded as traitors.

To Richard Neville, revenge may have been sweet - but in the words of Martin Luther King Jr

"The old law of 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind."

Siege of the Tower of London 2nd - 19th July 1460

2/7/2018

Richard Neville, his brother Lord Fauconberg and Edward IV, plus the main force of the Yorkist army were making their way to do battle at Northampton, leaving a smaller force to continue the siege of the Tower of London.

Siege of the Tower of London in 1471.

Thomas, Lord Scales and Robert, Lord Hungerford had been bombarding the city, where it has been said, many of London’s residents were killed. Among others trapped in the Tower were Henry’s Treasurer Thomas Browne, the son of a wealthy city merchant who had made an advantageous marriage to the great great granddaughter of Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Browne was also a wealthy landowner and a man of note in Kent.

A seventeen-day siege ensued ending with the death of Lord Scales, and the execution on charges of treason of Thomas Browne.

After the Battle of Northampton, Henry VI once again found himself a prisoner and on his way to London, this was followed by the Duke of York’s return to England. Arriving in England on the 9th September he headed for London to make his play for the crown.

Thomas Browne was my 16th Great Grandfather, you can read about his family here:

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/chapter-five-getting-personal.html