Fotheringhay Castle

King Richard III is a very interesting character that many people have lots of different opinions on.  His life seems to be full of intrigue and mystery with plenty of controversy.  Whether it is the story of the princes in the tower, war with Scotland, numerous rebellions, then his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field or the recent finding of his body under a car park, there is enough for everything to find something to peak their interest.

Recently I have been lucky enough to be able to look at an upcoming book regarding Richard. ‘The World of Richard III’, by Kristie Dean and published by Amberley Publishing and is due out later this year.

The book is a historical tour guide of places that are associated with the king. It is broken down into seven different sections from Richard’s early life, through his brother’s reign, then his own kingship to his death.   I like that it includes a family tree of the York family and also a map giving you each location represented on the British Isles. A lot has been made in the media recently about Richard and his final resting place with the finding of his skeleton in the car park in Leicester.  So I have decided for this post I want to take a look at the places that shaped Richard’s early life.

The following is an extract from the book;

‘All that is left of the once impressive castle is a grassy mound by the river and a few fragments of masonry from the keep.  Standing here, it is hard to picture the busy, bustling place the fortress once was.  It is almost as if the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, held in the Great Hall of Fortheringhay in February 1587 left an indelible mark of sadness on the area.’

Richard III was born on 2nd October 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle.  The last son of Richard, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville no one would ever of expected him to reach the heights of king.  The castle that Richard was born in was roughly about 350 years old at his birth.  William I granted the area to Judith of Lens who was the wife of Walteof, Earl of Northumbria.  Their daughter Maud married Simon de Senlis who was made Earl of Huntingdon and around 1100 he founded Fotheringhay Castle.

The story of the castle takes a twist with the lords becoming Scottish.  de Senlis was dead by 1113 and King Henry II then arranged for Maud to marry the future king of Scotland David.  David then acquired Fotheringhay as well as other properties in Huntingdonshire.  The castle then followed through the Scottish royal family into the 13th Century. The first known documented evidence of the castle was when King John, who had hostages from many of his barons to ensure their loyalty acquired the castle.  John had David, Earl of Huntingdon’s son and wrote ‘You have given us your son as hostage, therefore we require you to yield to us your castle at Fotheringhay.’  Baron’s were not happy that the king was claiming all their castles and to try and appease them John started reversing his actions in 1215 and Fortheringhay was returned to David. Shortly after David rebelled against the king and the castle was awarded to William Marshall, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. There was disputes regarding the castle between Marshall and David.  David died and Alexander II of Scotland laid claim to the castle and eventually it was to form part of the dowry of Joan, Henry III of England’s sister who was to marry the Scottish king.  Marshall finally gave the castle over to the English king on 3rd December 1219.

During the rest of the 13th Century the castle changed hand many times.  Edmund Langley, son of Edward III of England obtained the castle in 1377 becoming his principle seat when he became Duke of York in 1385. Langley died in 1402 and the castle passed down to his eldest son Edward.  Edward died childless and after moving to his brother the castle went on to his son Richard.  Richard (father of Richard III) was Duke of York and husband of Cecily Neville.  They went on to become the parents of two kings, Edward IV and Richard III.  Richard the elder became ‘protector and defender of the realm’ on 27th March 1454 while Henry VI, suffered from mental illness.

Richard III

During the War of the Roses, Richard died at the battle of Wakefield in 1460, but the castle didn’t come out of favour and his now widowed wife entertained greatly at the castle.  Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV’s queen resided at the castle in 1469. The castle was given by Henry VIII to his wife Katherine of Aragon who spent a lot of money on the castle restoring it and bringing it up to date.

Another famous chapter in the castle’s history was the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.  Her trial took place in the Great Hall at Fotheringhay on the 14th and 15th of October 1586.  Found guilty on the 25th October and then told on the 7th February the following year that her execution would take place on the next day.

Despite the castle size and previous importance it was left to ruin and within 50 years of Mary’s execution it was reported to be in a ruinous state and completely demolished soon afterwards.

‘A moat surrounded the castle and the entrance would have been through a gatehouse.  The great stone keep would have sat atop the mound surrounded by a wall and would have been accessible through steps leading from the inner bailey to the top.  During the time of Marie de St Pol, the castle was said to have a large hall, two chambers, two chapels, a kitchen, a bake house and a porter’s lodge.  When Richard lived there, the windows might have been ornamented by a falcon enclosed in a fetterlock, which was an emblem of the House of York.’ Another extract from the book Today the castle is a scheduled monument of national importance, historical building and archaeological site.  There is little today except for the earthworks and some masonry remains.  Fotheringhay is open to the public during daylight hours and provides views along the Nene valley demonstrating it’s excellent defensive position.

The World of Richard III by Kristie Dean is published by Amberley Publishing, 2015. The book is available to buy at all good bookstores, as well as online at the Amberley website, Amazon and The Book Depository.

The Duke who started a war

Edmund Beaufort, 2^nd Duke of Somerset, (1406-22^nd May 1455), sometimes styled 1^st Duke of Somerset was an English nobleman.  He also succeeded in the title of 4^th Earl of Somerset and was created 1^st Earl of Dorset and 1^st Marquess of Dorset and Count of Mortain and was also known for his deadly rivalry with Richard Plantagenet, 3^rd Duke of York.

Edmund was the 3^rd surviving son of John Beaufort, 1^st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland.  His paternal grandparents were John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and Katherine Swynford while his maternal grandparents were Thomas Holland, 2^nd Earl of Kent and Alice FitzAlan.

Although head of one of England’s greatest families his inheritance was only 300 pounds, compared to his rival Richard, Duke of York net worth of 5,800 pounds.  His cousin Henry VI of England efforts to compensate Somerset with offices worth 3,000 pounds only served to offend many of the nobles and his arguments with York grew more personal.  Another dispute with the Earl of Warwick over the lordships of Glamorgan and Morgannwg may of forced Warwick into York’s camp.

Edmund’s brothers were taken captive at the Battle of Bauge in 1421.  Edmund was too young at the time to fight.  While his brothers were captive he gained military experience and took command of the English army in 1431.  After his re-capture of Harfleur and lifting the Burgundian Siege of Calais in 1436 he was named a Knight of the Garter.  After subsequent successes he was created Ear of Dorset (1442) and the next year Marquess of Dorset.  From 1444 to 1449 he served as Lieutenant of France.  In 1448 he was created Duke of Somerset.  As the title had previously been held by his brother he was usually called the second Duke.

Somerset was appointed as commander in France replacing York in 1448.  In 1449 fighting broke out in Normandy and Somerset’s defeats left him open to criticism from York’s supporters.  Somerset was meant to be paid 20,000 pounds but no evidence exists that he ever received the payment.  He failed to repulse French attacks and by the summer of 1450 nearly all of England’s French possessions were lost.   By 1453 all of England’s possessions in the south of France were lost as well and the Battle of Castillon ended the Hundred Year War.

York used the insanity of the King to be made Lord Protector gaining power which had been monopolised by Somerset since 1451.  York imprisoned Somerset in the Tower of London and his life was probably saved by the King’s recovery in 1454, to again save one of his favourites.  York at this point was forced to surrender his office.

By now York was determined to be rid of Somerset one way or another and in May 1455 he raised an army.  He confronted Somerset and the King at the First Battle of St Albans.  This marked the beginning of the War of the Roses.  Somerset was killed in a charge from the house he had been hiding in.  His son Henry could never forgive York and Warwick for his father’s death and would spend the next nine years trying to avenge him and restore his family’s honour.

Henry VI definitely had his favourites rightly or wrongly and it seems to be that they definitely help lead him into a Civil War which would split a country in two for years to come.

Arms of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, Edmund’s father

Traitorous Merchant who lost his head

An imaginary portrat of William de la Pole by Thomas Tindall Wildridge, 1888

William de la Pole, 1^st Duke of Suffolk (16^th October 1396 – 2^nd May 1450) was an English commander during the Hundred Year War and Lord High Admiral of England from 1447 to 1450.  He was born at Cotton Suffolk and was second d son of Michael de la Pole, 2^nd Earl of Suffolk and Katherine de Stafford, daughter of Hugh de Stafford, 2^nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp.

He was seriously injured during the Siege of Harfleur in 1415.  His father also died of dysentery during the siege.  Later in that year his elder brother Michael de la Pole, 3^rd Earl of Suffolk died at the Battle of Agincourt.  William then succeeded as the 4^th Earl of Suffolk.  He became co-commander of the English army at the Siege of Orleans in 1429 after the death of Thomas Montacute, 4^th Earl of Salisbury.  When the city was then relieved by Joan of Arc in the same year he managed to retreat to Jargeau where he was forced to surrender on the 12^th June.  He remained a prisoner of Charles VII, King of France for three years before he was ransomed. 

After his return to England in 1434 he was made Constable of Wallingford Castle.  He became a courtier and a close ally to Cardinal Henry Beaufort.  His most notable achievement during this period but also his most controversial was his help with negotiating the marriage of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou in 1444.  This earned him the elevation to Marques of Suffolk.  Although a secret deal with in the marriage contract gave Maine and Anjou back to France was not popular in England and would eventually bring the downfall of William.

His own marriage took place on the 11^th November 1430 to Alice Chaucer (1404-1475).  Alice was the daughter of Thomas Chaucer of Ewelme, Oxfordshire and granddaughter to the poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his wife Philippa de Roet.

With the deaths of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and Cardinal Beaufort in 1447, Suffolk became the principal power behind the throne.    He was appointed Chamberlain, Admiral of England as well as other important offices, and made Earl of Pembroke in 1447 and Duke of Suffolk in 1448. 

On 16^th July Suffolk met in secret with Jean d’Orleans, comte de Dunois at his mansion of the Rose in Candlewick Street.  This was the first of several meetings in London as Suffolk passed Council minutes to Dunois in assistance with the plans for the French invasion of England.  Dunois was a French hero from the Siege of Orleans.  It was rumoured that Suffolk never paid the £20,000 owed to Dunois for his ransom and because of this he now passed on state secrets. 

The following three years saw the near complete loss of England’s possessions in northern France.  Suffolk could not avoid the blame for these failures partly because of the loss of Maine and Anjou with the marriage arrangements for Henry.  On 28^th January 1450 he was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. The king intervened and tried to save his favourite who was then banished for five years.   Suffolk then sailed to Calais by ship but was intercepted by the ship ‘Nicholas of the Tower’ and captured.  He was then subject to a mock trial and executed by beheading. 

Suffolk was interred in the Carthusian Priory, Hull by his widow Alice.  The Priory was founded in 1377, by Suffolk’s grandfather Michael de la Pole, the 1^st Earl of Suffolk and then dissolved in 1539.  Almost none of the original buildings survive following two English Civil War sieges in Hull in 1642 and 1643   

He was one of the first from the merchant class to raise him into a loftier position.  For this alone he is an important figure who fought for Henry VI’s father and then twisted himself either by chance or with his known traitorous acts manipulated his way into a higher position.  Whichever it was the weakness of Henry VI definitely helped him.  William was succeeded as the Duke of Suffolk by his only known legitimate son John, who became the 2^nd Duke of Suffolk.

Henry VI, and where it all started

Henry VI

Henry VI, (6^th December 1471 – 21^st May 1471) was king of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 and 1471.  He also held a disputed claim of the kingship of France between 1422 and 1453.   Reports describe him as very pious and peaceful man, who was not suited to the bloodshed of the dynastic wars that blighted his reign, such as the War of the Roses.  Bouts of insanity led to his wife Margaret of Anjou taking control of his kingdom.  His weakening position led to his own downfall and the collapse of the House of Lancaster and the rise of the House of York, eventually the conflict between the two would become known as the War of the Roses.

Henry was the only child of Henry V and was born on 6^th December 1421 at Windsor Castle.  He succeeded the throne of England after his father’s death on 31^st August 1422 at just the age of nine months old.  He was the youngest person ever to succeed the English throne.  Two months later and still not one  year old Henry also became titular King of France on the death of his grandfather Charles VI in accordance with the Treaty of Troyes.  His mother, Catherine of Valois (Charles daughter) was twenty years old herself this point and viewed with considerable suspicion by English nobles preventing her from playing a full roll in her son’s upbringing.

On 28^th September 1423 the nobles all swore loyalty to Henry VI and a parliament was summoned in the Kings name as a regency council to govern until the King should come of age.  One of Henry V’s surviving brothers; John, Duke of Bedford was appointed senior regent of the realm and was in charge of the ongoing war in France.  During Bedford’s absence Henry V’s other surviving brother Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester was appointed Protector and Defender of the Realm.  His duties were limited to keeping the peace and summoning parliament.  Henry V’s half uncle; Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester was an important member of the council.  After the Duke of Bedford’s death in 1435, the Duke of Gloucester claimed the regency for himself but was contested by other members of the council.

Henry’s half brothers Edmund and Jasper, through his mother and her new husband Owen Tudor were both given earldoms.  Edmund was the father of Henry Tudor who would become Henry VII, King of England.   From 1428 Henry’s tutor was Richard de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick.

In reaction to Charles VII Valois’ coronation as King of France in Reims Cathedral on 17^th July 1429, Henry was soon crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 6^th November 1429.  He was then crowned King of France at Notre Dame de Paris on 16^th December 1431.  It was not though until 13^th November 1437, just before his sixteenth birthday that he gained some form of independent authority.  His want to gain some form of authority was clear to see when the place named of signing writs was changed from Westminster (where the council sat) to Cirencester (where the king was) in 1434.    Henry then gained full royal powers when he came of age.

Henry was declared of age in 1437 which was the same year that his mother died.  Henry took the reins of government gaining full control, although this shy and pious boy averse to deceit and bloodshed soon allowed the court to be dominated by a few noble favourites who clashed on the matter of the French war.  After the death of Henry V, England lost momentum in the Hundred Year War.  Military victories by Joan of Arc helped the Valois family gain ground.  The young King favoured peace which was preached to him by Cardinal Beaufort and William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk.  On the other side Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and Richard, Duke of York preferred a continuation of the war.

Cardinal Beaufort and the Earl of Suffolk persuaded the King that the best way to pursue peace with France was through a marriage to Margaret of Anjou.  Margaret, a niece to King Charles VII of France was apparently very beautiful and Henry agreed straight away.  Suffolk was sent to negotiate with Charles.  Charles agreed to the marriage as long he did not have to provide the customary dowry and instead receive the lands of Maine and Anjou from the English.  These conditions were agreed in the Treaty of Tours, but the cession of Maine and Anjou was kept secret from the Parliament in London as it was believed that it would be hugely unpopular with the English populace.

Margaret of Anjou, Henry’s wife

The marriage took place at Tichfield Abbey on 23^rd Aril 1445, one month after Margaret’s fifteenth birthday.  Henry wavered the agreement to give up Maine and Anjou to Charles after he realised just how unpopular this would have been.  Margaret was determined to make him to see it through and after the deal became public knowledge in 1446, public anger was angered at the Earl of Suffolk, with Margaret and Henry determined to protect him.

One thing is certain within Henry’s early life and with his gain of full royal powers.  He was easily led and influenced by others.  Shy, pious a peaceful man never having the full set of skills for rule.  Maybe his weakness led to the War of the Roses and the power struggle that was going on between his most trusted and powerful advisors.  It was clear to see the stage was set by this point and that the audience was about to sit down for a feud that would cause so much bloodshed across England.

War of the Roses

War of the Roses was the battle of two families, who tried to wrestle the crown of England for their chosen branch of the House of Plantagenet.  The houses of Lancaster and York and their supporters fought each other several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487.  It followed the turbulent time of the Hundred Year War between England and France, which caused social and financial troubles in England.   The war started with Henry VI on the throne and he was challenged by Richard, Duke of York.  By the end of the war the weak claim of Henry Tudor gave the Lancastrians a victory over the last Yorkist king Richard III. 

The next series of blog posts will look into some of the key and important players from the period and some of the more obscure unknown people who also played their parts.