Biography of Edmund of Woodstock 1st Earl Kent 1301-1330

Chronicle of Geoffrey the Baker of Swynebroke. In the year 1329, certain individuals¹, wishing to find out what friends Edward II, the recently deceased King of England, still had, fabricated a story that he was living luxuriously in Corfe Castle, though never seen by day. To support this fiction, they held dances many nights upon the castle walls and towers, carrying lit candles and torches, so that they might be perceived by the simple folk of the countryside as keeping watch over some great king to whom they were rendering honours. News spread throughout England that the king's father was still alive. Because of this, the Earl of Kent sent a certain friar of the Order of Preachers to investigate the truth of the matter. Thinking he had bribed the castle's doorkeeper, the friar was deceived. He was brought in and kept hidden by day in the porter's chamber, with the promise that he would see by night the man he wished to see. At night he was led into the hall, ordered to wear secular clothing so as not to be recognized, and there he believed he saw King Edward, the king's father, sitting at a splendid supper. Believing what he saw, he reported to the Earl of Kent (age 27) that he had seen him. As a result, the earl, in the presence of certain persons to whom he should not have confided such things, swore he would labor to have his brother freed from the imprisonment in which he was held.

Anno MCCCXIX quidam experturi quos haberet amicos Edwardus secundus, rex Anglie nuper extinctus, confinxerunt ipsum in castro de: Corf laute vivere, set nusquam de die velle videri. Propterea fecerunt multis noctibus tripudia super muros castri et turres, preferentes cereos et tortices accensos, ut ab ydiotis de patria forent percepti, quasi aliquem magnum regem haberent custoditum, cui solemnizarent. Nova per totam Angliam sunt expansa quod regis pater viveret. Unde comes Cancie misit illuc quemdam fratrem ordinis Predicatorum, exploraturum rei veritatem; qui, putans se muneribus corrupisse castri ianitorem, decipitur. Introducitur nempe latiturus de die in camera ianitoris, visurus de nocte quem videre cupiebat. Nocte introducitur in aulam, iussus induere habitum secularem, ne perciperetur, videbaturque sibi ipsum videre Edwardum patrem regis cene splendide assidentem; quod ut credidit, ita retulit comiti Cancie se vidisse. Unde comes in presencia quorumdam, quibus non debuit fidem adibuisse, iuravit se laboraturum ad hoc, quod frater suus foret de reclusione ubi detinebatur liberatus.

Note 1. Stow's translation, 355-6, is as follows: "Certaine men of this land, to the intent to trie what friends they had in England, craftily devised that Edward the second king of England was alive in the castle of Corffe, but not to be scene in the day time, and therefore they used many nights to make shewes and masking with dancing upon the towres and walks of the castle, which being perceived by people of the countrey, it was thought there had been some great king unto whome they did these great solemnities. This rumour was spred over all England, to wit, that the old king was alive; whence it came to passe that the earle of Kent sent thither a fryer preacher, to try the truth of the matter, who, (as it was thought) having corrupted the porter of the castle with rewards, is let in, where he lay all the day in the porters lodge very close; and, when night was come, he was willed to put on the habit of a lay man, and then was brought into the hall, where he saw (as he thought) Edward, the father of the king, sitting royally at supper, with great majestie. This fryer, being thus perswaded, returned againe to the earle of Kent, and reported, as he thought, what he saw: whereupon the earle said and affirmed with an oath that he would endeavour by all the meanes he could to deliver his brother from prison. The same yeere, at the earnest request of some, the king held a parliament at Winchester, where, by procurement of the old queen and Roger Mortimer, the said earle of Kent and many other noble men and religious persons, to wit, the provincials of the white Carmelite fryers and of the blacke preaching friers, and frier Richard Wilton, weie accused of conspiracie, touching (as it was said) the deliverie of the kings father: which matter although it were but devised fantasie and a meere lye, yet the said earle, for certaine confessions which he made, and for certaine letters which were found about him, was there beheaded. The other, to wit, the provincials of the Predicants and Carmelites, were banished: but the bishop of London was set at libertie, Robert de Tauntone, priest, and some certaine Carmelite friers and Predicants were condemned to perpetuall prison. The death of the said earle was the lesse lamented, because his family and servants had above measure afflicted the commons, in taking up things (as they travailed) at the king's price, paying nothing or very little for it."

The Brute chronicle (Harley MS. 2279) is very minute in its account of the plot against Kent: 'And uppon a tyme bifel hit so that sir Edmunde of Wodestoke, erle of Kente, spake unto the pope, John the XXIJ at Avignon, and saide that almyghti God had meny tymes done for Thomas love of Lancastre many grete myracles to meny men and women that were thurgh diverse maladies undone as unto the worlde, and thurgh his prayer thei wer brought unto hire hele. And so sir Edmunde prayeden the pope hertely that he wolde graunte him grace, that the forsaid Thomas myght ben translatede; but the pope seide nay And when this Edmunde sawe that he myghte noughte spede of his purpos as toching the translacion, he prayed him tho of his councele, as toching sir Edward of Carnarvan, his broker, and said, nought longe gone he was kyng of Engelonde, what thing mythte best be done as toching his delyveraunce, sithen that a comone fame is thurghoute alle Engelonde that he was in life and hool and safe. Whenne the pope herde him telle that sir Edward was alife, he comaundid the erle uppon his benesoun that he shulde helpe with alle his power that he myghte, that he were delyverede oute of prisoun and safe his bodie in all maner that he myghte; and, for to bring this thing unto an ende, he assoylede him and his companye a pena et culpa, and alle tho that helpyn to his delyveraunce. Tho nome Edmunde of Wodestoke, erle of Kente, his leve of the pope and come ayein into Engelonde. And whenne Edmunde was come, som of the frere prechours comen and seyde that sir Edward, his brother, yit was alife in the castel of Corf, under the kepyng of sir Thomas Gurnaye. Tho sped him the forsaide Edmunde as fast as he myghte til that he came unto the castel of Corf, and aqueyntede and spake so faire with sir John Daverill that was constable of the forsaide castel, and yaf him riche yeftis, for to have aqueyntaunce of him and to knowe of his councele. And thus hit bifelle that the forsaide sir Edmunde preyed specially for to telle him prively of his broker, sir Edwarde, if that he levede or were dede, and, if that he were alife, he preyed of him for to have ones a sight. And this sir John Daverell was an hertid man and ful of corage, and answerde shortely unto sir Edmunde and seide that sir Edward, his brother, was in heel and under his kepyng, and derste shewe him unto no man, sith hit was defendid him in the kyngis half Edward, that was Edwardus sone Carnarvan, and also thurgh the comaundement of quene Isabelle, the kynges moder, and of sir Roger the Mortymer, that he shulde shewe his bodie unto no maner man of the worlde, saf oneliche unto hem, uppon lost of life and lym and to dishereteson of his heires for evermore. But the fals treytour falsly lyede, for he was noughte in his warde, but he was take thennes and ladde unto the castel of Berkelee thurgh sir Thomas Gurnay thurgh commaundement of the Mortymer, til that he was dede, as bifore is seide more plenere. But sir Edmunde of Wodestoke wist no thing that Edward, his brother, was dede. Wher uppon he toke a lettre unto the for'saide sir John, and prayede him hertely that he wolde take hit unto kyng Edwarde, his brother, as to his worthi lorde. And he underfenge the lettre of him, and behight to sir Edmunde for to done his message withoute eny maner fayle. And with that sir Edmunde nome of him his leve, that is to seyn of the forseid John, and wente tho into his owen cuntre and lordeship in Kente that he had ther. And anone, as this same John wiste that sir Edmunde of Wodestoke was gone into Kente his owen lordeship, anone he went in alle the haste that he myghte fro the castelle of Corf and come unto sir Roger the Mortymer, and toke him the lettre that sir Edmunde of Wodstoke, erle of Kente, had taken him, closede and enselede with his owen scale. And when sir Roger had underfenge the lettre, he unclosede the lettre and saw what was conteynede therin, and gan hit for to rede. Wherof the begynnyng was this: 'Worshippis and reverences, with brothers liegeaunce and subieccion, sir knyght, worshipful and dere brother, if hit yow please, I pray hertely that ye ben of good comforte, for I shal so ordeyne for yow that sone ye shul come oute of prison and bene deliverede of that disease that ye beth inne. And understondeth of your greet lordeship that I have unto me assentant almoste alle the grete of Engelonde, with alle hire appariel, that is to seyn, with armure, with tresour, withoute nombre, for to mayntene and helpe youre querelle, so ferforth that ye shul ben kyng ayein as ye were beforne; and that thei alle have sworne to me uppon a book, and as wel prelatis as erlis and barouns.' When sir Roger of Mortymer sawe and understode the myghte and the strength of the lettre, anone for wrath his hert gan bolne and evel herte bare towarde sir Edmunde of Wodestoke, that was erle of Kente. And so with alle the haste that he myghte he wente unto dame Isabel, the quene, that was the kynges moder, and shewed hire sir Edmundes lettre, erle of Kente, and his wille and his purpose, and how he had coniectede and ordeynede to putte adoune kyng Edwarde of Wyndesore, hir sone, of his realte and of his kyngdome. 'Now certis, sir Roger,' quoth the quene, 'hath Edmunde done so? By my fader soule,' quoth she, 'I wol bene therof avengede, if that God graunte me my life, and that in a shorte tyme.' And anone with that the quene Isabel wente unto kyng Edwarde, hire sone, ther that he was atte the parlement atte Wynchestre, for to have amendede the wronges and trespasses that were done amonge the peple in his reame. And tho nome she and shewid him the lettre that sir Edmunde of Wodestoke, erle of Kente, had made and ensealede with his seel; and bade him, uppon hire benysoun, that he shulde ben avengede uppon him, as uppon his dedely enemy. Tho was the quene so wroth toward sir Edmunde, erle of Rente, and cessid never to pray unto hire sone that he shulde sende in haste after him. And uppon that the kyng sent by his lettres after sir Edmunde of Wodestoke, that he shulde come and speke with him atte Wynchestre, almaner thinges lefte. And when sir Edmunde sawe that the kyng sente after him with his lettre inseled, he hastid him in alle that he myghte, til that he come unto Wynchestre. But tho the quene wiste that Edmunde was come unto Wynchestre, anone she prayede and so faste wente unto Edwarde, hire sone, that the good erle was arrestede anone and ladde unto the barre bifore Robert of Hamond (sic), that was coroner of the kynges householde; and he associed unto him sir Roger the Mortymer. And tho spake the forsaide John (sic, i.e. Robert) unto him and seide: 'Sir Edmunde, erle of Kente, ye shal understonde that it is done us to wite, and principalliche unto oure liege lorde sir Edwarde, kyng of Engelonde, that almyghti God save and kepe, that ye beth his dedely enemy and his treytour and also a comune enemy unto the reame; and that ye have bene aboute many a day for to make priveliche delyveraunce of sir Edwarde, somtyme kyng of Engelonde, your broker, the which was putte adoune of his realte by comone assent of alle the lordes of Engelonde, in pesyng of our lorde the kynges estate and also of his reame.' Tho answerde the good man and seide: 'Forsothe, sir, understondeth wel that I was never assentyng for to enpeyre the state of oure lorde the kyng ne of the corone, and that I putte me to ben demede uppon my peers.' And with that worde sire Roger the Mortymer shewed hem the erles lettres and his seal, and seide tho to sir Edmunde, 'Knowe ye oughte the prynte of this lettre?' that he hadde take unto sir John Daverell. And he sawe the printe of his seal, but he sawe nought what was conteynede in the lettre. And the erle him selfe wende that hit had bene one of his lettres that had ben of no charge. Tho seide the erle to sir Roger Mortymer that he wolde noughte forsake the lettre, and that was the printe of his seal. And anone with that worde the wily and the fals Mortymer began to undone the lettre, and gan hit for to rede in audience of alle the courte. And tho seide sir Robert of Hauuille: 'Sir Edmunde,' quoth he, 'sith that ye have made knowyng opinliche in this courte that fiis is your lettre, enselid with your seal, and the tenor of your lettre seith that ye wolde have bene aboute for to have delyvered the bodie of that worshipful sir Edwarde, somtyme kyng of Engelonde, your broker, and for to have holpyn him that he shulde have bene kyng ayein and governede his peple as he wonede before tymes, in enpeyryng of our liege lorde the kyng state, that is now, whom God kepe from alle disese — and this court wol that ye bene undone of life and lyme, and that your heires ben disheritede for evermore, save the grace of our lorde the kyng.' Tho was the erle, sir Edmunde of Wodestoke, putte ayein into prison under ful save warde til uppon the morue. And tho come the Mortymer unto the kyng, ther that he sate atte his mete, and tolde him how the erle was dampnede by way of lawe and also of lyfe and lyme, and his heyres disheritede for evermore, thurgh opyn knowelegeyng in pleyn courte. Wherfore him thoughte good that the forsaide erle were hastly quelde, withoute wetyng of the kyng, for els the kyng wolde foryeve him his deth, and that shulde turne hem unto moche sorwe so as he was empechede. Anone the quene Isabel, thurgh counsel of the Mortymere and withoute eny other counseile, sente in haste to the baillifes of Wynchestre that thei shulde smyte of sir Edmundes heede of Wodestoke, erle of Kente, without eny maner bidyng or respite, uppon peyne of life and lym. Tho nomen the baillifes sir Edmunde oute of prison and ladde him besides the castel atte Wynchestre, and ther they made a gonge fermer smyten of his hevede, for none other man durste hit done. And so deyde he ther, alias!, the tyme that is to seyn, the x. day of Octobre, the thirde yeer of kyng Edwardus regne. And when the kyng wiste therof, he was wonder sory, and lete entere him atte the frere minores atte Wynchestre."

The chronicle of Lanercost, 264, has the following: "In the same year, on the sixteenth day of March, Lord Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent, the king's uncle and son of the illustrious King Edward, son of Henry, was captured at Winchester as a traitor to the king. Before many nobles of the realm and others, he made a public confession that he — both by command of the lord pope and at the urging of certain bishops of England, whom he named explicitly, and with the counsel of many great men of the land, whom he also named and identified by certain signs — had wished and had indeed acted with all his strength to ensure that the said Lord Edward, the deposed king, be freed from prison and restored to the throne. He confessed that he was especially stirred by the influence of a certain Dominican friar of the London convent, namely Brother Thomas de Dunheved, who told the earl that he had summoned the devil, who affirmed that Lord Edward, the deposed king, was still alive. He was further influenced by three other friars of the same order, Edmund, John, and Richard. To carry this out, the lord pope and the aforementioned bishops and nobles had promised him a large sum of money, as well as counsel and aid in the undertaking."

The Dominican Thomas Dunheved, who is here stated to have been the friar who raised the devil for the occasion, is said to have been Edward II's envoy to gain the pope's consent to his divorce from Isabella. Chronicle of Lanercost, 260: "Around the same time [1327], a certain friar of the Order of Preachers, named Thomas de Dunheved who, two years earlier, had gone to the papal court with envoys of the now-deposed king to seek a divorce between him and the queen (though he did not achieve his aim) now traveled through England not only in secret, but also openly and with bold defiance. He stirred up the people in both the south and the north to rise up for the deposed king, who was being held in custody, and to restore him to his kingdom. He promised them that help was at hand and would soon arrive but he could not fulfill what he had promised. In the end, that mad friar was captured, thrown into prison, and there he died."

The Brute chronicle has a partly similar account: "But the frere prechours to him [the imprisoned king] were good frendes evermore, and caste and ordeynede both nghte and day how thei myjte bringe him oute of prison. And amonge hire companye that the freres priveleche had brought ther was a frere that men callede Dunhevede; and he had ordeynede and gadered a grete companye of folke for to helpe atte that nede. Butte the frere was take and putte into a castelle of Pountfrete, and ther he deide in prison.

Kent's confession will be found in Latin, in Walsingham, Hist. Angl., ii. 351, and in French, in the appendix to Murimuth, 253: This acknowledgment was made before Robert Houel, coroner of the King's household, and afterwards before the great men and peers of the land, at Winchester, on the sixteenth day of March, in the fourth year: To wit, that Edmund earl of Kent acknowledgeth that the pope charged him, on his benison, that he should use his pains and diligence to deliver Edward, his brother, sometime king of England, and that thereto he would find his costs. And he said that a friar preacher of the convent of London came unto him, at Kensington near to London, and told him that he had raised up the devil, which declared unto him for certain that Edward, his brother, sometime king of England, was alive. And he said that the archbishop of York sent unto him by a chaplain, one sir Aleyn, a letter of credence, which was: that he would aid him in the deliverance of his brother with five thousand pounds and moreover with as much as he had and as much as he could give. And he said that sir Ingelram Berenger told him in London, from sir William de la Zouche, that he would give as much as he could for the deliverance of his brother. And he said that sir William of Clif came unto him on the same message, by this token that they rode together between Woking and Guildford, and he told him that he should avoid the town of Guildford by reason of his niecc Despenser that was in the same town of Guildford; and this same sir William spake unto him of the alliance between the son of Richard, Earl of Arundel, and his daughter, and said moreover that this would be the greatest honour that ever befell him, and that he would aid him as much as he could to do this thing. And he said that this same sir William came unto him from Hugh tle Despenser, which told him that he would be well pleased to be with him; for he said that he would be sure of the deliverance in short time. And he said that sir William of Derham, clerk of his letters, and brother Thomas of Bromfield were they which most abetted him and stirred him to do these things aforesaid. And he said that sir Robert of Taunton, from the archbishop of York, brought a message of these things aforesaid, and told him that he had ready five thousand pounds to do this business aforesaid, and this of the money of sir Hugh the Despenser. And he said that this same sir Robert and two friars preachers which are out of their order, of which the one is called Edmund Savage and the other John, were the chief dealers in this matter. And he said that sir Fulk Fitz-Warin came unto him at Westminister and prayed him and stirred him to begin this thing, and encouraged him to do these things, and told him that this would be the greatest honour that ever befell him, and told him that he would aid him with body and heart and whatsoever he had. And he said that sir Ingelram Berenger came unto him from sir John Pecche, that he was of that mind, and thereto would bestow body and heart and whatsoever he had. And he said that rir Henry Beaumont and sir Thomas Rosselyn spake unto him in Paris, in the chamber of the duke of Brabant, that they were ready to come to England in aid of these things aforesaid; and that they stirred him to do these things; and that they would land towards the parts of Scotland, with countenance of Donald of Mar, and that he would aid them to uphold these things, and with all his strength. But the time of their coming is passed. And he said that sir Richard of Pontefract, confessor of the lady of Vesey, came unto him at Kensington, at the coronation, and afterwards at Arundel, from the archbishop of York, for these things aforesaid. And he said that a monk of Quar and John Cymmyngs, his cousin, had fitted out a ship, a barge, and a boat, to bring his brother and him to his castle of Arundel and from thence whithersoever should have been appointed. And he said that of these things aforesaid he opened himself unto sir E. of Monchiver and to George of Percy. And he said that the letters which he sent to sir Bugues of Bayeux and to John Daverill, sealed with his seal, he sent .... and the one letter was written by the hand of his wife. And he said that Ingelram Berenger, Maucelym Musarde and John Cymmynge did travail and take pains to accomplish these things. And he eaid that Ingelram Berenger came unto him at Arundel, in his chamber above the chapel, and said that the bishop of London would aid him in the deliverance of his brother with whatsoever he had. And these things he acknowledged to be true, and yieldeth himself guilty that he hath borne himself evilly for the undoing of his liege lord and of his crown, by countenance of these men aforesaid; and he wholly submitteth himself to the king's will, to come, in his shirt, to London or in this city, barefoot, or whithersoever the king shall appoint, with a rope round his neck, to do with him what it shall him please."

Edward, in writing an account of his condemnation to the pope, quotes the terms of the confession, 24th March, 1330. Fœdera, ii. 783. The earl was still a young man at the time of his death, having been born in 1301. His conduct in Lancaster's revolt (above as well as on the present occasion proves him to have been of remarkably weak character.

The article in Mortimer's condemnation in the parliament of 1330, which accuses him of being the author of the plot against Kent, is described in the Rotuli Parliamentorum, ii. 52: Also, although the said Roger [de Mortimer] well knew that the father of our lord the king was dead and buried, he. through others of his faction, deceitfully led the Earl of Kent to believe that the said father of our lord the king was still alive. Because of this, the said Earl of Kent became very eager to know the truth, whether he was alive or not. And he sought to discover it by every honest means he knew. Nevertheless, the said Roger, by means of the royal power he had arrogated to himself, caused the said Earl of Kent to be arrested at the parliament held at Winchester, and he so procured and pursued the matter through that royal authority that the said earl was put to death at the said parliament.

Froissart Book 1: 1307-1340. 43. The young king of England governed for a long time, as you have heard mentioned above, by the counsel of my lady his mother, of the Earl Edmund of Kent, his uncle, and of Sir Roger de Mortimer. In the end, envy began to arise between the said Earl of Kent (age 28) and Lord Mortimer. And the envy grew so great that Lord Mortimer informed and persuaded the young king, with the consent of my lady the queen his mother, making him believe that the said Earl of Kent wished to poison him and would soon have him killed, in order to seize the kingdom for himself, as he was the next in line to inherit it since the king's younger brother, called Sir John of Eltham, had recently passed away. The young king, who readily believed what he was told, just as young lords often do, easily trusting what those who should advise them tell them, and more often evil than good, soon after had his said uncle the Earl of Kent arrested, and had him publicly beheaded [on 19th March 1330] ], from which he could never find escape or pardon. This deeply troubled and angered all the people of the country, great and small, noble and common, and they strongly held resentment in their hearts against Lord Mortimer. They believed firmly that through his counsel, scheming, and false deceit, the noble Earl of Kent—whom they all considered a virtuous and loyal man—had been so led and treated. Never after that was Lord Mortimer loved as he had been before.

43. Li jones rois englès se gouvrena un grant tamps, si com vous avés oy chi dessus recorder, par le conseil de ma dame se mère, dou conte Aymon de Kent, son oncle, et de monsigneur Rogier de Mortemer. Au daarrain, envie commença à naistre entre le conte de Kent dessus dit, et le signeur de Mortemer. Et monta puis li envie si haut que li sires de Mortemer enfourma et enhorta tant le jone roy, par le consentement de ma dame se mère le royne, et li fisent entendant que li dis contes de Kent le voloit empuisonner, et le feroit morir temprement, s'il ne s'en gardoit, pour avoir sen royaume, comme li plus proçains apriès lui, par succession; car li jones frères le roy, que on clamoit messire Jehan d'Eltem, estoit nouvellement trespassés. Li jones rois, qui creoit legierement che dont on l'enfourmoit, ensi que jone signeur, telz a on souvent veus, croient legierement çou dont cil qui les doient consillier les enfourment, et plus tost en mal qu'en bien, fist, assés tost après chou, son dit oncle le conte de Kent prendre, et le fist decoler publikement, que onques il n'en peut venir à escusance. De quoi tout cil dou pays, grans et petis, nobles et non nobles, en furent durement tourblet et couroucié, et eurent puissedi durement contre coer le signeur de Mortemer. Et bien pensoient que, par son conseil et pourcach et par fausse amise, avoit ensi esté menés et trettiés li gentilz contes de Kent, cui il tenoient tout pour preudomme et pour loyal. Ne onques apriès ce, li sires de Mortemer ne fu tant amés, comme il avoit esté en devant.