1465-1469 Rise of the Woodville Family

Chronicle of Gregory. May 1465. Alle soo in this year in the mony the of May was Quene Elyzabet [aged 28] crownyd at Westemyster. And many knyghtys were made of the Bathe, of the whyche the were v [5] aldyrmen of the cytte of London i-made with hem. Thes v [5] aldyrmen were made knyghtys of the Bathe:

Syr Hewe Wyche, mercer,

Thomas Coke, draper,

Raffe Gosselyn, draper,

Syr John Plomer,

Syr Harry Whafyr.

And no moo of the cytte but thes v [5], and it is a grete worschyppe unto alle the cytte.

Chronicle of William of Worcester. [25th May 1465]. And on Saturday, the Queen [aged 28] rode in a litter through Cheapside and the high streets of London, with all the newly made knights before her, until they arrived at Westminster. And on the following Sunday, she was crowned Queen of England by Archbishop Thomas Bourchier [aged 47] of Canterbury. And on Monday, the day after, there were great jousts at Westminster, and Lord Stanley had the honour. He had a ring with a ruby, a special honour. And Thomas Wingfield, esquire, and Roger Chamberlain jousted with lances before the King [aged 23] at Westminster. Throughout the entire month of May, during the Queen's coronation, the Earl of Warwick [aged 36] and Lord Hastings [aged 34], along with other ambassadors of the King, were with Lord Charolais and other ambassadors of the Duke of Burgundy at Boulogne across the sea; and although they superficially celebrated greatly, they ultimately could not come to an agreement, because Lord Charolais at that time strongly favoured Queen Margaret's party.

Et in die Sabbati regina in uno horsleter equitabat per Chepe et altos vicos Londoniæ, et omnes novi milites ante, usque dum venerunt apud Westmonasterium. Et die Dominica sequente coronata fuit in reginam Angliæ a domino Thoma Boughcher, Cantu arise archiepiscopo. Et die Lunæ in crastino fuerunt magna hastiludia apud Westmonasterium; et dominus de Stanley habuit honorem. Habuit annulum cum rubio, honore extra. Et Thomas Wyngfeld, armiger, et Rogerus Chambirleyne hastiludebant cum lanceis coram rege apud Westmonasterium. Toto illo mense Maii tempore coronationis reginæ comes Warrwici ac dominus de Hastynges, et alii ambassiatores regis fuerunt cum domino Charleys ac aliis ambassiatoribus ducis Burgundiæ apud Boleyne supra mare; et quamvis superficialiter fecerint magna festa, finaliter non potuerunt concordare, quia dominus de Charoloys illo tempore multum favebat parti reginæ Margaretæ.

Warkworth's Chronicle [1461-1474]. 24th June 1465. Also the same yere, Kynge Herry [aged 43] was takene bysyde a howse of religione in Lancaschyre, by the mene of a blacke monke of Abyngtone¹, in a wode called Cletherwode, besyde Bungerly Hyppyngstones [Map]², by Thomas Talbott^3,4, sonne and heyre to Sere Edmunde Talbot of Basshalle, and Jhon Talbott his cosyne of Colebry⁶, withe other moo, whiche disseyvide⁷, beyngne at his dynere at Wadyngtone Halle [Map]⁸, and caryed to Londone on horse bake, and his lege bownde to the styrope⁹, and so brought thrugh Londone to the Toure, where he was kepte longe tyme by two squyres and ij. yomen of the crowne, and ther menne, and every manne was suffred to come and speke withe hym, by licence of the kepers,

Note 1. A blacke monke of Abyngtone. In the curious fragment printed by Hearne, at the end of the Chronicle of Sprottus, we are informed that William Cantlow was the name of this rascal. Henry's capture, in the MS. No 5, in the College of Arms, is placed under the year 1465: "Hoc et anno, circiter festum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, captus est Henricus Sextus, nuper Rex Anglie, du[c]tus et publice per Chepam Londonie, cum aliis secum captis; ductus usque ad Turrim Londonie, ibique honorifice commendatus custodie mansit. [During this year, around the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul [29th June], Henry VI, the former King of England, was captured, led publicly through Cheapside in London, along with others captured with him; he was taken to the Tower of London, where he remained in custody with honorable commendation.]" Fol. 170, vo,

Note 2. Bungerly Hyppyngstones [Map]. This was a ford, obtained by stepping-stones, across the river Ribble. - J.G.N.

Note 3. Thomas Talbott, sonne and heyre to Sere Edmund Talbot of Basshalle. Sir Edmund Talbot, of Bashall, in the parish of Mitton, co. York, died in the 1st Edw. IV. His son, Sir Thomas, was then under age (pedigree in Whitaker's History of Craven, 2d edit. 1812, p. 25); but there can be little doubt that, before his traitorous achievement, he had married Alice, daughter of Sir John Tempest, of Bracewell, under whose protection the unfortunate King was then living. Beside the present reward mentioned in the ensuing note, Sir Thomas Talbot appears to have received a grant of a yearly pension of £40, which was confirmed by Richard III. (pedigree, as above). He survived to the 13th Hen. VII. His father-in-law, Sir John Tempest, was Sheriff of Yorkshire in 18 and 37 Henry VI. (see pedigree of Tempest in Whitaker's Craven, p. 80.) - J.G.N.

Note 4. Thomas Talbott. In the Issue Rolls of the Exchequer of 5 Edw. IV. are the statements of monies paid to this gentleman and others for taking Henry, late de facto et non de jure King of England. It appears that Sir James Haryngton and Sir John Tempest were also concerned in the capture; but the fact of Sir Thomas Talbot being the chief actor is confirmed by the amount of their relative rewards, he receiving £100 and they each 100 marks. Their "costs and charges," amounting to 100 marks, were also paid. John Levesey also received a reward of £20, and William Rogers of Serne and David Colinley, valets of the King's chamber, together £6 13s 4d. On the 9th of July 1465, Edward, in consideration of "magnam et laboriosam diligentiam suam circa captionem et retinentiam magni proditoris, rebellis, et inimici nostri Henrici nuper vocati Regis Henrici Sexti, per ipsum Jacobum factum [his great and laborious diligence in the capture and retention of the great traitor, rebel, and our enemy, Henry, formerly called King Henry VI, was done by James himself]," gave to Sir James Haryngton a grant of Thurland Castle and other lands, formerly belonging to Richard Tunstell⁵, a partizan of Henry. - Fœdera, XI. 548.

My ancestor, Sir James Haryngton, did once take prisoner, with his party, this poor prince; for which the House of York did graunt him a parcel of lands in the northern counties, and which he was fool enough to lose again, after the battle of Bosworth, when King Henry the Seventh came to the crown." - Haryngton's Nuga Antiquæ, by T. Park, vol. II. pp. 385–86. Cf. Rot. Parl. V. 584, and Devon's Issue Rolls of the Exchequer, p. 489.

Sir James Harrington [aged 35] was of Brierly near Barnsley; a younger brother of Sir John Harrington, of Hornby, who had fallen on the Yorkists ' side at the battle of Wakefield in 1460; their father, Sir Thomas, dying also of his wounds the day after the same battle. Sir James had, in 6 Edw. IV. a grant of £340 from the issues of the county of York. Both he and his younger brother, Sir Robert Harrington, were attainted after the battle of Bosworth in 1 Hen. VII. See further respecting him in Hunter's Deanery of Doncaster, vol. ii. p. 403; to which it may be added that it is probably of him that Leland speaks: "There was a younger brother of the Haryngtons that had in gifte Horneby Castelle [Map]." (Itin. viii. f. 109 a.), that is, he had it for a time to the prejudice of his nieces, the heirs of his elder brother. - J.G.N.

Note 5. The great extent of these possessions may be seen in the Great Roll of the Pipe for 1 Edw. IV. com. Westmorland.

Note 6. Jhon Talbott his cosyne of Colebry. That is, of Salesbury, in the parish of Blackburn, co. Lancaster; see Whitaker's Whalley, 3d edit. 1818, p. 432. A yearly fee of twenty marks was granted by King Edward in consideration of the good and faithful service of Johannes Talbot de Salebury, Esq. "in captura magni adversarii sui Henrici [in the capture of his great adversary, Henry.]," until he received a grant of lands or tenements to the like value; and the same annuity was confirmed to his son Sir John Talbot, of Salebury, by King Richard the Third. See the grant of the confirmation, dated at York 6th June 1484, printed in Baines's History of Lancashire, vol. i. p. 421.—J.G.N.

Note 7. whiche disseyvide. i e. which King Henry, deceived.

Note 8. Wadyngtone Hall [Map]. Waddington is a chapelry within the parish of Mitton, little more than a mile from Bashall. It had belonged to the Tempests of Bracewell from the time of Edward I. Dr. Whitaker says (Hist. of Craven, p. 25), "Waddington Hall, though constructed of strong old masonry, has nearly lost all appearance of antiquity. But one room contains the name of King Henry's chamber." In the History of Whalley, p. 473, will be seen an etching of the ruins. At Bracewell also, (which is now likewise in ruins,) in the older stone portion of the house, "is an apartment called King Henry's Parlour; undoubtedly one of the retreats of Henry VI." (Ibid. p. 82.) At Bolton, in the same neighbourhood, after describing a very ancient hall, and its canopy over the high table, Dr. Whitaker adds, "In this very hall, and probably under the same canopy, that unhappy monarch ate the bread of affliction during a retreat, as it is reported by tradition, of several months. An adjoining well retains the name of King Harry, who is said to have directed it to be dug and walled, in its present shape, for a cold bath." It is at Bolton where there are still preserved three relics of King Henry, a boot, a glove, and a spoon; figures of which are engraved in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1785, and again in the History of Craven, p. 106. The boot and glove are remarkably small, and show, in Dr. Whitaker's words, that "in an age when the habits of the great, in peace as well as war, required perpetual exertions of bodily strength, this unhappy prince must have been equally contemptible from corporeal and from mental imbecility." - J.G.N.

Note 9. His lege bownde to the styrope. One author, and as far as I have been able to find he is the only authority for it, says, that Henry was immediately cast into chains. - Matthæi Palmesii Pisani Continuatio Chronici Eusebiani, ed. Venetiis, 1483, fol. 155, vº. According to some writers, Henry's two religious friends, Drs. Manning and Bedle, were the only companions of his misfortunes. - Cf. Monstrelet, IV. 182.

Memoires Jacques du Clercq. On the 15th day of July 1465, the Count of Charolais and all his army, who had departed from the bridge of Saint-Cloud to march toward Étampes and to go meet the Dukes of Berry and of Brittany, who could not pass because of the army of the King of France that was blocking them, arrived at Montlhéry and its surroundings. And the Count of Saint-Pol, who led the vanguard, went as far as Montlhéry and lodged himself and his men in the town of Montlhéry, upon the said mount, without entering the castle; which castle was garrisoned with soldiers placed there by the king, and the count made no assault upon it, nor did those inside make any sign of war. The Count of Charolais, who led the main battle, lodged himself two leagues from the mount, and the Bastard of Burgundy, who led the rear guard, lodged himself two leagues from the count and four leagues from the mount. The Count of Saint-Pol, who was upon the mount, sent out his scouts all around him, some of whom went as far as Chastres, three leagues from the mount, toward Étampes; and when they returned, they reported to the count that the King of France and all his forces were at Chastres and nearby, as was indeed the case. It was about eleven o'clock at night when the Count of Saint-Pol received this news, upon which he left his lodging on the mount and came to lodge below it in the valley, in an open field on the side toward Paris, and sent word of the news to the Count of Charolais, informing him that he should hasten to come, and that the king would give him battle the next day at dawn. The count, being thus informed, hastened greatly to go where the Count of Saint-Pol was, and sent word to the Bastard of Burgundy that he should make haste, which he did; and on the following day, the 16th day of the month of July, about sunrise, the Count of Charolais came to where the Count of Saint-Pol was, and the rear guard, led by the Bastard of Burgundy, came together with them, and there they arranged their battles and drew themselves up in order.

LE XV jour de juillet xiv^c lxv, le comte de Chrollois et toute son armée qui s'estoit parti du pond St Cloud pour tirer vers Estampes et aller allecontre des ducs de Berry et de Bretaigne, lesquels ne pooient passer pour l'armée du roy de Franche qui les empeschoit, arriverent a Mont-le-Hery et environ; et alla le comte de St Pol, qui menoit l'avangarde jusques le Mont-le-Hery, et se logea lui et ses gens en la ville de Mont-le-Hery, sur ledit Mont sans entrer au chasteau; lequel chastel estoit garny de gens de guerre y commis de par le roy, auquel le comte ne feit quelque assaut, ne ceulx de dedans ne feirent quelque seigne de guerre. Le comte de Chrollois qui menoit la bataille, se logea a deux lieues près du Mont, et le bastard de Bourgogne qui mnoit l'arriere-garde, se logea a deux lieues près du comte, et a quatre lieues du Mont; le comte de St Pol qui estoit sur le Mont, envoya ses escoutes tout envron lui, desquels aulcuns allerent jusques a Chastres, a trois lieues du Mont, tirant vers Estampes; lequels retournés certiffierent au comte que le roy de Franche et toute sa puissance estoit a Chastres et environ, comme il estoit vray. Il estoit environ onze heures en la nuict quant le comte de St Pol oyt ses nouvelles, pour lesquelles il se deslogea du Mont et vint logier au dessous du Mont en la vallée, en une campaigne au lez devers Paris, et feit sçavoir les nouvelles au comte Charollois, lui mandant qu'il se hastat de venir et que le roy lui livreroit bataille le lendemain au poinct du jour. Le comte, de ce adverti, se hasta moult fort d'aller ou le comte de St Pol estoit, et manda au bastard de Bourgogne qu'il se hastat, comme il feit; et le lendemain, xvje jour du mois de juillet, environ soleil levant, le comte Chrollois vint ou le comte de St Pol estoit, et l'arriergarde, que menoit le bastard de Bourgogne, vint avecq eulx, et illecq ordonnerent leurs batailles et se meirent en ordonnances.

Memoires Jacques du Clercq. The King of France, who was in the land of Bourbonnais or thereabouts, where he was waging war against the Duke of Bourbon and preventing the Dukes of Berry and Brittany from joining together and passing through to go to Saint-Denis to the Count of Charolais, as they had promised, having gathered the greatest army he could assemble, both on foot and on horseback, not counting the garrisons he had left throughout his kingdom, as along the river Somme, on the borders of Burgundy, along the rivers Somme and Oise, and elsewhere in Normandy, Guyenne, and throughout his realm, was informed that the Count of Charolais and all his army had crossed the rivers Somme, Oise, and Seine. Fearing that the Dukes of Berry and Brittany and the other princes might unite, and knowing that if they were assembled together they would be stronger than he, would be able to do him greater harm, and would be more dangerous to defeat than each separately, he gathered all his captains to take counsel as to whether he should fight the Dukes of Berry and Brittany before fighting the Count of Charolais. And although there were diverse opinions, most advised him that he should first fight the Count of Charolais, for if he could overthrow and defeat him, he would easily have at his will the Dukes of Berry and Brittany and all the princes of France, and that this was best, before the said count should be joined by the Burgundians, who had not yet arrived because the king's garrisons were hindering them, and before the princes of France had assembled with him. And although most were of this opinion, nevertheless a bold and valiant knight named Sir Pierre de Brézé, lord of La Varenne and seneschal of Normandy, told the king that it was not his advice to do so; for he knew the Count of Charolais, and that he was not a man to retreat, and that the Picards and those who were with him from his lands loved him with such devotion, and were for the most part men accustomed to war, who would not abandon him until death. But it was his opinion to fight first the Dukes of Berry and Brittany, among whom were many soldiers who had served in the ordinances of King Charles, his father, who, when they saw his presence, would not dare fight against him but would turn to his side, by which he would easily overcome the rest. To this seneschal it was said that he was afraid; to which he replied that he was not, and that if there were a day of battle or encounter, he would show that what he said was not out of fear, but solely to give loyal counsel to the king. In the end the king resolved first to fight the Count of Charolais, and he hastily gave command, on pain of the rope, that each man should prepare himself, and he rode on the 14th day of July, both by day and by night, he and his host covering twenty-four leagues, and he lodged at Étampes, and the next day at Chastres, three leagues from Montlhéry, and passed quite near, within six or eight leagues, of the army of the Dukes of Berry and Brittany. Not knowing that the messengers they had sent to Paris had been captured, nor that the Count of Charolais was so near him, on the 16th day of July, before dawn, he left Chastres, and shortly before sunrise he and his army found themselves at Montlhéry, below which mount they saw the Count of Charolais and all his army. Seeing this, and knowing that it was the Count of Charolais, the king had his men drawn up in order of battle. He arranged three divisions: in the first, which is called the vanguard, was the aforesaid Sir Pierre de Brézé, knight, lord of La Varenne and seneschal of Normandy, the son of the Count of Noyers, the lord of Barbazan, Malortie, Floquet, Salzart, and other captains and men-at-arms; in the second, which is called the main battle, was the king himself with many great lords and captains; in the third, which is called the rear guard, were the Count of Maine and about seven to eight hundred men-at-arms. And it was said that in these three divisions there were two thousand two hundred men-at-arms bearing lances, the best equipped and best mounted that men-at-arms had ever been, and there was the flower of the men of war, the whole strength of the King of France; with them were archers and other soldiers in great number, although many had remained behind, poorly mounted or on foot, because of the long march the king had made in haste.

Le roy de Franche, lequel estoit au pays de Boubonnois, ou environ, ou il guerroyoit le duc de Bourbon et empeschoit que le duc de Berry et de Bretaigne ne se joignissent et passassent pour aller a St Denys vers le comte de Charollois, comme ils avoient promis, ayant la plus grande armée qu'il avoit peu assembler, a pied et a cheval, sans prendre les garnisons que il avoit laissié par tout son royaume, comme sur la riviere de Somme, sur les marches de Bourgogne, comme sur les rivieres de Somme et d'Oyse, et ailleurs, en Normandie, Guyenne, et par tout son royaume, fust adverti que le comte de Chrollois et toute son armée avoient passé les rivieres de Somme, d'Oyse et de Saine, doubtant que les sieurs de Berry et de Bretaigne, et aultres princes ne se assemblassent, sçachant que eulx assemblés sroient plus forts que lui, polroient plus nuire et seroient plus dangereux a vaincre que chacun a part lui, assembla touts ses capitaines pour avoir conseil, s'il combattroit les ducs de Berry et de Bretaigne ains qu'il combattist le comte de Charollois; et cobien qu'il y olt de diverses opinions, la pluspart lui conseilla qu'il combattist premier le comte de Chrollois; car s'il le pooit ruer jus et vaincre, de legier il auroit a sa vollonté les ducs de Berry et de Brtaigne, et touts les princes de Franche; et que c'estoit le meilleur, ains que ledit comte euist avecq lui les Bourgoignons qui encoires n'estoient arrivés devers lui pour les garnisons du pays du roy qui les empechoient, ne que les princes de Franche fuissent assemblés avecq lui; et jasoit que la pluspart fust de pareille opinion, toutesfois ung hardy et valliant chvallier, nommé messire Pierre de Bresil, Sr de la Varende et seneschal de Normandie, dit au roy que ce n'estoit point son conseil de ainsy le faire; car il cognoissoit le comte de Charollois, et qu'il n'estoit pas homme de desmarchier, et que les Picards et ceulx qui estoient avecq lui de ses pays l'aimoient de sy grand couraige, et sy estoient la pluspart gens acoustumés de guerre, lesquels ne le lairoient jusques a la mort; mais estoit son opinion de premier cobattre les ducs de Berry et de Bretaigne, avecq lequels avoit plusieurs gens de guerre qui avoient esté des ordonnances du roy Charles, son pere; lesquels, quant ils verroient sa presence, ils n'oseroient cobattre contre lui, ains se tourneroient de son party, par quoy de legier il mecteroit le remenant a mechy; auquel seneschal fust dit, qu'il avoit poeur; lquel feit response que non avoit, et s'il y avoit journée de bataille ne rencontre, il monstreroit que ce qu'il disoit, il ne le faisoit de poeur, mais seulment pour loyaument conseiller le roy. En la fin le roy se conclud de premier combattre le comte de Charollois, et hastivement feit commandement sur la hart, que chacun se siennist, et chevaulcha le xiiije jour de juillet, que de jour, que de nuict, lui et son olt xxiiij lieues, et alla au giste a Estampes, et le lendemain a Chastres, a trois lieues du Monle-Hery, et passa assés près, comme a six ou huict lieues près de l'ost des ducs de Berry et de Bretaigne; et non sçachant que les messagiers qu'ils avoient evoyés a Paris, fuissent prins ne que le comte de Chrollois fust sy près de lui, le xvje jour de juillet, devant le jour se deslogea de Chastres, et ung peu devant soleil levant, lui et son armée se trouverent sur le Mont-le-Hery, dessous lequel Mont ils verent le comte de Charollois et toute son armée. Ce voyant le roy et sçachant que c'estoit le comte de Charollois, sy feit mectre ses gens en ordonnance et bataille. Il ordonna trois batailles; en la premiere bataille, que on appelle l'avant-garde, estoit le desusdit monsieur Pierre de Bresil, chevallier, sieur de la Varende et seneschal de Normandie, le fils du comte de Noyrenton, le sieur de Barbason, Malortie, Flocquet, Salzart, et aultres capitaines et gendarmes; en la seconde, que on appelle la bataille, estoit le roy avecq plusieurs grands sieurs et captaines; en la tierche, que on appelle l'arriere-garde, estoient le comte du Maisne, et bien sept a huict cens hommes d'armes: et disoit on que esdites trois btailles y avoit xxij^c hommes d'armes portant lanches, les mieux en poinct et les mieux montés que gendarmes feurent oncques, et la estoit la fleur des gens de guerre, toute la puissance du roy de Franche; avecq eulx estoient les archiers et aultres gens de guerre, qui estoient en grand nombre, combien que plusieurs fuissent demourés derriere, qui estoient mal montés et a pied, pour le grand chemin que le roy feit en haste.: