Execution of Edmund of Woodstock

On 19th March 1330 the King's uncle Edmund of Woodstock 1st Earl Kent (age 28) was beheaded at Winchester Castle [Map]. Earl Kent forfeit. Edmund had been convicted of plotting against the court believing his brother King Edward II was still alive. It later emerged the plot had been created by Roger Mortimer 1st Earl March (age 42) to entrap Edmund. King Edward III of England (age 17) was unable to show leniency risking complicity in the plot. He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map].

See Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke, Walter of Guisborough, Knighton 2555, Murimuth and Parliament Rolls.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In the year 1329, certain individuals,¹ 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 labour 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.

The Brute chronicle (Harley MS. 2279).

The Chronicle of Lanercost 264.

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.

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 Historia Anglicana 2.351, 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 niece 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 le 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 Westminster 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. Rymer's Fœdera 2.783. 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 Parliament Rolls, 2.52: 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.

Chronicle of Robert Fabyan [-1512]. [19th March 1330]. In this thyrde mayres yere, the abouesayde syr Edmude of Wodestoke (age 28) erle of Kent, entendynge the reformacion of the mysse ordre of the realme, beynge enfourmyd y^t his brother syr Edwarde was in lyfe, deuysed certeyn letters towdrynge the delyuery of his sayde brother, and sent them unto his sayd brother; of which dede he was shortlye after accusyd, and by auctoryte of a parlyament holdyn at Westmynster [Winchester], aboute Pentecoste folowinge, he for that dede was iudgyd to haue his hede smytten of, whereof execucion was done the. xv¹. day of May folowynge in the foresayde cytie of Winchester,

Note 1. In subsequent edits given as 25th. The execution Edmude of Wodestoke is usually given as 19th March 1330.

Chronicle of the Kings of England by Richard Baker. 19th March 1330. For another Parliament being holden at Winchester, Edmund Earl of Kent (age 28), the Kings Uncle, is there accused, and condemned upon his confession, for intending to restore his Brother, the late King Edward; an intention only without any fact, yet condemned he was, and brought to the Scaffold: but generally so beloved of the people, that he stood on the Scaffold from one a Clock till five, before any Executioner could be found that would do the Office; till at last a silly wretch of the Marshalsey [Map] was gotten to cut off his head.

Annales of England by John Stow. [19th March 1330]. 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 [Edmund of Woodstock 1st Earl Kent (age 28)] 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.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. On the First Sunday of Lent, Philippa, queen of England, was crowned at Westminster. In the first week of Lent, a parliament was held at Westminster in Winchester, where, on the day after the feast of Saint Gregory, Edmund, earl of Kent, the king's uncle, was arrested and, on the eve [19th March 1330] of Saint Cuthbert, condemned to death¹. From the first hour of the day until evening, he stood outside the gates, no one willing to lay a hand on him, until at last a certain unfortunate man from the Marshal's office was ordered to behead him.

Dominica Quadragesima Philippa regina Angliæ apud Westmonasterium coronatur. Prima is septimana Quadragesimæ factum est parliamentum Westmins apud Wintoniam, ubi, in crastino Sancti Gregorii, Edmundus comes Cantiæ, avunculus regis, fuit Parliament arrestatus et in vigilia Sancti Cuthberti morti adjudicatus: ab hora vero diei prima usque ad vesperas extra portas, nullo in eum manum mittere volente, stetit condemnatus, donec miser quidam de Marescallia eum jussus est decollare.

Note 1. Prince Edmund was condemned to death on the charge of having entered into a conspiracy to set his brother, Edward II, at liberty, an enterprise into which he had been inveigled by the artifices of Mortimer and the queen-mother, who had led him to believe that the unfortunate King was still alive in Corfe Castle. T, Walsingham, 129, ed., Camden; See also Rapin, Hist. 1.410, ed. 1732 and H. Knyghton, 2555.

Patent Rolls. 21st March 1330. Winchester. Commission to John Mautravers (age 40), Oliver de Ingham, John de Stonore, Richard de Wyhighby, John Trevaignon and Roger de Wodelok to make inquisition in the county of Southampton to discover the adherents of Edmund de Wodestok, late earl of Kent, who has been condemned to death by his peers in the present Parliament for high treason. By K

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. That same year [1330], the third of the king's reign, at the urging of those who hated his father, the king held a parliament at Winchester,¹ where, through the influence of his mother and Roger de Mortimer, the said Earl of Kent, his uncle, and many other nobles and religious men including provincials of the Orders of Preachers and Carmelites of Blessed Mary, and Friar Richard de Blytone² were accused of conspiring, as it was claimed, to free the king's father from prison and restore him to rule, although all of this was false and imagined. Nevertheless, the said earl [Edmund of Woodstock 1st Earl Kent], because of certain confessions he had made and some letters found in his possession though none of those confessions or letters, even if genuine, should have rendered so great a man worthy of such punishment, was beheaded.³ As for the others, the provincials of the Orders of Preachers and Carmelites of Blessed Mary were exiled; the Bishop of London was released from detention; Robert de Taunton,⁴ a cleric, and certain friars of the Carmelite and Dominican Orders were imprisoned. The death of the said earl displeased the people of the kingdom the less because he had a notorious household, which, while travelling through the land, seized the goods of the common people at royal prices, paying little or nothing for what they took.

Eodem anno, scilicet regni regis tercio, ad instanciam odiencium patrem suum, rex tenuit parliamentum Wyntonie, ubi, procurantibus matre sua et Rogero de Mortuo mari, predictus comes Cancie, patruus regis, et multi alii nobiles et religiosi viri, scilicet provinciales ordinum Predicatorum et Carmelitarum beate Marie, et frater Ricardus de Blitone, fuerunt accusati de eo quod conspiraverunt, ut dicebatur, regis patrem de carcere liberare et ad regni statum reducere, licet totum hoc fuisset falsum et fantasiatum. Tum comes predictus, propter quasdam confessiones suas et quasdam literas secum inventas, licet ulle illarum confessionum seu literarum, etsi vere fuissent, non debuissent tantum virum tali supplicio dignum reddidisse, fuit decapitatus. Alii vero ut provinciales Predicatorum et Carmelitarum beate Marie, fuerunt exulati; episcopus vero Londoniensis fuit manumissioni dimissus; Robertus de Tauntone clericus et fratres quidam de ordinibus Carmelitarum et Predicatorum carceri fuerunt mancipati. Mors predicti comitis eo minus populo regni displicuit, quod malam habuit familiam, res popularium per patriam itinerando precio regali capescentem, parum vel nihil pro emptis solventes.

Note 1. This parliament was summoned on the 25th January 1330, and sat from the 11th to the 23rd March.

Note 2. The provincial of the Carmelites in England at this time was John Baconthorp, who died in 1346. "He was little of stature, but great in wit, and writ such vast volumes that his body could not have borne what his brain produced." Stevens, History of Ancient Abbeys (1723), 2.159, 163. Richard Bliton was provincial from 1319 to 1326 and died at Lincoln in 1330. He was confessor to Edward II Ibid., 2.162.

Note 3. Knighton 2555.

Guisborough, 2.301

Note 4. He is referred to in Kent's confession as the archbishop of York's messenger. See Murimuth 254.