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Biography of Thomas Vaughan 1410-1483

1471 Edward V created Prince of Wales

1483 Dinner and Arrest of the Woodville Affinity

1483 Execution of the Yorkists and their Affinity

Around 1410 Thomas Vaughan was born.

Around 1422 Thomas Browne (age 20) and [his future wife] Eleanor Fitzalan were married.

After 29th July 1460 Thomas Vaughan (age 50) and Eleanor Fitzalan were married.

In 1464 Thomas Vaughan (age 54) was appointed High Sheriff of Surrey and High Sheriff of Sussex.

In 1465 Thomas Vaughan (age 55) was appointed Master of the King's Jewels.

In or before 1468 [his step-son] John Browne (age 32) and Anne Belwode were married.

On 1st June 1469 [his wife] Eleanor Fitzalan died.

Edward V created Prince of Wales

On 26th June 1471 Edward, the future Edward V, was created Prince of Wales. Thomas Vaughan (age 61) was knighted.

Patent Rolls. 18th April 1477. Grant to Robert, Bishop of Bath and Wells (age 57), John, Bishop of Rochester, Westminster, and Thomas Vaghan (age 67), knight, chamberlain of the king's firstborn son Edward (age 6), prince of Wales, and their assigns, of the disposition of the deanery of the king's free chapel of St. Stephen within the palace of Westminster at its next voidance.

Dinner and Arrest of the Woodville Affinity

On 1st May 1483 Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (age 30) arrested Richard Grey (age 26), Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers (age 43) and Thomas Vaughan (age 73) at Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire [Map]. King Edward V of England (age 12) was taken under his uncle Richard's Protection to London.

Bishop John Alcock (age 53) was arrested and removed from office.

Chronicle of Jean Molinet Chapter 100. [1st May 1483]. The Queen of England, recognizing the audacity of his courage, withdrew and took her children to a safe place called Westminster, so that the said Gloucester would not harm them. However, those from Wales, the princes of the blood, and relatives of King Edward, endeavored to crown the Prince of Wales, and headed towards London to do so; and the Duke of Gloucester at one point pretended to be joyful about this coronation, and at another time held completely opposite views; and he put so many obstacles in the way that the matter failed. He found a way, through some accusations, to dispatch the Lord Scales (age 26)1, nephew of the said children, and Lord Rivers (age 43), along with Thomas Vaughan (age 73);

La reine d'Angleterre cognoissant la protervie de son courage, se tira arrière et emmena ses enfans en une place franche nommée Vastremoustre (Westminster), afin que ledit de Glocestre ne leur fit quelque moleste. Néautuioins ceulx de Galles, les princes du sang et parenté du roy Edouard se mirent en peine de couronner le prince de Galles, et tirèrent vers Londres pour ce faire; et ledit duc de Glocestre l'une fois se faindoit estre joyeux de ce couronnement, l'aultre fois tenoit terme tout au contraire; et y mit tant d'entraves, que la chose suschey. Il trouva façon par aulcunes accusations de soi despescher du seigneur d'Escales nepveu desdits enfans, et seigneur de la Rivière, ensemble de Thomas Vayant;

Note 1. The Chronicler her appears to confuse Richard Grey with Lord Scales i.e. Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers, who was also known as Lord Scales since his wife was Elizabeth de Scales, 8th Baroness Scales.

The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. 1st May 1483. And as soon as they came in his presence, they alighted down with all their company about them. To whom the Duke of Buckingham (age 28) said, "Go before, gentlemen and yeomen, keep your rooms." And thus in a goodly array, they came to the King (age 12) and, on their knees in very humble fashion, assuaged his Grace, who received them in very joyous and amiable manner, nothing earthly knowing nor mistrusting as yet. But even by and by, in his presence, they picked a quarrel with the Lord Richard Grey (age 26), the King's other brother by his mother, saying that he, with the Lord Marquis (age 28) his brother and the Lord Rivers (age 43) his uncle, had planned to rule the King and the realm, and to set variance among the lords, and to subdue and destroy the noble blood of the realm. Toward the accomplishing whereof, they said that the Lord Marquis had entered into the Tower of London [Map], and thence taken out the King's treasure, and sent men to the sea. All of which things, these dukes knew well, were done for good purposes and necessary ones by the whole council at London, except that they must say something.

Unto which words, the King answered, "What my brother marquis has done I cannot say. But in good faith I dare well answer for mine uncle Rivers and my brother here, that they be innocent of any such matters.".

"Yea, my Liege," said the Duke of Buckingham, "they have kept their dealing in these matters far from the knowledge of your good Grace.".

And forthwith they arrested the Lord Richard and Sir Thomas Vaughan (age 73), knight, in the King's presence, and brought the King and all back unto Northampton [Map], where they took again further counsel. And there they sent away from the King whomever it pleased them, and set new servants about him, such as liked them better than him. At which dealing he wept and was nothing content, but it remedied not. And at dinner the Duke of Gloucester (age 30) sent a dish from his own table to the Lord Rivers, praying him to be of good cheer, all should be well enough. And he thanked the Duke, and prayed the messenger to bear it to his nephew, the Lord Richard, with the same message for his comfort, who he thought had more need of comfort, as one to whom such adversity was foreign. But for himself, he had been all his days used to a life therewith, and therefore could bear it the better. But for all this comfortable courtesy of the Duke of Gloucester, he sent the Lord Rivers and the Lord Richard with Sir Thomas Vaughan into the north country to different places to prison and, afterwards, all to Pomfrait [Map], where they were, in conclusion, beheaded.

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All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Croyland Chronicle 1483. 1st May 1483. When the morning, and as it afterwards turned out, a most disastrous one, had come, having taken counsel during the night, all the lords took their departure together, in order to present themselves before the new king at Stony Stratford, a town a few miles distant firom Northampton; and now, lo and behold! when the two dukes had nearly arrived at the entrance of that town, they arrested the said earl of Rivers (age 43) and his nephew Richard (age 26), the king's brother, together with some others who had come with them, and commanded them to be led prisoners into the north of England. Immediately after, this circumstance being not yet known in the neighbouring town, where the king was understood to be, they suddenly rushed into the place where the youthful king was staying, and in like manner made prisoners of certain others of his servants who were in attendance on his person. One of these was Thomas Vaughan (age 73), an aged knight and chamberlain of the prince before-named.

Execution of the Yorkists and their Affinity

On 25th June 1483 supporters of the Woodvilles were executed at Pontefract Castle [Map] ...

Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers (age 43) was beheaded. His brother Richard (age 30) succeeded 3rd Earl Rivers, 3rd Baron Rivers.

Richard Grey (age 26) and Thomas Vaughan (age 73) were beheaded.

Croyland Chronicle 1483. [25th June 1483]. These multitudes of people, accordingly, making a descent from the north to the south, under the especial conduct and guidance of Sir Richard Ratcliffe (age 53); on their arrival at the town of Pomfret, by command of the said Richard Ratcliffe, and without any form of trial being observed, Antony, earl of Rivers (age 43), Richard Grey (age 26), his nephew, and Thomas Vaughan (age 73), an aged knight, were, in presence of these people, beheaded. This was the second innocent blood which was shed on the occasion of this sudden change.

[his son] Henry Vaughan of Tretower Court was born to Thomas Vaughan.

Royal Descendants of Thomas Vaughan 1410-1483

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom