Key People Flashcards
Henry VI
Life = 1422-71
Reign = 1422-61 & 1470-71
- became king at 9 months
- his weakness as king led to the origins of conflict
- criticised for letting ‘evil councillors’ dominate
- he lost all the land his father Henry V gained in France except Calais
- fell into catatonic state in 1453, became a political pawn
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Life = 1390-1477
- was lord protector of England during Henry VI’s minority
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John, Duke of Bedford
Life = 1389-1435
- acted as regent of France for Henry VI
- capable soldier and had effective military management
- died during the Congress of Arras in 1435, his death contributed to the loss of Burgundy
Margaret of Anjou
Life = 1430-82
- married Henry VI in 1445
- assumed leadership of Lancastrian cause
- did everything she could to try put her son Edward, Prince of Wales on the throne
Richard, duke of York
Life = 1411-60
- was heir presumptive after Henry VI
- Duke of Somerset key rival
- claimed the throne in 1460
William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk
Life = 1396-1450
- leading magnate under Henry VI
- accused of treason and banished in 1450 but was killed in Cade rebellions on his way to exile
Edmund, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Life = 1406-55
- main rival of Richard, Duke of York
- replaced York as lieutenant of France, did a poor job
- blamed for the loss of Normandy
- killed in 1st battle of St Albans
Richard, Duke of Warwick
Life = 1428-71
- known as ‘kingmaker’ as he was vital to accession of Edward IV to throne
- extremely wealthy
- captain of Calais
- leading advisor of Edward IV but resented his independence from his advice
- ultimately rebelled in 1469 and reinstated Henry VI as king in 1471
- died in battle of Barnet and Edward took back throne
Jack Cade
- leader of Cade rebellion
- also went by ‘John Mortimer’
- died resisting arrest in 1450
Edward Westminster, Prince of Wales
Life = 1453-71
- son of Henry VI and Anjou
- married Anne Neville (Richard, Duke of Warwicks daughter) to cement alliance between Anjou and Warwick in 1470
- died at battle of Tewkesbury in 1471
Henry, 3rd Duke of Somerset
Life = 1436-64
- Edmund, Duke of Somersets son
- swore to get revenge for his fathers death
- made peace with Edward IV in 1462, but defected again in 1463
- died at battle of Hexam
William, Bishop of Salisbury
Life = 1395-1450
- royal councillor under Henry VI
- labelled as one of the evil councillors in Cade’s rebellion and killed when trying to flee
John, duke of Norfolk
Life = 1415-61
- supported the Yorkists
- most important role was in Battle of Towton when he arrived late with troops which may have won Edward the battle
Richard, Earl of Salisbury
Life = 1400-60
- long career serving Henry VI
- supported Henry in 1452 when York challenged the king but a feud with Percy family caused him to support York at 1st Battle of St Albans
- killed at Battle of Wakefield
Henry Percy 2nd, Earl of Northumberland
Life = 1394-1455
- his families feud with the Nevilles was instrumental in forcing them to favour York
- were the most powerful family in the North until the rebelled in early 1400’s making Nevilles most powerful
- killed at 1st battle of St Albans
Henry Percy 3rd, Earl of Northumberland
Life = 1421-61
- inherited title on his father’s death
- fought for the Lancastrians at Wakefield, 2nd battle of St Albans and Towton where he was killed
Lord Saye
Life = 1395-50
- supporter of Suffolk
- after murder of Suffolk, he was imprisoned and beheaded by Cade’s rebellion
Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham
Life = 1402-60
- wealth on 2nd to Richard, Duke of York
- tried to act as peacemaker in 1450’s while maintaining his allegiance to crown
- killed in battle of Northamton
John Stafford, Archbishop of Canterbury
- became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1443 and was chancellor under Henry VI from 1432-50
- resigned as chancellor shortly after impeaching of Suffolk began
- met Cade’s rebels on Blackheath to negotiate
- died 1452
Charles VII
Life = 1403-61
King of France = 1422-61
- uncle of Margaret of Anjou and father of Louis XI
Edward IV
Life = 1422-83
Reign = 1461-70 & 1471-83
- first Yorkist king
- tall, handsome, charismatic
- won fight for the throne begun by his father, Richard, Duke of York
- had support of Warwick in 1461 but lost the throne in 1470 when Warwick rebelled. 1471 he regained the crown and his second reign saw a return to peace
- he secretly married Elizabeth Woodville in 1464
- father of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York
Anne Beauchamp
Life = 1426-92
- wife of Richard Neville, Duke of Warwick and mother to Isabel and Anne Neville
- she was declared legally dead in 1473-75 so her estates could be divided between her sons in-law, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Edmund, 4th Duke of Somerset
Life = 1438-71
- opponent of Yorkist monarchy
- joined Anjou in exile
- last male of the Beaufort line
Margaret Beaufort
Life = 1443-1509
- mother of Henry Tudor (Henry VII)
- she was a resilient politician whose guiding principle was the future of her son
- she was extremely pious
- wielded considerable power during the reign of her son, often acting as lieutenant
George, Duke of Clarence
Life = 1449-78
- Edward IV brother
- important for his role in rebellion against Edward IV in 1470-71
- married Isabel Neville
- was executed by Edward in 1478
John de Vere, Earl of Oxford
Life = 1443-1513
- played an important role in battle of Bosworth
- joined Warwick and Clarence at Barnet, in the fog his badge of honour was mistaken for Edward’s sun in splendour and his men attacked by their own side, contributing to Yorkist victory
- went into exile in 1485
- commanded the vanguard of Henry Tudors army at Bosworth and became a leading councillor in Henry’s reign
William, Lord Hastings
Life = 1431-83
- a staunch Yorkist who served Richard, Duke of York and then Edward IV
- loyal to Edward V, leading to him being accused of treason and executed by Richard, Duke of Gloucester
William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke
Life = 1423-69
- loyal Yorkist
- helped secure Wales
For Edward against Jasper Tudor, Duke of Exeter and Earl of Wiltshire
- executed by Warwick after battle of Edgecote in 1469
Jacquetta of Luxembourg
Life = 1416-72
- mother of Elizabeth Woodville
- led to Edward finding positions for her other 10 children, causing resentment of Woodvilles
- accused of witchcraft when Henry VI was on throne in 1470, but charges dropped when Edward took throne in 1471
Anne Neville
Life = 1456-85
- daughter of Richard, Duke of Warwick
- she was a political pawn in the marriage market
- first married Edward, Prince of Wales to solidify alliance between Anjou and Warwick
- then married Richard, Duke of Gloucester, likely because he wanted claim to vast Warwick inheritance
- died in 1485, rumours that Richard poisoned her to marry Elizabeth of York
George Neville, Archbishop of York
Life = 1451-76
- chancellor in early years of Edward IV’s reign
- supported his brother Warwick in his rebellion
Isobel Neville
Life = 1451-76
- daughter of Richard, Duke of Warwick
- married George, Duke of Clarence during her fathers rebellion
John Neville, Marquis of Montagu
Life = 1431-71
- Brother to Warwick
- joined Warwick against Edward in 1470, perhaps only because Edward had restored the Earldom of Northumberland to Henry Percy
- died at battle of Barnet
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Life = 1446-89
- was imprisoned in 1461, but restored his title by Edward in 1469, possibly leading to defection of John Neville
- neutrality played an important role of Edwards 1471 invasion as it prevented Nevilles attacking Edward in Yorkshire
- resented Richard III power in north and men did not join him at Bosworth
Edward V
Life = 1470-83
- one of the ‘princes in the tower’
- heir to throne, but was seized by Richard III on route to London and trapped in the Tower of London, later joined by his brother Richard
- assumed to be killed by Richard III but bodies were never found and no proof that Richard did it
Richard, Duke of York
Life = 1473-83
- son of Edward IV
- one of the ‘princes in the tower’
Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
Life = 1455-83
- Richard III’s most trusted ally for a time
- some implicate him in the death of the princes in the tower
- led a rebellion against Richard in Sep-Oct 1483 and was executed by Richard after it failed
Thomas, Lord Stanley
Life = 1433-1504
- was ally of Nevilles and through them the Yorkists in late 1450’s, but when Warwick rebelled he was torn so stayed mostly neutral
- his failure to engage his troops at Bosworth for Richard III could have affected outcome of battle
- after 1471 supported Edward IV but Richard, Duke of Gloucesters rise to power in the North created rivalry. May explain his failure to support Richard at Bosworth
- married Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor in 1472, and held her under house arrest after her participation in Buckingham rebellion
- was rewarded Earldom of Derby by Henry VII
Jasper Tudor
Life = 1430-95
- loyal Lancastrian and supporter of his nephew Henry Tudor
- created Earl of Pembroke by Henry VI but lost it to William Herbert but had it reinstated in Henry’s redemption phase and again after Bosworth
Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers
Life = 1440-83
- brother of Elizabeth Woodville
- in charge of the household of future Edward V, arrested on way to London with future king and executed by Richard Duke of Gloucester in 1483
Elizabeth Woodville
Life = 1437-92
- married Edward IV secretly in 1464
- this marriage contributed to the rebellion of Warwick
- mother of Edward V and Richard, the ‘princes in the tower’
Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers
Life = 1405-1469
- father of Elizabeth Woodville
- helped suppress Cade rebellion in 1450
Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers
Life = 1405-1469
- father of Elizabeth Woodville
- helped suppress Cade rebellion in 1450
Elizabeth of York
Life = 1466-1503
- eldest daughter of Edward IV
- by marrying Henry VII she united two sides of the WoR’s
Richard III
Life = 1452-85
Reign = 1483-85
- blamed for disappearance of the princes in the tower
- usurped throne from Edward V by claiming Edward IV’s children were illegitimate
- killed at Battle of Bosworth in 1485 by Henry Tudor
Robert Brackenbury
Died = 1485
- constable of the tower in 1483 when Richard was believed to order death of his nephews
- may have hesitated the order, meaning duty passed to James Tyrell
Sir William Catesby
Life = 1446-85
- one of Richard’s leading supporters
- received land after Buckinghams rebellion
- one of the councillors who spoke out about Richard marrying his niece Elizabeth of York
- executed after Battle of Bosworth
John Howard, Duke of Norfolk
Life = 1420-85
- loyal supporter of Richard
- supported his usurpation in 1483
- his forces bore brunt of fighting against the Earl of Oxford at Bosworth where he died
- in 1461 fought at Towton and was rewarded by Edward IV and provided military service through 1460’s
Francis, Viscount Lovell
Died = 1487
- perhaps Richards closest associate, made chamberlain of royal household
- did not reach Bosworth in time to fight
- fled abroad refusing to accept Henry VII as king and was leading figure in Lambert Simmel’s rebellion in 1487
- fought at battle of Stoke where he is suspected to have been killed
Sir Richard Radcliffe
Died = 1485
- trusted royal councillor of Richard
- carried messages requesting arms support in 1483
- spoke out about marriage of Richard and Elizabeth of York
- killed at Battle of Bosworth
Sir James Tyrell
Life = 1455-1502
- royal councillor of Richard
- rumoured to be responsible for death of princes in the tower, allegedly confessed in his trial in 1502
- rewarded with lands after Buckingham’s rebellion
- out of England at time of Bosworth
- transferred his services to Henry VII
- executed for conspiring with Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk
Louis XI
Life = 1423-83
Reign = 1477-83
- involved in negotiations to marry Bonna of Savoy to Edward IV before he married Elizabeth
- hopes of marriage alliance with England set back again when Margaret of York married his rival, Charles of Burgundy
- supported Anjou and Warwick in 1470 and backed her invasion in 1471
- prevented a renewal of hostilities in 1475 by agreeing to pay a pension at Treaty of Picquigny
Charles, Duke of Burgundy
Life =1433-77
- married Margaret of York, cementing Anglo-Burgundian alliance as opposed to an agreement with France which Warwick had been working towards
- contributing to Warwicks defection
Charles VIII
Life = 1470-98
Reign = 1483-98
- supported Henry Tudors invasion of England, although the youthful Charles was dominated by his elder sister Anne until 1491
Francois, Duke of Brittany
Life = 1435-88
- had Henry and Jasper Tudor under his protection after 1471
- their abortive invasion of England in 1483 was launched from Brittany
- Brittany then became hub of resistance to Richard and disaffected Yorkists
- during Dukes illness, he agreed to give up Tudor’s to Richard, but they were warned and escaped to France
