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Back to Basics: A Series for Newer Members
Issue 4 -- June 1993
The
murder of George of Clarence
| Henry Stafford, Second Duke of Buckingham
| The Arms and Armour Society | Abbreviations
for Common Sources and Organisations | Back
to Index
That Richard of
Gloucester had any real responsibility for the death of his brother
was always a very unlikely proposition, let alone that he killed him
personally. However the traditional method of Clarence's execution,
that he was executed by drowning in a barrel of malmsey, could possibly
be true. It is first mentioned by Dominic Mancini in 1483, (only five
years after the execution) in The Usurpation of Richard
III, 1969, p. 63, although Mancini actually says a cask
of 'sweet wine' (mollissimi faterni) interpreted by several
writers as cretan wine or malmsey. The story was repeated first by several
foreign writers and then by the Great Chronicle,
Polydore Vergil and all native chroniclers. There is virtually no evidence
for this bizarre event, although there is no reason why death by drowning
should not have been chosen as the method of execution, even if it would
(probably) have been unprecedented. Because it would have been so unusual
it may have been remembered for this reason. The only small piece of
supporting evidence may lie in the portrait in the National Portrait
Gallery which could be of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, daughter
of Clarence. The person in this portrait wears around one wrist a barrel
of gold suspended from a black ribbon, perhaps in commemoration of the
death of her father. Although scientific examination has shown this
barrel to be part of the original picture and not a later addition and
the painting itself probably dates from the 1530s the identification
of the picture as a portrait of Margaret Pole depends largely on the
presence of the barrel. The argument is thus rather circular. There
is a discussion of the portrait in Roy Strong, Tudor and
Jacobean Portraits, 1969, volume 1, pp.272-273, with some
updated information in an unpublished paper by John Ballard in the Society
Library, (the book is not in the Library). The story of the barrel of
malmsey is discussed by Michael Hicks in Appendix 1 of False,
Fleeting, Perjur'd Clarence, (1980).
None of the sources
before More doubt that Edward IV was solely responsible for the death
of Clarence, even if they were in some doubt as to why he was executed.
More hints, in very obscure language, (quoted by Gairdner in his Life
of Richard III [1898, pp.34-35] with the remark that More
was obviously not sure himself) that Richard of Gloucester may have
encouraged Edward to execute his brother, but goes no further. He was
not followed in this by any other chronicler, who mostly quote Vergil.
Vergil in turn says more or less the same as Mancini. Shakespeare, in
a major contribution to the legend, seems to be solely responsible for
making Richard of Gloucester the prime mover in the death of Clarence
and he was followed by some subsequent writers. Richard has however
never been seriously regarded by historians as responsible for the death
of his brother.
The reason for
the execution of Clarence has been much debated. It is most unlikely
to be because of the alleged prophecy that Edward would be succeeded
by someone whose name began with a 'G' as said by Rous and Vergil and
subsequent authors (see 'The Prophecy of G', Anne F. Sutton and Livia
Visser-Fuchs, The Ricardian, vol. 8, no. 110,
[1990] pp.449-450). The official reason for his execution was that Clarence
had committed treason by keeping an exemplification of the Act of the
1470-71 readeption Parliament making him the heir to the throne after
Henry VI and his son. There is no eviidence that such an Act ever existed,
the Roll of this Parliament has disappeared and Professor Lander argued
that the charge was a fabrication (J.R. Lander, 'Treason and Death of
the Duke of Clarence: a Re-interpretation' Canadian Journal
of History, vol. 2, [1967] pp.1-28), an argument disputed
by Hicks (False, Fleeting, Perjur'd Clarence,
pp. 159-169). Hicks discusses the Act of Attainder and other evidence
and concludes that Edward IV probably had a mixture of reasons (mostly
involving treasonable acts) for condemning his brother. Other recent
work on Clarence is as a local magnate (Christine Carpenter, 'The Duke
of Clarence and the Midlands: a study in the interplay of local and
national politics', Midland History, vol.
11, [1986] pp. 23-48, a theme further discussed in Carpenter's Locality
and polity: A study of Warwickshire and landed society, 1401-1499,
[1992] and as 'good lord' to his followers (M.A. Hicks, 'Restraint,
Mediation and Private Justice: George Duke of Clarence as 'Good Lord',
J. Legal History, vol. 4, [1983] pp.56-71).
PWH
The abbreviations
described in this issue are for series of books, both official and semi-official,
and societies.
Rolls
series (or RS) -- This is the
brief title of The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain
and Ireland During the Middle Ages published by the Master
of the Rolls in the nineteenth century. The series includes such volumes
as James Gairdner's editions of Letters and Paper Illustrative
of the Reigns of Richard III and Henry VIII and Bernard
Andre.
VCH,
the abbreviation for The Victoria History of the Counties
of England. This was begun in 1899 and named after Queen
Victoria. The earlier voumes deal mostly with Domeday and general works
in each county including natural history. Since a refoundation in 1957
more attention is paid to economic, social and ecclesiastical history
and the topographical sections are excellent descriptions of their areas.
RCHM,
the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.
This Commission was established in 1869 to report on manuscripts in
private libraries and the records of cities, boroughs, and cathedrals,
etc. Many reports have been issued, usually with valuable appendixes
of extracts from the documents or even calendars of them.
EETS,
the Early English Text Society. This Society
was founded in 1864 to publish sound texts of unprinted manuscripts.
More than 300 volumes of mediaeval poets, chroniclers and philosophers
have now been published in a continuing series.
Camden
Society, (sometimes CS). Originally
a society founded in 1838 to make accessible unpublished manuscripts
for the study of English history. The first volume was the Historie
of the Arrivall. There are four series, sometimes
added to a citation as 1st Ser., 2nd Ser., and so on. The third and
current fourth series are published by the Royal Historical Society.
The Society was named for William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms, sixteenth
century antiquarian and historian.
Continuing our
series on fifteenth century people we shall look at the life of Henry
Stafford, Second Duke of Buckingham and his relations with Richard III
- yet another mystery of the period!
The main source
is The Staffords, Earls of Staffod and Dukes of Buckingham
1394-1521 by Carole Rawcliffe (1978). This book traces
the lives of the first three Dukes of Buckingham and their relationship
with Crown and makes a detailed study of how they managed their estates
and finances. There are also brief biographies of Henry Stafford in
the Complete Peerage,, the Dictionary
of National Biography and The Coronation of
Richard III: the extant documents edited by Anne F. Sutton
and P.W. Hammond, (1983); this latter book is a very useful source for
concise biographies of all who attended Richard's coronation.
Henry was born
in 1455 into a noble family who were proud of their descent from Thomas
of Woodstock, the fifth son of Edward III. His mother was Margaret Beaufort,
daughter of Edmund Beaufort, Second Duke of Somerset and cousin of that
other better-known Margaret Beaufort who was mother of Henry Tudor.
When he was only three years old his father, Lord Humphrey Stafford,
died of the plague, so that when his grandfather the First Duke was
killed fighting for the Lancastrians at the Battle of Northampton two
years later, Henry inherited the title. As heir to a rich inheritance
Edward IV purchased his wardship and marriage from the First Duke's
executors, perhaps already seeing him as a suitable match for one of
Elizabeth Woodville's younger sisters. In 1465 aged eleven he was duly
married to Katharine Woodville (which marriage he always resented according
to Dominic Mancini in The Usurpation of Richard III,
edited by C.A.J. Armstrong, 2nd edition, 1969) and shortly afterwards
he and his brother became members of Queen Elizabeth Woodville's household.
He seems to have
grown up in court circles, but without being trusted with any positions
of power or authority in government, only purely formal or ceremonial
duties. He took part in the ceremony for the marriage of Anne Mowbray
to Richard Duke of York, when he and Richard of Gloucester lead the
young bride back to the King's Great Chamber for the wedding banquet.
His appointment as High Steward of England seems only to have been for
the period of the Duke of Clarence's trial.
Perhaps his willingness
to ally himself with Richard of Gloucester in 1483 stemmed partly from
a desire to have his revenge on the Woodvilles in whose shadow he had
grown up, and partly because he now saw an opportunity to gain the position
and power that he felt was his due. Whatever the reason, he became Richard's
most enthusiastic supporter, assisting him in the coup at Stony Stratford
and acting as his right hand man through the uncertain weeks leading
up to the coronation. According to More and the London chroniclers it
was Buckingham's golden oratory that persuaded the citizens of London
to offer Richard the crown. Appointed Lord Great Chamberlain he had
the chief rule of the coronation, carried the King's train in the procession
and led the lords in homage.
Richard rewarded
Buckingham's support with generous grants of lands and offices, particularly
in Wales and the Marches and also gave him the remaining de Bohun estates
which Edward IV had long witheld from him.
In view of the
power and honours heaped upon him it is difficult to understand Buckingham's
motives in joining the rebellion against Richard in autumn 1483; some
writers have suggested he hoped to win yet more power and perhaps the
crown itself, others have pointed to his revulsion at the rumour that
Richard had had the Princes done away with, while others have credited
the skill of his prisoner Bishop Morton at persuading him to break his
allegiance - we shall never know. A detailed study of what has been
written about the rising appeared in two parts in The Ricardian,
Number 78, September 1982 and Number 80, March 1983 entitled "The Rebellion
of 1483: a study of Sources and Opinions' by Kenneth Hillier, who also
contributed a series of articles on some of the leading rebels, which
have been collected in Richard III: Crown and People
edited by James Petre, (1985) on pages 101 and 145.
The rebellion collapsed,
Buckingham was captured, betrayed by a servant, and executed at Salisbury
on the 2nd November 1483. Richard refused a last interview with 'him
that had best cause to be true.' - HCH
Organisations
of interest to members
This Society was
founded in 1951 by a small group of enthusiasts and now has a worldwide
membership currently approaching 500, including leading authorities
on the subject. The aims of the Society are to encourage the study,
preservation and collecting of arms and armour of all periods. A corresponding
member (£10 p.a.) receives a scholarly journal every six
months containing original articles and in addition a quarterly newsletter
is issued. As well as giving information on the latest books, exhibitions,
visits and other relevant information this provides a forum for the
interchange of research and ideas. Although meetings are held in London
there is a Northern Branch based in Manchester that arranges its own
programme of events. The Society supports the London Arms Fairs, having
a stand at the Park Lane Fair and the Earls Court Park Inn International.
Monthly meetings are held at the Tower of London education centre and
up to three of these may be attended on a corresponding member subsrciption.
Those wishing to come to meetings regularly are expected to become full
members (£20 p.a.), which requires the formailty of a
proposer and seconder. Full details of the subjects of forthcoming meetings
are given in the newsletter. In April 1993 the talk includes a practical
demonstration of swordsmanship by Michael Loades, a professional fight
instructor.
For further details
please write to the Honorary Secretary, Mr. E. Greenwood, Field House,
Upper Dicker, Hailsham, Sussex, BN27 3PY, enclosing an SAE. -- ABLD
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