Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty (31 page)
Margaret Beaufort to Richard Shirley, 1501
To our servant Richard Shirley, bailiff of our town of Ware.
Richard Shirley,
We send unto you at this time the king’s servant, clerk of the market, this bearer for ordinance and devising of victuals, as well for man as beast, within our town there; willing you to help and assist him in the same the best you can, and thereupon to do the execution thereof as you tender our pleasure. Written at the manor of Hatfield, the 23rd day of July.
MARGARET R
Margaret Beaufort to Henry VII, 1501?
My own sweet and most dear King, and all my worldly joy.
In as humble manner as I can think, I recommend me to your grace, and most heartily beseech our Lord to bless you. And my good heart, where that you say that the French King hath at this time given me courteous answer, and written letter of favour to his Court of Parliament, for the brief expedition of my matter, which so long hath hanged; the which I well know he doth especially for your sake, for the which my ……ly beseech your Grace it …… to give him your favourable …… thanks, and to desire him to continue his …… in……e…… me. And, if it so might like your Grace, to do the same to the cardinal; which, as I understood, is your faithful, true, and loving servant. I wish my very joy, as I oft have shewed, and I fortune to get this, or any part thereof, there shall neither be that or any good I have, but it shall be your’s, and at your commandment, as surely and with as good a will, as any ye have in your coffers; and would God ye could know it, as verily as I think it. But, my dear heart, I will no more encumber your Grace with further writing in this matter, for I am sure your chaplain and servant, Dr. Whytston, hath shewed your highness the circumstances of the same; and if it so may please your Grace, I humbly beseech the same, to give further credence also to this bearer. And our Lord give you as long good life, health, and joy, as your most noble heart can desire, with as hearty blessings as our Lord hath given me power to give you.
At Colyweston the 14th day of January, by your faithful, true bedewoman [i.e., a person who prays for another] and humble mother,
Margaret R
Margaret Beaufort to Henry VII, 1501
My dearest and only desired joy in this world,
With my most hearty loving blessings and humble commendations I pray our Lord to reward and thank your grace, for that it hath pleased your highness so kindly and lovingly to be content to write your letters of thanks to the French king, for my great matter, that so long hath been in suit, as Master Welby hath shewed me your bounteous goodness is pleased. I wish, my dear heart, an my fortune be to recover it, I trust you shall well perceive I shall deal towards you as a kind, loving mother; and, if I should never have it, yet your kind dealing is to me a thousand times more than all that good I can recover, an all the French king’s might be mine withal. My dear heart, an it may please your highness to licence Master Whitstone, for this time, to present your honourable letters, and begin the process of my cause – for that he so well knoweth the matter, and also brought me the writings from the said French king, with his other letters to his parliament at Paris – it should be greatly to my help, as I think: but all will I remit to your pleasure. And if I be too bold in this, or any my desires, I humbly beseech your grace of pardon, and that your highness take no displeasure.
My good king, I have now sent a servant of mine into Kendall, to receive such annuities as be yet hanging upon the account of Sir William Wall, my lord’s chaplain, whom I have clearly discharged; and if it will please your majesty’s own heart, at your leisure, to send me a letter, and command me that I suffer none of my tenants be retained with no man, but that they be kept for my lord of York, your fair sweet son, for whom they be most meet, it shall be a good excuse for me to my lord and husband; and then I may well, and without displeasure, cause them all to be sworn, the which shall not after be long undone. And where your grace shewed your pleasure for [ ] , the bastard of King Edward’s, sir, there is neither that, nor any other thing, I may do by your commandment, but I shall be glad to fulfil to my little power with God’s grace. And, my sweet king, Fielding, this bearer, hath prayed me to beseech you to be his good lord in a matter he sueth for to the Bishop of Ely, now (as we hear) elect, for a little office nigh to London. Verily, my king, he is a good and wise, well-ruled gentleman, and full truly hath served you well, accompanied as well at your first as all other occasions, and that causeth us to be the more bold and gladder also to speak for him; howbeit, my Lord marquis hath been very low to him in times past, because he would not be retained with him; and, truly, my good king, he helpeth me right well in such matters as I have business with in these parts. And, my dear heart, I now beseech you of pardon of my long and tedious writing, and pray Almighty God to give you as long, good, and prosperous life as ever had prince, and as hearty blessings as I can ask of God.
At Calais town, this day of St Anne’s, that I did bring into this world my good and gracious prince, king, and only beloved son.
By your humble servant, beadwoman, and mother,
MARGARET R
Margaret Beaufort to the Mayor of Coventry
By the Kinges Moder,
Trusty and welbeloved, we grete you wel. And wher we of late, upon the compleint of oon Owen, Burchis [burgess] of the Cite ther, addressed our other lettres unto you, and willed you by the same and in our name, to call afor you the parties comprised in the same compleint. And therfore to order the Variaunce depending betwixt them according to good conscience. Albeit as it is said, the said Owen can or may have no reasonable aunswer of you in that behalve to our mervall. Wherfor We wol and in the Kinges name commaunde you efsoones to call befor you the said parties, and roundely texamyn them. And therupon to order and determyne the premisses, as may stande with good reson, and the quytie of the Kinges laws. So as no compleint be made unto us hereafter in that behalve. Indevoyring you thus to do, as ye tendre the kings pleasure and ours, and the due ministracon of Justice. Yeven under our signett at our Manoir of Colyweston, the last day of September.
To oure trusty and welbeloued, the Maior of the Citie of Coventry, and his brethren of the same, and to eny of theim.
Margaret Beaufort to Sir John Paston, 10 February 1497-1503
By the Kings Moder
Trusty and right welbeloved, we greet you well. And wher by the meanes of our trusty and right welbeloved Sir Reynold Bray, Sir Thomas Lovell and Sir Henry Heydon, knights, there was a full agreement made and concluded, and also put in writinge, betwen our trusty and right welbeloved Sir John Savile, knight, and Gilbert Talbot, esquier, on th’one partie, and yow on th’other, for divers lands which they ought to have in the right of their wives, daughters and heyers to William Paston, esquier, their late fader deceassed, which lands ye by mighty power kepe and witholde from them without any just title, as they afferme; and albeit the said agrement was made by your minde and consent, yet ye ne doe performe the same, to our merveile if it be so.
Wherefore we desier and also counsell yow without delay upon the sight hereof now shortly to ride to the court to the said arbitrators now ther being, with whom ye shall finde your adverse partie, or other in their names fully authorized, to abide such final ende and conclusion in the premisses as shall be consonant with the said agrement, without further troubles or busines therin herafter to be had; and that ye will thus do in any wise so as we be not driven through your defalte to put to our hands for further remedye to be had in the premisses.
Yeven under our signet at our mannor of Colly Weston the xth day of Februarye’.
Margaret Beaufort to Sir John Paston, 10 April before 1504
By the Kinges modre
Trusty and welbeloved, we grete you wele, and pray you in our name to have the conynve of a bill herin closed in good and deliberate examinacion, and therupon to set such cude and ordinate direction as shalbe consonant to justice, right, and good conscience, so as for lakke therof the partie plaintief have no cause reasounable to pursue furthre unto us in that behalve, as we trust you.
Yeven undere our signet at our manour of Colyweston the xth day of Aprill.
Margaret R.
1 A Beaufort Heiress: 1443-1444
The quotes regarding Fortune’s Wheel are from Fisher 1840:127. Details of Margaret’s maternal family are from Cooper 1874:1-3. Froissart details Katherine Swynford’s background and marriage to John of Gaunt (vol. VI pp.190-1). There are two biographies of Katherine that detail the births and legitimisation of her children (Lucraft 2010 and Weir 2007). The quote on John of Gaunt’s marriage to Katherine Swynford is from Froissart p.191. The Pope’s consent to the Beaufort’s legitimacy is noted in Richard II’s statute legitimising them (Myers 1969:169). John of Gaunt’s Will is from
Testamenta Vetusta
vol. II pp.141-2. Details of the marriage of Henry IV to Mary de Bohun and Henry IV’s usurpation of the crown can be found in Norton 2011 (forthcoming). Capgrave 1858 discusses Henry IV. Henry IV’s grant to the first Earl of Somerset of £1,000 p.a. is from PRO SC 8/139/6909. There is an account of the Battle of Baugé in John Hardyng’s Chronicle (Myers 1969:230). John and Thomas Beaufort’s petition to Gloucester in 1427 is in PRO SC 8/141/7018. The agreement with the Duke of Bourbon is from PRO C 47/30/9/14. Margaret’s father’s dispute with Crowland Abbey over Deeping is related in the
Crowland Chronicle Continuations
pp.398-9. Information on the English rule in France during Henry VI’s minority can be found in Griffiths 2004. Details of Somerset’s bargaining and service in France are from Griffiths 2004:466-469 and Jones 1981. Somerset’s meeting with the Abbot of Crowland, his return to England and suicide is from the
Crowland Chronicle Continuations
p.399.
2 First Marriage: 1444-1453
The grant of Margaret’s wardship to Suffolk is printed as an appendix in Fisher (pp.168-9). John and William Merfield’s comments about Henry VI are from Myers 1967:264. Jean de Waurin’s comments on Henry VI are from Dockray 2000:4. Dockray 2000:1 points out that Henry VI was unlikely to be a simpleton, as he mastered both French and Latin. The instructions to the Earl of Warwick in 1428 are quoted from Dockray 2000:3. Piero da Monte, November 1437 (Dockray 2000:4) notes Henry VI’s comments on the evils of women. John Blacman is printed in Dockray 2000 (the quote on Henry’s piety is from p.80). Details of Suffolk’s background can be found in Neillands 1992:21. Information on Margaret’s relationship with her St John half-siblings is from Jones and Underwood 1995:32-34. Henry’s marriage to Margaret of Anjou and Suffolk’s role in the negotiations are contained in the many biographies of the Lancastrian queen, including Archer 1995, Bagley 1970, Haswell and Maurer 2003. Lee 1986. Laynesmith 2004 also contains details of her life. Cron 1994 specifically considers the relationship between Suffolk and Margaret of Anjou. The quotes concerning Margaret Beauchamp from the
Crowland Chronicle
are from p.400. Quotes from Fisher on Margaret’s education are from p.110 and pp.114-5. Caxton’s dedication to Margaret of
The Hystorye of Kinge Blanchardyne and Queen Eglantyne his Wyfe
is printed as an appendix to Fisher (p.179). The Duchess of Buckingham’s Will is quoted from Walpole 1769:290. Fisher’s quote on Margaret’s character is from p.109. A number of sources suggest that Suffolk murdered Humphrey of Gloucester, including an English Chronicle written before 1471 (Davies 1856:62). Details of Suffolk’s fall are in Storey 1999. The charges used in Suffolk’s impeachment are from the Paston Letters vol. I pp.99-105. Suffolk’s letter to his son is in the Paston letters vol. I pp.121-2. John de la Pole’s sons had a claim to the throne through their mother, who was the sister of Edward IV. There is an account of Suffolk’s death in William Lomner to John Paston, 5 May 1450 (
Paston Letters
vol. I p.124).
3 Second Marriage: 1453-1456
Seward 1995:28 describes the summons to Margaret’s mother. Details of Catherine of Valois’s life can be found in Griffiths 2004, Griffiths and Thomas 1998 and Norton 2011 (forthcoming). Henry VI’s act annulling wardships, made in 1455, is printed in
Rotuli Parliamentum
V:330. The date of Edmund and Margaret’s marriage is not recorded. They were married during the course of a parliament as an Act against Grants of Wards and Marriages, 1455, refers to Margaret being unmarried and a later Act concerning Richard Duke of York and Others, and the Abbot of Kirkestall, 1455, refers to Margaret as Edmund Tudor’s wife (
Rotuli Parliamentum
V:330 and 343). Margaret’s vision of St Nicholas is from Fisher p.112.
Whethamstede’s Register
(Dockray 2000) describes Henry’s mental collapse. Margaret of Anjou’s attempts to secure Henry’s recognition of her son are from
Paston Letters
vol. I pp.195 and 226. Edmund’s epitaph is quoted from Cooper 1874:11. The links between Catherine and the Beauforts after her secret marriage are described in Griffiths 2004:61. Grants to Edmund Tudor of land in Kendal and Weresdale are from an Act of 1454 (
Rotuli Parliamentum
V:253). Griffiths and Thomas 1998:40-46 details Edmund and Jasper Tudor’s political activities. The petition by the co-heirs of the Earl of Kent is from PRO SC 8/152/7597. Leyland vol. V records the tradition that Henry VII was conceived at Caldicot Castle. Margaret’s concerns about her granddaughter’s early marriage are from Don Pedro de Ayala to Ferdinand and Isabella, 25 July 1498 (CSP I no.210).