Humphrey Stafford, 1st Earl of Devon
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Stafford, 1st Earl of Devon (ca. 1439 27 August 1469) was a dominant magnate
in south-western England in the mid-15th century, and a participant in the Wars of the Roses
. A distant relative of the earls of Stafford, Humphrey Stafford became the greatest landowner in the county of Dorset
through fortunes of inheritance. Later, Stafford was one of several men promoted rapidly through the nobility by King Edward IV
, to fill the power vacuum left by dead or forfeit
Lancastrians
. In the West Country
it was particularly the forfeitures of the Lancastrian Courtenay family that benefited Stafford. In 1469 he received the Courtenay title of earl of Devon
.
Stafford held the comital title for only three months. In July he was sent north to quell a rebellion instigated by the discontented Earl of Warwick
. Even though he escaped the disastrous Battle of Edgecote
, he was executed by a mob at Bridgwater
on 27 August 1469. Considered an overambitious man by many, Stafford was nevertheless a capable administrator, who enjoyed the absolute confidence of the king.
in Dorset
and Southwick
in Wiltshire
were a cadet
branch of the earls of Stafford and later dukes of Buckingham
. Humphrey's grandfather was another Humphrey Stafford, called Sir Humphrey "of the silver hand" (d. 1442). His heir was a grandson yet another Humphrey Stafford who died childless in 1461. This left Humphrey Stafford, the future Earl of Devon, heir to the family lands, the greatest part of which was in Dorset and the rest mostly in Somerset
and Wiltshire
. Humphrey's father, William, was already dead by this time, having fallen victim to Cade's rebellion
on 18 June 1450. William's uncle, and Humphrey's great uncle, was John Stafford
, Archbishop of Canterbury
(1443–1452).
The inheritance of these family lands made Stafford the greatest landowner in the county of Dorset. Through his mother Katherine, he was also heir to the possessions of her father John Chidiock, another major south-western landowner. At some point definitely after 21 June 1450 he married Isabel, daughter of Sir John Barre of Herefordshire
.
In the late 1450s, Stafford might have been in the service of his distant relative John Stafford, Earl of Wiltshire
, son of Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
. His association with James Touchet, Baron Audley one of Wiltshire's men implies so. If so, this represent a short episode of loyalty to the House of Lancaster
over the House of York
in the ongoing civil war. In 1460 the two were sent to Guînes
to relieve the English garrison there. Bad weather forced them into the harbour of Calais
, which was held by the Yorkist leader Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick
. Here they were both recruited for the Yorkist cause.
Stafford took part in the Battle of Mortimer's Cross
, where the Yorkist forces under Edward, Earl of March, won a major victory on 2 February 1461. After the Battle of Towton
on 29 March that year, Stafford was knighted by Edward, who had by now been pronounced King Edward IV
after the deposition of Henry VI
. Later that same year, on 26 July, he received a summons to Parliament for the first time, as Lord Stafford of Southwick. Over the course of the following years, the king granted him numerous lands and offices. In 1461 he was appointed steward of the Duchy of Cornwall
and constable of Bristol
, and in 1462 he received the greater part of the Devon estates of Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon
, who had been captured at Towton and executed. In 1464 he was made keeper of Dartmoor
, and in 1467 he was granted more of the Courtenay manors.
Stafford repaid the king's generosity by serving him faithfully as a local commissioner, in a part of the country that had up until that point been fiercely Lancastrian. Throughout the 1460s he presided at Quarter Sessions
and other courts all over the West Country
. His activities were not limited to legal commissions; in 1461–2 he performed military service against the Scots, and in 1468 he conducted diplomacy with Brittany. In 1469 he was admitted to the Royal Council, and served on the commission that convicted Henry Courtenay, Thomas Courtenay's brother, for treason. According to the chronicler John Warkworth
, Henry's downfall was due to the machinations of Stafford, who was rewarded with further land and the earldom of Devon
on 17 May 1469. However, the king himself took great interest in the trial against Courtenay, and it is more reasonable to see the decision as a result of Edward's need for a loyal agent in the region.
". At the same time Warwick together with George, Duke of Clarence
, King Edward's brother staged an invasion of the country from Warwick's stronghold of Calais
. Devon, together with William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, was ordered to gather troops to quell the rebellion.
The royal army under Devon and Pembroke intercepted the northern rebels on their way south to meet up with Warwick and Clarence by Banbury
in Oxfordshire
. It is not clear what happened after this. According to Warkworth, Devon and Pembroke quarrelled over billet
ing arrangements, and Devon took off with the majority of the archers. The next day, on 26 July 1469, Pembroke met the rebels at the Battle of Edgecote
, but without artillery support he was thoroughly defeated. When Devon finally arrived, he was either unable to engage his troops, or too late to make a difference. The French chronicler Jean de Waurin
, however, gives a different account. According to Waurin, Devon left the field of battle once he heard news that Clarence was arriving with reinforcements. In either case, Pembroke was captured and executed on Warwick's order. Devon managed to escape, but was later captured by a mob at Bridgwater
in Somerset
, and executed on 27 August.
Humphrey Stafford had been Earl of Devon for exactly three months at the time of his death. He and Isabel had no children, so when he died his title went extinct. It was restored the next year for John Courtenay
, the brother of Thomas, the last Courtenay earl of Devon. Stafford was buried in Glastonbury Abbey
, and a dispute over his lands followed between his cousins.
Stafford was considered over-ambitious and unscrupulous by many contemporaries. This can be seen both by Warkworth implicating him in the downfall of Henry Courtenay, and Warwick targeting him as one of King Edward's evil councillors. This thread has also been picked up by modern historians; Charles Ross
calls him a "greedy and ambitious man". At the same time, his skills as an administrator can hardly be doubted, as evidenced by King Edward's heavy reliance on him. He could also show a more human and sympathetic side. Michael Hicks
describes his activity, from 1467 onwards, in adding codicils
to his will "to right the wrongs that he was conscious of committing" the last of these he added as he faced his own execution.
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
in south-western England in the mid-15th century, and a participant in the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. A distant relative of the earls of Stafford, Humphrey Stafford became the greatest landowner in the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
through fortunes of inheritance. Later, Stafford was one of several men promoted rapidly through the nobility by King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, to fill the power vacuum left by dead or forfeit
Asset forfeiture
Asset forfeiture is confiscation, by the State, of assets which are either the alleged proceeds of crime or the alleged instrumentalities of crime, and more recently, alleged terrorism. Instrumentalities of crime are property that was allegedly used to facilitate crime, for example cars...
Lancastrians
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
. In the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
it was particularly the forfeitures of the Lancastrian Courtenay family that benefited Stafford. In 1469 he received the Courtenay title of earl of Devon
Earl of Devon
The title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Redvers family, and later by the Courtenays...
.
Stafford held the comital title for only three months. In July he was sent north to quell a rebellion instigated by the discontented Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
. Even though he escaped the disastrous Battle of Edgecote
Battle of Edgecote Moor
The Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury , England on 26 July 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. The site of the battle was actually Danes Moor in Northamptonshire, at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell. The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, 16th...
, he was executed by a mob at Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
on 27 August 1469. Considered an overambitious man by many, Stafford was nevertheless a capable administrator, who enjoyed the absolute confidence of the king.
Family background
The Staffords of HookeHooke, Dorset
Hooke is a small village in west Dorset, England, 13 kilometers northwest of Dorchester. The village has a population of 118 . The village is situated in the valley of the short River Hooke, a tributary of the River Frome, in the Dorset Downs chalk hills...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Southwick
Southwick
-Places:India* Southwick, Ooty, a suburb of Ooty town in the state of Tamil Nadu.England* Southwick, Hampshire , a village in the county of Hampshire* Southwick, Northamptonshire, a small village* Southwick, Somerset, a small village...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
were a cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
branch of the earls of Stafford and later dukes of Buckingham
Duke of Buckingham
The titles Marquess and Duke of Buckingham, referring to Buckingham, have been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been Earls of Buckingham.-1444 creation:...
. Humphrey's grandfather was another Humphrey Stafford, called Sir Humphrey "of the silver hand" (d. 1442). His heir was a grandson yet another Humphrey Stafford who died childless in 1461. This left Humphrey Stafford, the future Earl of Devon, heir to the family lands, the greatest part of which was in Dorset and the rest mostly in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. Humphrey's father, William, was already dead by this time, having fallen victim to Cade's rebellion
Jack Cade
Jack Cade was the leader of a popular revolt in the 1450 Kent rebellion during the reign of King Henry VI in England. He died on the 12th July 1450 near Lewes. In response to grievances, Cade led an army of as many as 5,000 against London, causing the King to flee to Warwickshire. After taking and...
on 18 June 1450. William's uncle, and Humphrey's great uncle, was John Stafford
John Stafford (archbishop)
John Stafford was an English statesman and Archbishop of Canterbury.-Life:Stafford was the illegitimate son of a Wiltshire squire, which meant that he had to get the Pope's permission to become a clergyman...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
(1443–1452).
The inheritance of these family lands made Stafford the greatest landowner in the county of Dorset. Through his mother Katherine, he was also heir to the possessions of her father John Chidiock, another major south-western landowner. At some point definitely after 21 June 1450 he married Isabel, daughter of Sir John Barre of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
Service to the House of York
John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire was an English nobleman, the youngest son of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham.In 1461 he was made a Knight of the Bath....
, son of Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham
Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG , an English nobleman, great grandson of King Edward III on his mother's side, was best known as a military commander in the Hundred Years' War and in the Wars of the Roses....
. His association with James Touchet, Baron Audley one of Wiltshire's men implies so. If so, this represent a short episode of loyalty to the House of Lancaster
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
over the House of York
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
in the ongoing civil war. In 1460 the two were sent to Guînes
Guînes
Guînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Guînes is located on the border of the two territories of the Boulonnais and Calaisis, at the edge of the now-drained marshes, which extend from here to the coast. The Guînes canal connects with...
to relieve the English garrison there. Bad weather forced them into the harbour of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, which was held by the Yorkist leader Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
. Here they were both recruited for the Yorkist cause.
Stafford took part in the Battle of Mortimer's Cross
Battle of Mortimer's Cross
The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought on 2 February 1461 near Wigmore, Herefordshire . It was part of the Wars of the Roses....
, where the Yorkist forces under Edward, Earl of March, won a major victory on 2 February 1461. After the Battle of Towton
Battle of Towton
In 1461, England was in the sixth year of the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster over the English throne. The Lancastrians backed the reigning King of England, Henry VI, an indecisive man who suffered bouts of madness...
on 29 March that year, Stafford was knighted by Edward, who had by now been pronounced King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
after the deposition of Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
. Later that same year, on 26 July, he received a summons to Parliament for the first time, as Lord Stafford of Southwick. Over the course of the following years, the king granted him numerous lands and offices. In 1461 he was appointed steward of the Duchy of Cornwall
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
and constable of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and in 1462 he received the greater part of the Devon estates of Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon
Thomas Courtenay, 14th Earl of Devon
Sir Thomas Courtenay, 6th Earl of Devon was the eldest son of Thomas de Courtenay, 5th Earl of Devon by Margaret Beaufort, the royal blooded daughter of John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent....
, who had been captured at Towton and executed. In 1464 he was made keeper of Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
, and in 1467 he was granted more of the Courtenay manors.
Stafford repaid the king's generosity by serving him faithfully as a local commissioner, in a part of the country that had up until that point been fiercely Lancastrian. Throughout the 1460s he presided at Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
and other courts all over the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
. His activities were not limited to legal commissions; in 1461–2 he performed military service against the Scots, and in 1468 he conducted diplomacy with Brittany. In 1469 he was admitted to the Royal Council, and served on the commission that convicted Henry Courtenay, Thomas Courtenay's brother, for treason. According to the chronicler John Warkworth
John Warkworth
John Warkworth DD was a former master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and a chronicler of Edward IV.-References:...
, Henry's downfall was due to the machinations of Stafford, who was rewarded with further land and the earldom of Devon
Earl of Devon
The title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Redvers family, and later by the Courtenays...
on 17 May 1469. However, the king himself took great interest in the trial against Courtenay, and it is more reasonable to see the decision as a result of Edward's need for a loyal agent in the region.
Death and aftermath
Stafford's quick rise did not go unnoticed among the established aristocracy. In 1468, the discontented Warwick named the Earl of Devon as a courtier with undue influence on King Edward. Warwick and Devon were later reconciled, but the next year Warwick repeated his accusations once more. In an act of rebellion by proxy, Warwick instigated an insurrection in Yorkshire led by a "Robin of RedesdaleRobin of Redesdale
Robin of Redesdale, sometimes called "Robin Mend-All", was the leader of an insurrection against King Edward IV of England. His true identity is unknown, but it is thought he could have been either Sir John Conyers of Hornby or his brother Sir William Conyers of Marske...
". At the same time Warwick together with George, Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
, King Edward's brother staged an invasion of the country from Warwick's stronghold of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. Devon, together with William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, was ordered to gather troops to quell the rebellion.
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. It is not clear what happened after this. According to Warkworth, Devon and Pembroke quarrelled over billet
Billet
A billet is a term for living quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, it referred to a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier....
ing arrangements, and Devon took off with the majority of the archers. The next day, on 26 July 1469, Pembroke met the rebels at the Battle of Edgecote
Battle of Edgecote Moor
The Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury , England on 26 July 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. The site of the battle was actually Danes Moor in Northamptonshire, at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell. The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, 16th...
, but without artillery support he was thoroughly defeated. When Devon finally arrived, he was either unable to engage his troops, or too late to make a difference. The French chronicler Jean de Waurin
Jehan de Waurin
Jehan de Waurin , French chronicler, belonged to a noble family of Artois, and was present at the battle of Agincourt....
, however, gives a different account. According to Waurin, Devon left the field of battle once he heard news that Clarence was arriving with reinforcements. In either case, Pembroke was captured and executed on Warwick's order. Devon managed to escape, but was later captured by a mob at Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and executed on 27 August.
Humphrey Stafford had been Earl of Devon for exactly three months at the time of his death. He and Isabel had no children, so when he died his title went extinct. It was restored the next year for John Courtenay
John Courtenay, 15th Earl of Devon
John Courtenay was a son of Thomas de Courtenay, 13th Earl of Devon and Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Devon.He was the younger brother of Thomas Courtenay, 14th Earl of Devon. It was his brother who knighted him on 29 December 1460 after the Battle of Wakefield...
, the brother of Thomas, the last Courtenay earl of Devon. Stafford was buried in Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
, and a dispute over his lands followed between his cousins.
Stafford was considered over-ambitious and unscrupulous by many contemporaries. This can be seen both by Warkworth implicating him in the downfall of Henry Courtenay, and Warwick targeting him as one of King Edward's evil councillors. This thread has also been picked up by modern historians; Charles Ross
Charles Ross (historian)
Charles Derek Ross was an English historian of the Late Middle Ages, specialising on the Wars of the Roses. He was Professor of Medieval History at the University of Bristol until his death in 1986, when he was killed by an intruder in his own home.His best known works are his biographies of...
calls him a "greedy and ambitious man". At the same time, his skills as an administrator can hardly be doubted, as evidenced by King Edward's heavy reliance on him. He could also show a more human and sympathetic side. Michael Hicks
Michael Hicks
Michael Hicks is an English historian, specialising on the history of late medieval England, in particular the Wars of the Roses. Hicks studied with C. A. J. Armstrong and Charles Ross while a student at the University of Bristol...
describes his activity, from 1467 onwards, in adding codicils
Codicil (will)
A codicil is a document that amends, rather than replaces, a previously executed will. Amendments made by a codicil may add or revoke small provisions , or may completely change the majority, or all, of the gifts under the will...
to his will "to right the wrongs that he was conscious of committing" the last of these he added as he faced his own execution.