Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford
Encyclopedia
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(Welsh: Siasbar Tudur) (c. 1431 – 21/26 December 1495) was the uncle of King Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and the architect of his successful conquest of England and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1485. He was from the noble Tudor family of Penmynydd
Tudors of Penmynydd
The Tudors of Penmynydd was a noble and aristocratic family, connected with the village of Penmynydd in Anglesey, North Wales who were very influential in Welsh politics....
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
.
Jasper Tudor bore the arms of the kingdom, with the addition of a bordure azure with martlets or (That is, a blue border featuring golden martlet
Martlet
A martlet is a heraldic charge depicting a stylized bird with short tufts of feathers in the place of legs...
s).
Family and early life
Jasper was the second son of Owen TudorOwen Tudor
Sir Owen Meredith Tudor was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty – including his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to,...
and the former Queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of France was the Queen consort of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England, mother of Henry VI, King of England and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor, the grandmother of...
, widow of King Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
. Hence he was a half-brother to King 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...
, who, on attaining his majority, made Jasper Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
(sometime in 1452 or 1453). Through his father, Owen Tudor, he was a direct descendant of Ednyfed Fychan
Ednyfed Fychan
Ednyfed Fychan , full name Ednyfed Fychan ap Cynwrig, was a Welsh warrior who became seneschal to the Kingdom of Gwynedd in Northern Wales, serving Llywelyn the Great and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn...
, Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
's renowned Chancellor; this added greatly to his status in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
His elder brother Edmond
Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond
Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond , also known as Edmund of Hadham , was the father of King Henry VII of England and a member of the Tudor family of Penmynydd, North Wales.-Birth and early life:...
was born at Much Hadham Palace
Much Hadham Palace
Much Hadham House was a manor house in Hertfordshire, England. In the fifteenth century, it was the house of Owen Tudor and his wife, the widow of Henry V of England and a Princess of Frances, Catherine of Valois. It was the birthplace of their son, Edmund, who was the father of Henry VII of England....
in Hertfordshire around 1430. Jasper the second son was born at the Bishop of Ely’s manor at Hatfield in Hertfordshire around 1431. There seemed to be a third son, Jasper's younger brother referred to as either Edward, Thomas or most likely Owen Tudor. Owen was born at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
in 1432, when the Dowager Queen was visiting her son 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...
, her water broke prematurely and she was forced to seek the help of the monks at Westminster Abbey. Owen was taken from her and raised by the monks and according to his nephew Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
's personal historian Vergil the child was raised as a monk by the name Edward Bridgewater where he lived until his death in 1502. There is mention of a daughter who became a nun by Vergil but nothing is known of her. Jasper's mother's last child would be born in 1437 mere days before Katherine's own untimely death.
In 1436 when Jasper was about five years of age his mother Catherine of Valois
Catherine of Valois
Catherine of France was the Queen consort of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England, mother of Henry VI, King of England and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor, the grandmother of...
once again was expecting another child, however she realised that she was dying from an illness, probably cancer, and sought the help of Bermondsey Abbey to be nursed by the sisters there. By 1 January she had written a will and had given birth to a short lived daughter, possibly named Margaret. On 3 January she died. After her death her husband Owen was arrested. It seems likely that while Catherine had been alive, the regency 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...
were reluctant to arrest Owen while the Queen could still protect him. The regents had made it illegal for anyone to marry the widowed queen without their permission, and since Owen was below her in rank, there had been no hope permission would be granted. Owen was sent to Newgate prison, making his way to Wales. Owen's children Edmund and Jasper, and possibly their unknown sister, were given to Katherine de la Pole
Katherine de la Pole
Katherine de la Pole was the oldest daughter of Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk and Katherine de Stafford.She became abbess of Barking Abbey. In this capacity, she took care of Edmund and Jasper Tudor, the two eldest sons of Catherine of Valois by her second husband Owen Tudor...
who was a nun at Barking Abbey in Essex. She was the sister of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, KG , nicknamed Jack Napes , was an important English soldier and commander in the Hundred Years' War, and later Lord Chamberlain of England.He also appears prominently in William Shakespeare's Henry VI, part 1 and Henry VI, part 2 and other...
, a great favourite of Henry VI. Katherine de la Pole was to provide Owen Tudor's children with food, clothing, and lodging, and both boys were allowed servants to wait upon them as the King’s half-brothers.
Owen Tudor
Owen Tudor
Sir Owen Meredith Tudor was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty – including his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to,...
was released from prison, most likely thanks to his stepson Henry VI, and after providing for his stepfather, he also provided for his half-brothers who had become very dear to him. It is not clear whether Henry VI had known the existence of his half-brothers until his mother told him while she was dying in Bermondsey Abbey. After her death, Henry would take care of them and eventually raise them to the peerage. In turn they gave him unwavering loyalty and fought and promoted his and his Lancastrian family’s interests to the best of their ability. Sometime after March 1442, the young Jasper and his elder brother were brought from Barking Abbey to live at court. Henry arranged for the best priest to educate them not just in their academic studies, but on how to live a moral life. Most likely they also received military training, as when they grew up they were given military positions.
Although there was uncertainty as to whether Jasper and his two (or three) siblings were legitimate, their parents' probably secret marriage not being recognised by the authorities, he enjoyed all the privileges appropriate to his birth until 1461, when he was subject to an attainder
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
for supporting King Henry VI against the Yorkists, who eventually deposed him. To his brother the King, Jasper was a tower of strength who strove to place his half-nephew Prince Edward of Lancaster on the throne and provided absolute loyalty to his royal half-brother and the King's wife Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
. Jasper would also help his other sister-in-law Lady Margaret Beaufort raise her son Henry Tudor to the throne in 1485 becoming King Henry VII, father of King Henry the VIII.
Wars of the Roses
Jasper was an adventurer whose military expertise, some of it gained in the early stages of the Wars of the RosesWars 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...
, was considerable. He remained in touch with Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
, Queen of Henry VI, as she struggled to regain her son's inheritance, and he held Denbigh Castle
Denbigh Castle
Denbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th-century conquest of Wales by Edward I.The castle, which stands on a rocky promontory above the Welsh market town of Denbigh, Denbighshire, was built upon an earlier Welsh stronghold. It was defended by a unique triple-towered gateway.A planned...
for 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...
. He also brought up his nephew, Henry Tudor, whose father had died before his birth, until 1461, when custody was taken over by William Herbert. Following the return of the Yorkist 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...
from temporary exile in 1471, Jasper took the teenage Henry with him into exile, this time in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. It was thanks to him that Henry acquired the tactical awareness that made it possible to defeat the far more experienced Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
. On Henry's accession in 1485, Jasper was restored to all his former titles, including Knight of the Garter. He was made Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford
thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...
. In 1488, he took possession of Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
.
Marriage and children
Jasper was married on 7 November 1485 to Catherine Woodville (c. 1458–1509).Catherine was the daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
Richard Woodville , 1st Earl Rivers, KG was an English nobleman, best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV....
and Jacquetta of Luxembourg
Jacquetta of Luxembourg
Jacquetta of Luxembourg was the elder daughter of Peter I, Count of St Pol, Conversano and Brienne and his wife Margaret de Baux...
, and thus was sister to (among others) Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers
Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer.He was the eldest son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Like his father, he was originally a Lancastrian, fighting on that side at the Battle of Towton, but later became a Yorkist...
and Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers
Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers
Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers succeeded his brother, Anthony Woodville, as the third Earl Rivers. He was the son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, and was the brother of Elizabeth Woodville, wife and Queen of King Edward IV of England.Richard Woodville was...
. She was also the widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
.
They may have had one stillborn son c. 1490. Catherine survived Jasper and later married Sir Richard Wingfield
Richard Wingfield
Sir Richard Wingfield, of Kimbolton Castle was an influential courtier and diplomat in the early years of the Tudor dynasty of England.-Life:...
of Kimbolton Castle
Kimbolton Castle
Kimbolton Castle in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, is best known as the final home of King Henry VIII's first queen, Catherine of Aragon. Originally a medieval castle but converted into a stately palace, it was the family seat of the Dukes of Manchester from 1615 until 1950...
.
Illegitimate issue
Jasper reportedly had two illegitimate daughters:- Helen Tudor (by Mevanvy or Myvanwy ferch N (b. Wales, d. bef. 1485), born c. 1459), wife of a cloth merchantCloth merchantCloth merchant is, strictly speaking, like a draper, the term for any vendor of cloth. However, it is generally used for one who owned and/or ran a cloth manufacturing and/or wholesale import and/or export business in the Middle Ages or 16th and 17th centuries...
William Gardiner, of London, sometimes spelled William Gardynyr for his Welsh descent (born c. 1450), having by him: Stephen GardinerStephen GardinerStephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
, Bishop of WinchesterBishop of WinchesterThe Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
(c. 1490 – 12 November 1555); Richard Gardiner (1486–1548); and William Gardiner, (1488–1549) - Joan Tudor, wife of William ap Yevan, son of Yevan ap William or Yevan Williams and Margaret Kemoys, and reported mother of Morgan ap William (or Williams) (born Lanishen, Glamorganshire, Wales, 1479), later married at Putney Church, NorwellNorwell, NottinghamshireNorwell is a village and parish near Newark-upon-Trent, in central Nottinghamshire, England. It is close to the border with Lincolnshire, and approximately 2 miles from the A1 road. The village appears in the Domesday Book as Nortwelle. There is a medieval parish church dedicated to St Laurence...
, Nottinghamshire, in 1499 to Catherine or Katherine Cromwell, born PutneyPutneyPutney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London, c. 1483, an older sister of TudorTudor periodThe Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
statesmanStatesmanA statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of EssexThomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of EssexThomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
. They were fourth-generation ancestors to Oliver CromwellOliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
.
Death and burial
He died on 21 or 26 December 1495, and was buried at Keynsham AbbeyKeynsham Abbey
Keynsham Abbey in Keynsham, Somerset, England was founded by William, Earl of Gloucester for the Augustinian Canons Regular around 1170 and survived until 1539...
in Somerset which Lady Agnes Cheyne, the incumbent of Chenies Manor House
Chenies Manor House
Chenies Manor House, at Chenies, Buckinghamshire, southern England, a Grade I Listed Building, known formerly as Chenies Palace, was owned by the Cheyne family who were granted the manorial rights in 1180. The current house was built around 1460 by Sir John Cheyne...
, bequeathed to him in 1494.