Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
Encyclopedia
Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers
, KG
(1405 – 12 August 1469) was an English
nobleman, best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Woodville
, wife of Edward IV
.
Born at Maidstone
in Kent
, he was the son of another Richard Wydeville, chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford. After the duke died, the younger Richard married the widowed duchess, Jacquetta of Luxembourg
(1416–1472). This was initially a secret marriage, for which the couple were fined when it came to public notice.
Originally a mere squire from Grafton, Richard was considered "the handsomest man in England" and rose to become the squire of Henry V
. At the Battle of Agincourt
, he kept the king's lucky totem of a squirrel's tail tied to a lance "always within sight of the king" during the fighting, and was knighted afterwards. However, according to Kenneth Madison's dissertation on the Woodville family, it was Richard's father, also called Richard Woodville, who was squire to Henry V; Madison argued that the same man could not have been in battle in 1415 and the 1460s.
Richard Woodville was created Baron Rivers
by Henry VI
on 9 May 1448. In the Wars of the Roses
, he was initially a Lancastrian
, but he became a Yorkist
when he thought that the Lancastrian cause was lost. He reconciled himself to the victorious Edward IV, his future son-in-law. On 1 May 1464, Edward married his daughter Elizabeth, widow of Sir John Grey of Groby
. Richard was created Earl Rivers
in 1466 and appointed Lord Treasurer in March 1466 by his new son-in-law.
The power of this new family was very distasteful to the old baronial party, and especially so to the Earl of Warwick
. Early in 1468, the Rivers estates were plundered by Warwick's partisans, and the open war of the following year was aimed at destroying the Woodvilles. After Edward's defeat at the Battle of Edgecote Moor
on 26 July 1469, Rivers and his second son John
were taken prisoners at Chepstow
. Following a hasty show trial, they were beheaded at Kenilworth
on 12 August 1469. His eldest son Anthony
succeeded him in the earldom.
Lord Rivers had a large family. His third son, Lionel
(d. 1484) became the Bishop of Salisbury
. All his daughters made great marriages: Catherine Woodville, the fifth child, was wife of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
.
Earl Rivers
Earl Rivers was an English title held in succession by the families of Woodville or Wydeville, Darcy and Savage. The first creation was made for Richard Woodville, 1st Baron Rivers in 1466 and remained in this family until 1491...
, KG
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...
(1405 – 12 August 1469) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
nobleman, best remembered as the father of 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...
, wife of 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...
.
Born at Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, he was the son of another Richard Wydeville, chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford. After the duke died, the younger Richard married the widowed duchess, 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...
(1416–1472). This was initially a secret marriage, for which the couple were fined when it came to public notice.
Originally a mere squire from Grafton, Richard was considered "the handsomest man in England" and rose to become the squire of 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....
. At the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
, he kept the king's lucky totem of a squirrel's tail tied to a lance "always within sight of the king" during the fighting, and was knighted afterwards. However, according to Kenneth Madison's dissertation on the Woodville family, it was Richard's father, also called Richard Woodville, who was squire to Henry V; Madison argued that the same man could not have been in battle in 1415 and the 1460s.
Richard Woodville was created Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers was a title that was created four times in British history, twice in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in 1299 when John Rivers was summoned to Parliament as Baron Rivers. The title became...
by 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...
on 9 May 1448. 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...
, he was initially a Lancastrian
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...
, but he became a Yorkist
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...
when he thought that the Lancastrian cause was lost. He reconciled himself to the victorious Edward IV, his future son-in-law. On 1 May 1464, Edward married his daughter Elizabeth, widow of Sir John Grey of Groby
John Grey of Groby
Sir John Grey, of Groby, Leicestershire was a Lancastrian knight, the great-great-grandfather of Lady Jane Grey.-Titles:...
. Richard was created Earl Rivers
Earl Rivers
Earl Rivers was an English title held in succession by the families of Woodville or Wydeville, Darcy and Savage. The first creation was made for Richard Woodville, 1st Baron Rivers in 1466 and remained in this family until 1491...
in 1466 and appointed Lord Treasurer in March 1466 by his new son-in-law.
The power of this new family was very distasteful to the old baronial party, and especially so to the 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...
. Early in 1468, the Rivers estates were plundered by Warwick's partisans, and the open war of the following year was aimed at destroying the Woodvilles. After Edward's defeat at the Battle of Edgecote Moor
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...
on 26 July 1469, Rivers and his second son John
John Woodville
Sir John Woodville was the second son, and fourth child, of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg....
were taken prisoners at Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
. Following a hasty show trial, they were beheaded at Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
on 12 August 1469. His eldest son Anthony
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...
succeeded him in the earldom.
Lord Rivers had a large family. His third son, Lionel
Lionel Woodville
-Life:He was a younger son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg; his siblings included Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort from 1464 to 1483....
(d. 1484) became the Bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
. All his daughters made great marriages: Catherine Woodville, the fifth child, was wife 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...
.
Children of Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg
- Elizabeth WoodvilleElizabeth WoodvilleElizabeth 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...
(c. 1437–1492), married Edward IV of EnglandEdward IV of EnglandEdward 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...
. - Lewis Woodville (1438).
- Anne WoodvilleAnne WoodvilleAnne Woodville, Viscountess Bourchier was an English noblewoman. She was a younger sister of Queen consort Elizabeth Woodville to whom she served as a lady-in-waiting. Anne was married twice; first to William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier, and secondly to George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent...
(1439–1489). Married first William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier, and second George Grey, 2nd Earl of KentGeorge Grey, 2nd Earl of KentGeorge Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent was the son of Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent and Lady Katherine Percy. He was the Second Earl of Kent from 1490 to 1505....
. - Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl RiversAnthony Woodville, 2nd Earl RiversAnthony 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...
(1442–1483), married Elizabeth Scales, 8th Baroness ScalesElizabeth Woodville, Countess RiversElizabeth Woodville, Countess Rivers and 8th Baroness Scales , born Elizabeth de Scales, was the sole heir of the 7th Baron Scales.-Family:Elizabeth first married Henry Bourchier, second son of the 1st Earl of Essex....
. - Mary WoodvilleMary WoodvilleMary Woodville was sister to Edward the Fourth's Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, and to Anthony Woodville, the "Lord Rivers" of Shakespeare's Richard III.-Biography:...
(1443–1481), married William Herbert, 2nd Earl of PembrokeWilliam Herbert, 2nd Earl of PembrokeWilliam Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. His maternal grandparents were Walter Devereux, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Elizabeth Merbury....
. - Jacquetta Woodville (1444–1509), married John le Strange, 8th Baron Strange of Knockin.
- John WoodvilleJohn WoodvilleSir John Woodville was the second son, and fourth child, of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg....
(1445–1469), married Catherine NevilleLady Katherine NevilleKatherine Neville or Catherine de Neville was the eldest daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort , daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by his mistress Catherine de Roet.Katherine was married firstly to John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk...
, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. - Lionel WoodvilleLionel Woodville-Life:He was a younger son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg; his siblings included Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort from 1464 to 1483....
(1447–1485), Bishop of SalisburyBishop of SalisburyThe Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
. - Martha Woodville (1450–1500), married Sir John Bromley.
- Eleanor Woodville (1452–1512), married Sir Anthony Grey.
- Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl RiversRichard Woodville, 3rd Earl RiversRichard 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...
(c. 1453–1491). - Margaret Woodville (1454–1490), married Thomas Fitzalan, 17th Earl of ArundelThomas FitzAlan, 17th Earl of ArundelThomas FitzAlan, 17th Earl of Arundel, 7th Baron Maltravers was the son of William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel and Joan Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Alice Montagu. He married Margaret Wydeville , who was a younger sister of Queen Elizabeth...
. - Edward Woodville (c. 1455–1488).
- Catherine Woodville, married first Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamHenry Stafford, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamHenry 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...
, second Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of BedfordJasper Tudor, 1st Duke of BedfordJasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford, 1st Earl of Pembroke, KG was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and the architect of his successful conquest of England and Wales in 1485...
. - Agnes Woodville (d. 1506), married William Dormer.
- Thomas Woodville, married Anne Holland.