Robert Brackenbury
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Brackenbury was an English nobleman and courtier. He was a close associate of Richard III of England
.
, County Durham
, England
. This was a family which had been known in Durham since the end of the 12th century. They were lords of the manors
of Burne Hall, Denton and Selaby.
Robert inherited Selaby; in the immediate vicinity of Barnard Castle
. Barnard Castle had passed to the Duke of Gloucester
(later Richard III
) in the right of his wife, Anne Neville
in about 1474. Richard III and Brackenbury, were therefore, close neighbours. Indeed, a tower of Barnard Castle is still called Brackenbury Tower.
. After the collapse of the Buckingham
Revolt he was rewarded with large grants of land in the south-east of England forfeited by Rivers and the Cheney family, and was appointed Sheriff of Kent.
Brackenbury remained Constable of the Tower and on 17 July 1483 he was appointed Constable of the Tower
for life. He was also given the very lucrative post of Master of the King’s Moneys and Keeper of the Exchange, that is, Master of the Mint. It had been William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
’ office. Many other honours and duties were laid on him. In March 1485 he was entrusted with Richard’s bastard son, John of Gloucester
, whom he took to Calais to become its Captain. In May he was placed in command of the defence of London
. His income must have exceeded £
500 per year – more than many Barons. He must have been better rewarded than all but three or four of the household. Between August 1484 and January 1485 he was knight
ed.
Brackenbury seems to have been a man of popularity and wide learning. The Italian poet Pietro Cameliano, dedicated one of his Latin
works to him.
.
For example, in Thomas More
’s version of the life of Richard III, More says that after the coronation on 6 July 1483 and while on his way to Gloucester, Richard sent John Green to Brackenbury with written orders for Brackenbury to kill the princes. Brackenbury, says More, replied “that he would never put them to death, though he should die therefore”. So Richard then ordered Sir James Tyrrell
to go to Brackenbury with a letter by which he was commanded to deliver to Sir James all the keys of the Tower for one night, "to the end he might there accomplish the King’s pleasure". According to St Thomas “gentle Brackenbury”, who had resisted the demands of the King, now meekly complied.
had landed in Wales he was ordered to escort Lords Hungerford and Bourchier to Leicester but en route they escaped.
When Richard III marched against the invader, Brackenbury hurried himself to reach the King and arrived two days before the Battle of Bosworth Field
(22 August 1485), in which - according to Molinet and Lindsay - he had joint command of Richard's vanguard; he took part in the final charge on Henry and was killed fighting beside Richard III.
On 7 November 1485, Brackenbury was posthumously attainded by Henry VII. In a document antedating Henry Tudor's rule, Brackenbury was charged with having "assembled to them at Leicester ... a great host, traitorously intending, imagining and conspiring the destruction of the king’s royal person, our sovereign liege lord".
Brackenbury's attainder was partly reversed in 1489 in favour of his sister's and bastard son, allowing them to recover the family lands but not the new grants from Richard III. Ralph, his nephew and heir male inherited Saleby.
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...
.
Early life
He was a younger son of Thomas Brackenbury of DentonDenton, County Durham
Denton is a village in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county ofCounty Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the north-west of Darlington....
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
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...
. This was a family which had been known in Durham since the end of the 12th century. They were lords of the manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Burne Hall, Denton and Selaby.
Robert inherited Selaby; in the immediate vicinity of Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
. Barnard Castle had passed to the Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
(later 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...
) in the right of his wife, Anne Neville
Anne Neville
Lady Anne Neville was Princess of Wales as the wife of Edward of Westminster and Queen of England as the consort of King Richard III. She held the latter title for less than two years, from 26 June 1483 until her death in March 1485...
in about 1474. Richard III and Brackenbury, were therefore, close neighbours. Indeed, a tower of Barnard Castle is still called Brackenbury Tower.
Royal service
Brackenbury was one of Richard III's close associates. He was treasurer of Richard's household when he was Duke of Gloucester. When King Edward died Brackenbury was almost certainly one of the Northerners who accompanied Richard to London. Shortly after Richard took the throne Brackenbury received a number of appointments, including Constable of the Tower of LondonTower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. After the collapse of the 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...
Revolt he was rewarded with large grants of land in the south-east of England forfeited by Rivers and the Cheney family, and was appointed Sheriff of Kent.
Brackenbury remained Constable of the Tower and on 17 July 1483 he was appointed Constable of the Tower
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
for life. He was also given the very lucrative post of Master of the King’s Moneys and Keeper of the Exchange, that is, Master of the Mint. It had been William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings KG was an English nobleman. A follower of the House of York, he became a close friend and the most important courtier of King Edward IV, whom he served as Lord Chamberlain...
’ office. Many other honours and duties were laid on him. In March 1485 he was entrusted with Richard’s bastard son, John of Gloucester
John of Gloucester
John of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of Richard III of England. John is so called because his father was Duke of Gloucester at the time of his birth....
, whom he took to Calais to become its Captain. In May he was placed in command of the defence of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His income must have exceeded £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
500 per year – more than many Barons. He must have been better rewarded than all but three or four of the household. Between August 1484 and January 1485 he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed.
Brackenbury seems to have been a man of popularity and wide learning. The Italian poet Pietro Cameliano, dedicated one of his Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
works to him.
Brackenbury and the Princes in the Tower
As Constable of the Tower of London, Brackenbury inevitably figures into any account of the fate of Richard III's nephews, the Princes in the TowerPrinces in the Tower
The Princes in the Tower is a term which refers to Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York. The two brothers were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville alive at the time of their father's death...
.
For example, in Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
’s version of the life of Richard III, More says that after the coronation on 6 July 1483 and while on his way to Gloucester, Richard sent John Green to Brackenbury with written orders for Brackenbury to kill the princes. Brackenbury, says More, replied “that he would never put them to death, though he should die therefore”. So Richard then ordered Sir James Tyrrell
James Tyrrell
Sir James Tyrell was an English knight, a trusted servant of King Richard III of England. He is known for 'confessing' to the murders of the Princes in the Tower under Richard's orders. However, his statement may have been taken under torture, so the confession might not be genuine...
to go to Brackenbury with a letter by which he was commanded to deliver to Sir James all the keys of the Tower for one night, "to the end he might there accomplish the King’s pleasure". According to St Thomas “gentle Brackenbury”, who had resisted the demands of the King, now meekly complied.
Tudor invasion and death
In 1485, when news arrived that Henry TudorHenry 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....
had landed in Wales he was ordered to escort Lords Hungerford and Bourchier to Leicester but en route they escaped.
When Richard III marched against the invader, Brackenbury hurried himself to reach the King and arrived two days before 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...
(22 August 1485), in which - according to Molinet and Lindsay - he had joint command of Richard's vanguard; he took part in the final charge on Henry and was killed fighting beside Richard III.
On 7 November 1485, Brackenbury was posthumously attainded by Henry VII. In a document antedating Henry Tudor's rule, Brackenbury was charged with having "assembled to them at Leicester ... a great host, traitorously intending, imagining and conspiring the destruction of the king’s royal person, our sovereign liege lord".
Brackenbury's attainder was partly reversed in 1489 in favour of his sister's and bastard son, allowing them to recover the family lands but not the new grants from Richard III. Ralph, his nephew and heir male inherited Saleby.
Sources
- Bennett, Michael, The Battle of Bosworth. St. Martin's Press, 1985
- Bunnett, R.J.A.; “Sir Robert Brackenbury”, Various Papers, RIII Society Victoria Branch Inc.
- Green,R.F.; “Historical notes of a London citizen, 1483-1488”
- Horrox, Rosemary; Richard III: A Study in Service Cambridge University Press, 1989
- Kendall, Paul Murray; Richard III, Unwin Paperbacks, London, 1973
- Lander, J.R.; The Wars of the Roses, Alan Sutton, London, 1990
- Leadam, I.S. "Robert Brackenbury", Dictionary of National Biography, Supplement, Vol. 1, Smith Elder & Co, London, 1901. pp. 247-248
- Ross, Charles; Richard III, Methuen, London, 1981 (1988 edition)