Sir John Woodville (c.1445 – 12 August 1469) was the third son and seventh child of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers, and

Jacquetta of Luxembourg Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Countess Rivers (1415 or 1416 – 30 May 1472) was a prominent, though often overlooked, figure in the Wars of the Roses. Through her short-lived first marriage to the Duke of Bedford, bro ...

.Michael Hicks, 'Woodville, Richard, first Earl Rivers (d. 1469)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, édition en ligne, septembre 2011.

Marriage

In January 1465, Woodville's sister,

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, queen consort of King

Edward IV of England Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...

, procured his marriage to Katherine Neville, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, who was aunt to the powerful Richard Neville,

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation ...

. As the duchess was about 65 years of age at the time and Woodville was only 19, the marriage was seen by all, particularly Warwick, as an indecent grasp for money and power by the Woodville family. One chronicler described it as a "''maritagium diabolicum''" (the diabolical marriage). The same year, Woodville was made a

Knight of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as on ...

by his brother-in-law, the king.Ross, p. 95.

Warwick's rebellion

In 1469, Woodville and his father accompanied the king on a march north to put down what was thought to be a minor rebellion supporting Edward's brother, the

Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...

, as the legitimate king. Before they met the rebels, both Clarence and Warwick announced their support for the rebellion; by the time the king met the rebels, the rebel force was far stronger than his. In a parley, the rebels told the king that they had no fight with him, but advised him to distance himself from the Woodvilles. In no position to argue, the king sent the Woodville party away.

Capture and execution

Woodville and Rivers went first to the Rivers' house at Grafton and from there made their way west towards Wales. They were captured by Warwick's men on the western bank of the

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and taken to

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

in Warwickshire. Before leaving

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

to support the uprising, Warwick had published a manifesto citing the Woodvilles in general and the earl and John Woodville specifically as his reason for supporting Clarence against the king. The publication of this manifesto was deemed by Warwick to justify the execution of Rivers and his son. They were beheaded on 12 August at

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the ...

and their heads placed on spikes above the gates of Coventry. Woodville died childless.

References

Sources

* ''The Princes in the Tower'' by Elizabeth Jenkins {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodville, John 1440s births 1469 deaths Knights of the Bath

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

People of the Wars of the Roses People executed under the Yorkists Executed English people People executed under the Plantagenets by decapitation Younger sons of earls