Nicholas Radford (c. 1385 – 23 October 1455) of Upcott in the parish of

Cheriton Fitzpaine Cheriton Fitzpaine is a village in Devon, England, located 4 miles (7 km) north-east of Crediton. The population of the parish in the 2011 Census was 556. The village is noted for its historic buildings, including the old Primary School, ...

, and of

Poughill Poughill (pronounced "Pofil" or "Puffil") is a village in north-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is located one mile north of Bude. History Poughill is mentioned in the Domesday Book as ''Pochehelle''. The name is of uncertain origin ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, was a prominent lawyer in the

Westcountry The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...

who served as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Lyme Regis Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Herita ...

, Dorset (May 1421) and

(1435). During the anarchic times of the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...

he was caught up in the dynastic Westcountry rivalry between

Thomas de Courtenay, 5th Earl of Devon Thomas de Courtenay, 5th/13th Earl of Devon (3 May 1414 – 3 February 1458) was a nobleman from South West England. His seat was at Colcombe Castle near Colyton, and later at the principal historic family seat of Tiverton Castle, after his mot ...

, of

Tiverton Castle Tiverton Castle is the remains of a medieval castle dismantled after the Civil War and thereafter converted in the 17th century into a country house. It occupies a defensive position above the banks of the River Exe at Tiverton in Devon. Desc ...

, for whom during his minority he had acted as steward, and

William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (12 or 31 August 1392 – 18 February 1461), was an English nobleman and an important, powerful landowner in south-west England during the Late Middle Ages. Bonville's father died before Bonville reached ...

, of Shute. His murder in 1455 by the Earl's faction "ranks among the most notorious crimes of the century", and was the precursor of the Battle of Clyst Heath (1455) fought shortly thereafter near Exeter by the private armies of the two magnates. He served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Devon (1424-1455), as Escheator for Devon and Cornwall (1435-6),

Recorder of Exeter The Recorder of Exeter was a recorder, a form of senior judicial officer, usually an experienced barrister, within the jurisdiction of the City of Exeter in Devon. Historically he was usually a member of the Devonshire gentry. The position of re ...

(1442-1455) and as Tax Collector for Devon in 1450 and as

Apprentice-at-law A Serjeant-at-Law (SL), commonly known simply as a Serjeant, was a member of an order of barristers at the Barristers in England and Wales, English and Irish Bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law (''servientes ad legem''), or Sergeant-Counter, ...

for the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of ...

(1439-1455).

Origins

He was the son of Robert Radford, and Thomasina Wyke of Oakford, Devon. According to

Risdon Risdon is a surname and also a first name, and may refer to: ; Given name * Risdon Beazley (1904–1979), British businessman ; Surname * Dustin Risdon (born 1981), Canadian professional golfer * Elisabeth Risdon (1887–1958) English film actres ...

(d.1640), he was a descendant of the ''de Radford'' family of the estate of Radford, in the parish of

Winkleigh Winkleigh is a civil parish and small village in Devon, England. It is part of the local government area of Torridge District Council. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the el ...

, Devon, who had changed their name from ''de Bickly'', after Robert de Bickly, son of Ralph Borne, had during the reign of King Richard I (1199-1299) been granted the estate of Radford by Oliver de Tracy,

feudal baron of Barnstaple From AD 1066, the feudal barony of Barnstaple was a large feudal barony with its caput at the town of Barnstaple in north Devon, England. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed in the Middle Ages. In 1236 it comprised ...

. According to Pole the arms of Radford of Radford were: ''Sable, three

lampago A lampago or lympago is a mythical heraldic beast in the form of a "man-tiger or man-lion" with the body of a tiger or lion and the head of a man. It should be distinguished from similar mythical heraldic beasts the manticore and the satyral. The ...

es (man tigers with lion's bodies and man's faces) passant in pale

coward Cowardice is a trait wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumbs to cowa ...

argent''.

Steward of Earl of Devon

In 1423 he was appointed by the royal council as joint steward (with John II Copleston (d.1457) of

Copplestone Copplestone (anciently Copelaston, Coplestone etc.) is a village, former manor and civil parish in Mid Devon in the English county of Devon. It is not an ecclesiastical parish as it has no church of its own, which reflects its status as a re ...

, thrice MP for

Escheat Escheat is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied to a ...

or of Devon and Cornwall ) of the vast estates of the infant

Thomas de Courtenay, 5th/13th Earl of Devon Thomas de Courtenay, 5th/13th Earl of Devon (3 May 1414 – 3 February 1458) was a nobleman from South West England. His seat was at Colcombe Castle near Colyton, and later at the principal historic family seat of Tiverton Castle, after his mot ...

(1414–1458),

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

of the king and son and heir of the magnate

Hugh de Courtenay, 4th/12th Earl of Devon Hugh de Courtenay, 4th/12th Earl of Devon (1389 – 16 June 1422) was an English nobleman, son of the 3rd/11th earl of Devon, and father of the 5th/13th earl. The ordinal number given to the early Courtenay earls of Devon depends on whether the ea ...

(1389–1422). The 5th/13th Earl reached his majority of 21 in 1435, after which Radford still remained friends with him and was chosen by the earl to be a godfather to his second son Henry Courtenay.

Marriage

At some time before 1431, he married a certain Thomasina Wyke, by whom he had a son, Nicholas Jnr, born in 1437 in Poughill, Devon. Nicholas Jnr married Ursula Sufcote and they had a son, William.

Murder by Courtenay faction

The facts surrounding Radford's murder are recorded in the petition for justice made by his executor John Radford to King Henry VI, preserved in the National Archives at

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...

and summarised contemporaneously as follows: :Petition stating that Nicholas Radford was a justice of the Peace by the king's commission and was possessed of great zeal to pursue evil-doers. On Thursday 23 October in 34th year of the reign, Radford was at his place called Uppecote in Cadleleigh and was in the king's peace, and Thomas Courtenay came with others bearing arms and attacked Radford's place and set the gates of the place on fire. Radford came and admitted them after Courtenay (said) that he and his goods would be preserved. While Courtenay distracted Radford, the men stripped the place, turning Radford's sick wife out of bed and carrying all away. Afterwards Courtenay said that he had to take Radford to his father and then departed. Philip '' and the others then struck Radford on the head with a

glaive A glaive (or glave) is a European polearm, consisting of a single-edged blade on the end of a pole. It is similar to the Japanese naginata, the Chinese guandao, the Korean woldo, and the Russian sovnya. Overview Typically, the blade is arou ...

so that his brain fell out and cut his throat. Afterwards at his burial when his body lay in his chapel, Henry Courtenay came with others and took upon him the office of coroner and held an inquest without authority. Afterwards they cast his body from the coffin into the grave and threw the stones conveyed there for Radford's tomb onto the body crushing it. Justice is requested for the ... so that an example is not set if the murder, felony and robbery pass unpunished". The petition is endorsed by the king in the standard form of acceptance: ''"Let it be done as he requests"''.

Paston Letters narrative

Several contemporary accounts record in tones of shock and horror, unusual during the times of blunted sensitivities of the fifteenth century, this murder and the following mock-funeral and coroner's inquest accompanied by the singing of highly inappropriate songs. The

Paston Letters The ''Paston Letters'' is a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family of Norfolk gentry and others connected with them in England between the years 1422 and 1509. The collection also includes state papers and other impor ...

include a letter dated 28 October 1455 from James Gresham to John Paston as follows: :''"Also there is gret varyance bytwene the Erll of Devenshire and the Lord Bonvyle, as hath be many day, and meche debat is like to growe therby ; for on Thursday at nyght last passed, the Erll of Denshyres sone and heir come with LX men of armes to Radford's place in Devenshire, whiche was of counseil with my Lord Bonvyle; and they sette an hous on fyer at Radford's gate, and cryed and mad an noyse as though they had be sory for the fyer; and by that cause Radford's men set opyn the gats and yede owt to se the fyer; and for with th'erll sone forseid entred into the place and intreted Radford to come doun of his chambre to sp e with them, promyttyng hym that he shuld no bodyly harm have; up on whiche promysse he come doun, and spak with the seid Erll sone. In the mene tyme his menye robbe his chambre, and ryfled his huches and trussed suyche as they coude gete to gydder, and caryed it awey on his own hors. Thanne th'erll sone seid, "Radford, thou must come to my lord my fadir". He seid he wold, and bad oon of his men make redy his hors to ride with hem, whiche answerd hym that alle his hors wern take awey; thanne he seid to th'erll sone, "Sir, your men have robbed my chambre, and thei have myn hors, that I may not ride with you to my lord your fadir, wherfor, I pray you, lete me ride, for I am old, and may not go." It was answerid hym ageyn, that he shuld walke forth with them on his feete; and so he dede till he was a flyte shote or more from his place, and thanne he was ... softly, for cawse he myght not go fast. And whanne thei were thus departed, he turned ... oon; forwith come IX men ageyn up on hym, and smot hym in the hed, and fellid ... of them kyt his thirote. This was told to my Lord Chaunceler this fornoon ... messengers as come of purpos owt of the same cuntre"''.

Succession

His heir to Poughill was Roger Prouz (''alias'' Prouse) of Prouz, Devon, apparently his nephew, who inherited his estates. His sister Jone Radford had married Prouse of Prouse, whose later heir general was Guy. His seat of Upcott was however later the seat of James Courtenay, a younger son of Sir William II Courtenay (1451–1512) of Powderham, and brother of Sir William III Courtenay (1477–1535) "The Great", which family during the Wars of the Roses and at the Battle of Clyst Heath (1455) were members of the Bonville faction and were thus enemies of their distant cousins the Courtenay Earls of Devon of

Landholdings

His landholdings included: *Upcott,

, his residence. *Manor of Poughill (''alias'' Pohill, Podhill, Poghill, etc.), in the parish of

Poughill, Devon Poughill (pronounced "po-il") is a village and civil parish in Devon, England. It lies north of Crediton. In 2011, the parish had a population of 216. Anciently, Poughill was held by the Poughill or Poghill family and was recorded in the Dome ...

, near the junction of the Rivers Creedy and Exe, which he acquired in 1429 by conveyance from Robert de Poughill.Risdon, p.92

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radford, Nicholas Lawyers from Devon 1455 deaths Year of birth uncertain People murdered in England Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Devon English MPs 1435 English MPs May 1421