Richard of Conisbrough, 3rd Earl of Cambridge (20 July 1385 – 5 August 1415) was the second son of
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and
Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York
Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York (1355 – 23 December 1392) was the daughter of King Peter and his mistress María de Padilla (d. 1361). She accompanied her elder sister, Constance, to England after Constance's marriage to John of Gaunt, ...
. He was beheaded for his part in the
Southampton Plot
The Southampton Plot was a conspiracy to depose King Henry V of England, revealed in 1415 just as the king was about to sail on campaign to France as part of the Hundred Years' War. The plan was to replace him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of M ...
, a conspiracy against
King Henry V
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hu ...
. He was the father of
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and the grandfather of
King Edward IV and
King Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Batt ...
.
Early life
Richard of York was born about 20 July 1385 at
Conisbrough Castle, Yorkshire, the second son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and his first wife,
Isabella of Castille. On his father's side, he was the grandson of
King Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
and
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted as regent in 1346,Stricklan ...
, and on his mother's side, the grandson of
Peter the Cruel, King of
Castile and
León, and his favourite mistress,
María de Padilla
María Díaz de Padilla ( 1334 –Seville, July 1361) was the mistress of King Peter of Castile.
Family
She was a Castilian noblewoman, daughter of Juan García de Padilla (died between 1348 and 1351) and his wife María de Henestrosa (d ...
(died 1361). His godfather was
King Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father d ...
. There is no record of his birth or baptism and others put his birth in about 1375. Richard II was at York on 20 July 1385, and in 1375 the future king was only eight years old; it was unlikely he would have been a godfather at that age, and with his father still alive.
Richard was twelve years younger than his brother,
Edward. Strangely, Richard received no lands from his father and was mentioned neither in his father's will nor his brother's will. This circumstance has been taken by
G.L. Harriss as an indication that Richard's father and brother did not recognize him as a full blood relative, and that he may have been the child of an illicit liaison between his mother and the king's half-brother
John Holland. This theory gained new life following the DNA studies of the remains of Richard III in 2014.
Although Edmund of Langley made no provision for Richard in his will of 25 November 1400, his mother Isabella named King Richard II as her heir before her death on 23 December 1392 and requested him to grant her younger son an annuity of 500 marks. The king complied. On 3 February 1393, he provided his godson with an annuity of £100 from the revenues in Yorkshire that Isabella had formerly received, and on 16 March 1393, he provided him with a further annuity of 350 marks (£233 6s 8d) from the
Exchequer
In the civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's '' current account'' (i.e., money held from taxation and other government revenu ...
. According to T. B. Pugh, further largess from the king might have been expected when Richard came of age; however, Richard II was deposed in 1399. According to G. L. Harriss, Richard of York 'received no favours from the new King,
Henry IV'. After Henry IV's accession, Richard's annuities, his sole source of income, were either paid irregularly, or not paid at all.
From April 1403 to October 1404, Richard commanded a small force defending
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...
against the Welsh rebel leader
Owain Glyndŵr, but otherwise performed no notable military service. However, it was during this period, according to T. B. Pugh, that Richard established the relationships with the Mortimer and Cherleton families that brought about his marriage to
Anne de Mortimer. Richard's only other significant appointment during this period came in August 1406 when, together with the
Bishop of Bath,
Lord FitzHugh, and
Lord Scrope, he was chosen to escort
King Henry's daughter
Philippa
Philippa is a feminine given name meaning "lover of horses" or "horses' friend". Common alternative spellings include '' Filippa'' and ''Phillipa''. Less common is '' Filipa'' and even ''Philippe'' (cf. the French spelling of ''Philippa of Guelders ...
to Denmark for her marriage to
King Eric. Richard was knighted in July of that year, perhaps in anticipation of this embassy. Pugh notes that during this three-month embassy to Denmark, Richard would have become well acquainted with
Lord Scrope, who married Richard's stepmother
Joan Holland
Lady Joan Holland (ca. 1380–12 April 1434) was the third daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Lady Alice FitzAlan. She married four times. Her first husband was a duke, and the following three were barons. All of her marria ...
in September 1411, and with whom Richard later became involved in the
Southampton Plot
The Southampton Plot was a conspiracy to depose King Henry V of England, revealed in 1415 just as the king was about to sail on campaign to France as part of the Hundred Years' War. The plan was to replace him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of M ...
of 1415 that cost them both their lives.
Southampton Plot
In the Parliament of 1414, Richard was created
Earl of Cambridge
The title of Earl of Cambridge was created several times in the Peerage of England, and since 1362 the title has been closely associated with the Royal family (see also Duke of Cambridge, Marquess of Cambridge).
The first Earl of the fourth crea ...
, a title formerly held by his elder brother,
Edward, 2nd Duke of York
Edward, 2nd Duke of York, ( – 25 October 1415) was an English nobleman, military commander and magnate. He was the eldest son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and a grandson of King Edward III of England. He held significant appointment ...
, who had earlier ceased to be Earl of Cambridge either by resignation or deprivation of the title.
Richard's creation as Earl of Cambridge in 1414, however, brought with it no accompanying grant of lands, and according to Harriss, Cambridge was 'the poorest of the earls' who were to set out on
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...
's invasion of France. As a result, he lacked the resources to equip himself properly for the expedition. Perhaps partly for this reason, Cambridge conspired with Lord Scrope and Sir
Thomas Grey to depose
King Henry and place his late wife Anne's brother
Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March
Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, 7th Earl of Ulster (6 November 139118 January 1425), was an English nobleman and a potential claimant to the throne of England. A great-great-grandson of King Edward III of England, he was heir presumptive to ...
, on the throne. On 31 July, Mortimer revealed the plot to the king. Later, he served on the commission that condemned Cambridge to death. Although Cambridge pleaded with the king for clemency, he was beheaded on 5 August 1415 and buried in the chapel of God's House at
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
(now
St. Julien's Church, Southampton
St. Julien's Church on Winkle Street in Southampton was the chapel of the Hospital of St. Julien or God's House Hospital, God's House which was founded c. 1197 as an almshouse and hostel for travellers on pilgrimage to Canterbury. It was used reg ...
). The fleet set sail for France a few days later, on 11 August 1415.
The
Southampton Plot
The Southampton Plot was a conspiracy to depose King Henry V of England, revealed in 1415 just as the king was about to sail on campaign to France as part of the Hundred Years' War. The plan was to replace him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of M ...
is dramatised in
Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
''Henry V'', and in the anonymous play,
''The History of Sir John Oldcastle''.
Legacy
Although Cambridge's title was forfeited, he was not
attainted, and his four-year-old son
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
was his heir. Within three months, Cambridge's elder brother,
Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York
Edward, 2nd Duke of York, ( – 25 October 1415) was an English nobleman, military commander and magnate. He was the eldest son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and a grandson of King Edward III of England. He held significant appointment ...
, was slain at
Agincourt, and Cambridge's four-year-old son eventually inherited his uncle's titles and estates as well as his father's.
In the parliament of 1461,
King Edward IV had the sentence that had been passed on his grandfather, Richard, Earl of Cambridge, annulled as 'irregular and unlawful'.
Marriages and issue
Early in 1408 Richard married Anne de Mortimer, the eldest of the four children of
Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March
Roger de Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, 6th Earl of Ulster (11 April 137420 July 1398) was an English nobleman. He was considered the heir presumptive to King Richard II, his mother's first cousin.
Roger Mortimer's father, the 3rd Earl of Marc ...
, and
Eleanor Holland. Anne was a niece of Richard's stepmother
Joan Holland
Lady Joan Holland (ca. 1380–12 April 1434) was the third daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Lady Alice FitzAlan. She married four times. Her first husband was a duke, and the following three were barons. All of her marria ...
, and the granddaughter of his first cousin,
Philippa of Clarence. Thus, Richard and Anne are first cousins twice removed, yet they are close in age; Richard is actually only three years older than she.
The marriage took place secretly, without parental consent, and was validated on 23 May 1408 by
papal dispensation
In the jurisprudence of the canon law of the Catholic Church, a dispensation is the exemption from the immediate obligation of law in certain cases.The Law of Christ Vol. I, pg. 284 Its object is to modify the hardship often arising from the ...
. It brought Richard no financial benefit, since Anne's only income was an annuity of £50 granted for her maintenance by Henry IV in 1406.
By his first wife, Cambridge had two sons and a daughter:
*
Isabel of York (1409 – 2 October 1484), who in 1412, at three years of age, was betrothed to Sir Thomas Grey, son and heir of Sir
Thomas Grey of Heaton in
Norham
Norham ( ) is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, It is located south-west of Berwick on the south side of the River Tweed where it is the border with Scotland.
History
Its ancient name was Ubbanford. Ecgred of Lindisfarne ...
, Northumberland, and his wife, Alice Neville, the daughter of
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland Earl Marshal (c. 136421 October 1425), was an English nobleman of the House of Neville.
Origins
Ralph Neville was born about 1364, the son of John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville by his wife Maud Percy (d. ...
, by whom she had one son. Before 25 April 1426, Isabel married secondly
Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex
Henry Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier, 2nd Count of Eu, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, KG ( – 4 April 1483), was the eldest son of William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu, and Anne of Gloucester. On his mother's side, he was a gr ...
, by whom she had seven sons and one daughter. This marriage was later validated by
papal dispensation
In the jurisprudence of the canon law of the Catholic Church, a dispensation is the exemption from the immediate obligation of law in certain cases.The Law of Christ Vol. I, pg. 284 Its object is to modify the hardship often arising from the ...
.
*Henry of York.
*
Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York
Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), also named Richard Plantagenet, was a leading English magnate and claimant to the throne during the Wars of the Roses. He was a member of the ruling House of Plantage ...
(22 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), who married
Cecily Neville
Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1411–1460), and the mother of two kings of England— Edward IV and Richard III. Cecily Neville was known as "the Rose of Raby", beca ...
, the youngest daughter of
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland Earl Marshal (c. 136421 October 1425), was an English nobleman of the House of Neville.
Origins
Ralph Neville was born about 1364, the son of John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville by his wife Maud Percy (d. ...
, by whom he had twelve children:
Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in t ...
; Henry;
King Edward IV;
Edmund, Earl of Rutland;
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk also known as Elizabeth Plantagenet (22 April 1444 – c. 1503) was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (a great-grandson of King Edward III) and Cecily Neville.Halst ...
;
Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy
Margaret of York (3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503)—also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy—was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Burgundian State after his death. She was a daught ...
; William; John;
George, Duke of Clarence; Thomas;
King Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Batt ...
; and Ursula.
Anne de Mortimer died on 22 September 1411 soon after the birth of her son
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
. She was buried at
Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, once the site of
Kings Langley Palace
Kings Langley Palace was a 13th-century Royal Palace which was located to the west of the Hertfordshire village of Kings Langley in England. During the Middle Ages, the palace served as a residence of the Plantagenet kings of England. It fell into ...
, perhaps in the conventual church which houses the tombs of her husband's father Edmund and his first wife Isabella of Castile.
After the death of Anne de Mortimer, Cambridge married Maud Clifford, the divorced wife of John Neville, 6th Baron Latimer, and daughter of
Thomas de Clifford, 6th Baron de Clifford
Thomas de Clifford, 6th Baron de Clifford, also 6th Lord of Skipton (c. 1363 – 1391) was a Knight of The Chamber, hereditary Sheriff of Westmorland, Governor of Carlisle Castle, and Warden of the West Marches.
Life
He was the son of Roger d ...
, by Elizabeth, daughter of
Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros
Thomas Ros, 4th Baron Ros of Helmsley (13 January 1335 – 8 June 1384) was the son of William Ros, 2nd Baron Ros and Margery de Badlesmere.
In 1364, he accompanied the king of Cyprus to the Holy Land; and was in the French wars, from 1369 to 1 ...
, of
Helmsley
Helmsley is a market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town is located at the point where Ryedale leaves the moorland and joins the flat Vale of ...
.
After Cambridge's death in 1415, his second wife, Maud Clifford, is said to have lived in 'great state' at
Conisbrough Castle and elsewhere. She died on 26 August 1446 and was buried at
Roche Abbey
Roche Abbey is a now-ruined abbey in the civil parish of Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It is in the valley of Maltby Dyke, known locally as Maltby Beck, and is administered by English Heritage. It is a scheduled monument and Gr ...
, Yorkshire. She left a will dated 15 August 1446 in which no mention is made of her stepchildren.
Arms
Richard bore his father's arms (those of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points, each bearing three torteaux gules), differenced by a bordure
Leon
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...
.
Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family
/ref>
Notes
References
*
*
*
* First version at Wikisource: .
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*For the Cambridge conspiracy in ''The History of Sir John Oldcastle'', se
''Burke's Peerage''
Retrieved 9 December 2011.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cambridge, Richard Of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl Of
1385 births
1415 deaths
Earls of Cambridge
Peers created by Henry V
English rebels
Executed people from South Yorkshire
Richard, 3rd Earl of Cambridge
People executed under the Lancastrians
People executed under the Plantagenets by decapitation
People from Conisbrough
Younger sons of dukes