Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, KG (16 March 13388 April 1401) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

medieval nobleman and one of the primary opponents of

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 died ...

Origins

He was the son of

Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, KG (c. 14 February 131313 November 1369), sometimes styled as Lord Warwick, was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. His reputation as a military leader was so for ...

by his wife

Katherine Mortimer Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick (1314 – 4 August 1369) was the wife of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick KG, an English peer, and military commander during the Hundred Years War. She was a daughter and co-heiress of Roger Mort ...

, a daughter of

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 – 29 November 1330), was an English nobleman and powerful Marcher Lord who gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marri ...

(d.1369).

Career

Knighted around 1355, Beauchamp accompanied

John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...

in campaigns in France in 1373, and around that time was made a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

. In the parliaments of 1376 and 1377 he was one of those appointed to supervise reform of King Richard II's government. When these were not as effective as hoped, Beauchamp was made Governor over the King. In 1377, or 1378, he granted the manors of Croome Adam (now

Earls Croome Earl's Croome is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. History The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book, 1086, as ''Crumba''. The first part of its name is derived from the Earl ...

) in Worcestershire and

Grafton Flyford Grafton Flyford is a village about east of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. It neighbours Stock Green, with the large farm house Hill Top Farm standing on the border. In 1377, or 1378, Henry de Ardern was granted the manor of Grafton Flyf ...

in Warwickshire to

Henry de Ardern Henry de Ardern, or Henry Ardern, was a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in 1377 and again in 1380, and for Worcestershire from November 1381. In 1373 Henry bought Park Hall, near Castle Bromwich, from Sir John Botetourt.Driver, J. T. ''Wo ...

for a red rose.Driver, J. T. ''Worcestershire Knights of the Shire 1377-1421'' Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society. Third Series Vol 4 1974 p19 Between 1377 and 1378 he was appointed

Admiral of the North The Admiral of the North also known as Admiral of the Northern Seas and Admiral of the Northern Fleet was a senior English Navy appointment. The Admiral was chiefly responsible for the command of the navy's fleet that operated in the North Sea ...

. Beauchamp brought a large contingent of soldiers and archers to King Richard's Scottish campaign of 1385.

Conflict with King Richard II

In 1387 he was one of the

Lords Appellant The Lords Appellant were a group of nobles in the reign of King Richard II, who, in 1388, sought to impeach some five of the King's favourites in order to restrain what was seen as tyrannical and capricious rule. The word ''appellant'' — still u ...

, who endeavored to separate Richard II from his favorites. After Richard regained power, Beauchamp retired to his estates, but was invited to London on a ruse in 1397 and charged with high treason, supposedly as a part of the

Earl of Arundel Earl of Arundel is a title of nobility in England, and one of the oldest extant in the English peerage. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and is used (along with the Earl of Surrey) by his heir apparent as a courtesy title. The e ...

's alleged conspiracy. He was imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

(in what is now known as the "Beauchamp Tower"), pleaded guilty and threw himself on the mercy of the king. He forfeited his estates and titles, and was sentenced to life imprisonment on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. The next year, however, he was moved back to the Tower, until he was released in August 1399 after Henry Bolingbroke's capture of Richard II.

Restored by King Henry IV

After Bolingbroke deposed Richard and became king as Henry IV, Beauchamp was restored to his titles and estates. He was one of those who urged the new King to murder Richard, and accompanied King Henry against the rebellion of 1400.

Marriage and children

He married Margaret Ferrers, daughter of

William Ferrers, 3rd Baron Ferrers of Groby William Ferrers, 3rd Baron Ferrers of Groby (1333–1371) was a Leicestershire-based nobleman in fourteenth-century England who took part in some of the major campaigns of the first part of the Hundred Years' War. The eldest of two sons to Henry F ...

by his wife Margaret d'Ufford, a daughter of

Robert d'Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk Robert Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk, KG (9 August 1298 – 4 November 1369) was an English peer. He was created Earl of Suffolk in 1337. Early life Born 9 August 1298, Robert Ufford was the second but eldest surviving son of Robert Ufford, 1st B ...

. by his wife he had children including: *

Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick (25 or 28 January 138230 April 1439) was an English medieval nobleman and military commander. Early life Beauchamp was born at Salwarpe CourtRichard Gough, ''Description of the Beauchamp chapel, adjoin ...

(1382–1439), son and heir. *Agnes de Beauchamp, married Thomas Borges of Wraxall & Braunton (d. 1401).

Death and succession

Beauchamp died in 1401 (sources differ as to whether on 8 April or 8 August).'Calendar Inquisitions Post Mortem' ed. JL Kirkby, XVIII, pp.159-167 (HMSO, 1987). and was succeeded by his son

. He was buried with his wife Margaret in the south transept of the

Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick The Collegiate Church of St Mary is a Church of England parish church in Warwick, Warwickshire, England. It is in the centre of the town just east of the market place. It is grade I listed, and a member of the Major Churches Network. The churc ...

, but their tomb was destroyed by fire in 1694. Only the monumental brass survived, which is still on display at St Mary's.

Ancestry

References

Sources

* * *

External links

thePeerage.com on the "junior" Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warwick, Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of 1338 births 1401 deaths 14th-century English nobility 15th-century English nobility

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

Burials at the Collegiate Church of St Mary (Warwick) Earls of Warwick (1088 creation) English admirals English people of French descent High Sheriffs of Worcestershire Garter Knights appointed by Edward III