John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont (c. 1409 – 10 July 1460), was an English nobleman and magnate from Folkingham,

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

. He was a councillor to King Henry VI and was rewarded for his services, becoming a leading member of the East Anglian

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

. Beaumont held numerous offices for the crown, and was promoted up the peerage to become the first man with the rank of

viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

. He also amassed immense personal wealth, acquired through inheritance, marriage, and royal patronage. Beaumont was present for some of the most notable events of Henry VI's reign. He was present at the arrest of

Humphrey, duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 139023 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier, and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV of E ...

in 1447, helped defend the king against

Jack Cade's Rebellion Jack Cade's Rebellion was a popular revolt in 1450 against the government of England, which took place in the south-east of the country between the months of April and July. It stemmed from local grievances regarding the corruption, maladmin ...

in 1450, and helped suppress the rebellion of Richard, duke of York in 1452. While York and his allies ended up fighting against the king, Beaumont remained loyal to the Lancastrian crown during the 1450s, which saw the beginning 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 ...

. His personal loyalty to Henry VI eventually cost him his life – he was killed, bodyguarding the king, at the battle of Northampton in 1460. Beaumont's son,

William Beaumont William Beaumont (November 21, 1785 – April 25, 1853) was a surgeon in the U.S. Army who became known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" following his research on human digestion.

, continued the struggle against the Yorkists.

Early life

Born at Folkingham Castle, the eldest son of Henry Beaumont, 5th Baron Beaumont, and orphaned by the age of four,Cockayne, G.E., ''The Complete Peerage'' II, ed. H.E. Doubleday (London, 1912), 62. Beaumont became Henry V's

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 ...

, who quickly put him in the custody of Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester. On 24 July 1425 his marriage rights were granted by the council to Sir John Radcliffe as part-payment for debts owed him by the crown. He was first summoned to parliament as Lord Beaumont in 1431, and at some point between 1425 and 1436 he married Elizabeth Phelip. She was the daughter and heiress of Sir

William Phelip William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, 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 ...

who was recognised as sixth Lord Bardolf. On his death in 1441, his large East Anglian estates went to his daughter, and so to Viscount Beaumont. This made him a leading figure in the region. Combined with his own inheritance in Leicestershire, he was a figure worthy of the association of

William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, (16 October 1396 – 2 May 1450), nicknamed Jackanapes, was an English magnate, statesman, and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He became a favourite of the weak king Henry VI of Engl ...

(died 1450), and from there entered the

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...

of King Henry VI. In 1429 Beaumont was knighted by the seven-year-old king on the eve of his

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

and was in France with Henry the following year. Dr. John Watts has suggested that, as a royal ward, he may have been brought up in the king's household as a young man, and that his later generous treatment was a consequence of this. Watts noted that a council act of 1425 brought wards of his status 'permanently about the king.'

Royal service

His first major activity on the king's behalf was in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

with the king's uncle, the duke of Gloucester in June–July 1436, which had the goal of relieving Calais, in a short, sharp campaign; albeit using the largest English army seen on French soil since Henry V's campaign. He briefly reinforced the Duke of York in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, but all returned to England in late July 1437. For this service he was granted the

county of Boulogne The County of Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France during the 9th to 15th centuries, centred on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was ruled by the counts of Flanders in the 10th century, but a separate House of Boulogne emerged duri ...

in reward; he was not, however, to ever return, even though the

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 ...

had named him as one of the preferred nobles to accompany him back to France that year to relieve York. On 5 January the following year (by now a 'prominent Household servant,' according to

Ralph Griffiths Ralph Griffiths (c.1720 – 28 September 1803) was an English journal editor and publisher of Welsh extraction. In 1749, he founded London's first successful literary magazine, the ''Monthly Review'' (1749–1845), and remained its editor un ...

)Griffiths, R.A., ''The Reign of Henry VI'' (Berkeley, 1981), p. 238 he was made steward of the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the 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 a portfolio of lands, properti ...

and steward of Leicester,

Castle Donington Castle Donington is a market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, on the edge of the National Forest and close to East Midlands Airport. History The name 'Donington' means 'farm/settlement connected with Dunna'. Another sugge ...

, and

Higham Ferrers Higham Ferrers is a market town and civil parish in the Nene Valley in North Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single built-up area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated popula ...

. In 1439 he was sworn onto the king's council, which was effectively running the country during the king's minority, and in 1446 he was 'intimately involved' in peace negotiations with the French. In 1445, he was appointed Lord High Constable, an envoy to France that same year beginning those negotiations, and five years later, to the Scots. In June 1457 he was personally responsible for intervening in the activities of Bishop Pecock, a virulent anti-

Lollard Lollardy, also known as Lollardism or the Lollard movement, was a proto-Protestant Christian religious movement that existed from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catho ...

. However, his virulence led to suspicions of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

, which resulted in Beaumont's instigation of a formal examination into the bishop's sermons and writings; Peckock agreed to

recant Recantation means a personal public act of denial of a previously published opinion or belief. It is derived from the Latin "''re cantare''", to re-sing. Philosophy Philosophically recantation is linked to a genuine change of opinion, ofte ...

and abjured his heresy in November 1457, resigning his

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

a year later.

Royal favour

By 1440 he was firmly in the king's favour, being made in succession the first ever English

Viscount Beaumont Baron Beaumont is an ancient title in the Peerage of England, created in 1309 for a younger branch of the French counts of ''de Brienne'' family. The sixth Baron Beaumont was created Viscount Beaumont (the first creation of this rank in England) ...

(1440), possibly because by then Boulogne was effectively lost to him and then granted royal lands in East Anglia, further official positions in royal castles, Lord Great Chamberlain, appointed 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 ...

and the feudal Viscountcy of Beaumont in France. In 1445 he was made premier viscount, and granted precedence over any other- as-yet unmade- viscounts. These consistent promotions and favouritism have been the subject of some speculation by historians; John Watts has questioned why he 'attracted such an extraordinary heap of honours and perquisites from the crown in these years.' He suggests that as a major noble in East Anglia- with all the territorial and regional significance that meant- was enough to make him worthy of promotion. Beaumont commissioned a contemporary

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in ...

on chivalry, '' Knyghthode and Bataile'', an adaption of

Vegetius Publius (or Flavius) Vegetius Renatus, known as Vegetius (), was a writer of the Later Roman Empire (late 4th century). Nothing is known of his life or station beyond what is contained in his two surviving works: ''Epitoma rei militaris'' (also r ...

for presentation to the king, and was also a major benefactor of Queens' College, Cambridge, which the king had granted by charter to his wife Queen Margaret in 1448.

Second marriage

His wife having died by October 1441, within two years he married Katherine Strangways, née Neville, who was

dowager A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property—a " dower"—derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles. In popular usage, the noun ...

duchess of Norfolk Duchess of Norfolk is a title held by the wife of the Duke of Norfolk in the Peerage of England. The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The first creation was in 1397. Du ...

and noble in her own right, being sister of Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury, and thus what would have been considered a great marital prize. She brought him further territorial and financial augmentation.

Political career

Beaumont was fully involved in the political crises that punctuated the reign of Henry VI: Griffiths has labelled him one of 'a small group of like-minded men, led by Suffolk' who could work for the king whether in council or on royal progress, although his attendance at council seems to have become more sporadic by 1443. As Steward of England, he personally- although accompanied by, for example, other lords such as Buckingham and the

earl of Salisbury Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history, and is now a subsidiary title to the marquessate of Salisbury. Background The title was first created for Patrick de S ...

- arrested

for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

, in Bury St Edmunds 18 February 1447. Throughout the subsequent period of foreign catastrophe which, to contemporaries, came to symbolise the failure of Suffolk's government in the late 1440s, Beaumont not only supported the duke's policy but backed him during his impeachment. With Suffolk's fall in 1450, it has been described as 'rather surprising' that Beaumont did not fall with him, having 'been involved in some of the regime's most unpopular activities.' For instance, he was a close associate and a 'protector' of the 'headstrong' Sir

William Tailboys William Tailboys, de jure 7th Baron Kyme (c.1416 – 26 May 1464) was a wealthy Lincolnshire squire and adherent of the House of Lancaster, Lancastrian cause during the Wars of the Roses. He was born in Kyme, Lincolnshire, the son of Sir Walter ...

(whom Griffiths also called ' knave-in-chief') when Tailboys attempted to assassinate

Lord Cromwell Baron Cromwell is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, which was by writ, was for John de Cromwell in 1308. On his death, the barony became extinct. The second creation came in 1375 when Ralp ...

in broad daylight in November 1449. He had also suffered a minor assault on his

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

manor the previous year, but it is likely that he was seen as more impartial at the time than he has seen since. Indeed, far from suffering from his patron's fall, he was appointed to Suffolk's old position of

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...

of England, although only for three weeks. At the outbreak of

, he was commissioned on 10 June 1450 to reinforce

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and accompanied Henry VI back to the capital in July. Later, with the

duke of Buckingham Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham. ...

negotiated with the rebels at Blackheath, offering them royal pardons. At the time of the

duke of Suffolk Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in the peerage of England. The dukedom was first created for William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, William de la Pole, who had already been elevated to the ranks of earl and marquess ...

's murder, Beaumont had been an associate of the by now recalcitrant Richard, duke of York, having been one of the duke's

feoffee Under the feudal system in England, a feoffee () is a trustee who holds a fief (or "fee"), that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use ...

s in May 1436 and March 1441, and possibly even acting as the duke's councillor on occasion. He had also joined York on the king's council during York's first

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

(March 1453 – January 1454). But as York drew further from the court, so Beaumont appears to have moved towards it; although he appears to have not been present at the

first battle of St Albans The First Battle of St Albans, fought on 22 May 1455 at St Albans, 22 miles (35 km) north of London, traditionally marks the beginning of the Wars of the Roses in England. Richard, Duke of York, and his allies, the Neville earls of Salisb ...

in 1455, he had already stood with the king against York at the latter's stand-off with king at Dartford in 1452, and then sat in judgment on some of his men. He eventually joined the anti-Neville faction at court; although his wife was a Neville, her family had by now aligned themselves with the duke of York. He was amongst the party of lords that reported to parliament that the king was sick and they 'coud not rouse him' in March 1454. He was also an arbitrator between York and the king's party, headed by the

duke of Somerset Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

after the king's recovery in 1454; although Griffiths says not a 'strictly impartial' one. Indeed, Griffiths suggests that his appointment to the council on 15 April 1454, after the king's recovery and York's dismissal, was part of a concerted attempt to 're-balance' the council after the protectorate. He was even reported (although wrongly) to have been recruiting an army to march against London in 1454. He was one of the few Lords Temporal to remain in Henry VI's council in the closing years of the decade, by which time he was the queen's chief steward. He was also part of the royal commission set up by parliament in July 1455 to examine royal household expenditure; the trust the Queen placed in him was demonstrated on 28 January 1457 when he was appointed to the council of the young

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, which had responsibility for his estate management, expenditure, personnel, and administration. His loyalty the crown was such that in 1460 the Yorkists proclaimed him one of their most mortal enemies among the king's supporters. They also claimed that Beaumont, along with the earls of

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

and Shrewsbury, orchestrated the Yorkists'

attainder In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditar ...

at the 1459 Coventry parliament, in order to seize the Yorkists' lands. It is likely that they were the public focus of the Yorkists' enmity in a way that Henry VI's queen (to whom he was a personal adviser), Margaret of Anjou could not be.

Wealth and estates

In 1444, further expanding his wealth, he bought the reversion of Sir Thomas Erdington's estates, as the latter was dying with no heir. Like other lords involved in the fall of Gloucester in 1447, he benefitted immensely from the subsequent redistribution of the duke's lands.

Death and legacy

His allegiance to the Lancastrian regime remained strong enough for him to take arms against the House of York, and eventually cost him his life. Commanding the central

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

of the king's army he fell, with the

and Lord Egremont whilst forming a human shield in defence of the king, against the victorious Yorkists in the battle of Northampton on 10 July 1460.Santiuste, E., ''Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses'' (Barnsley, 2010), 30. Even though the king had fallen into Yorkist hands, Beaumont was not attainted, and his son was allowed to enter into his inheritance. Presumably in an attempt to reconcile his family to the new regime. This failed, and Beaumont's second son (but who was his heir) – the by now second Viscount fought against the victorious army of the Yorkist king, Edward IV at the

battle of Towton The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between ...

in March the next year.

References

Bibliography

External links

R.A. Griffiths, ''The Reign of Henry VI'', at Google books
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Beaumont, John Beaumont, 1st Viscount People of the Wars of the Roses People from Folkingham 1400s births 1460 deaths Year of birth uncertain 15th-century English nobility Knights of the Garter Knights of the Bath Lord Great Chamberlains Lord High Constables of England Viscounts Beaumont Barons Beaumont