HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick (25 or 28 January 138230 April 1439) was an English
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
nobleman and military commander.


Early life

Beauchamp was born at Salwarpe Court
Richard Gough Charles Richard Gough (born 5 April 1962) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender. Gough played in the successful Dundee United team of the early 1980s, winning the Scottish league title in 1982–83 and reach ...
, ''Description of the Beauchamp chapel, adjoining to the church of St. Mary, at Warwick. And the monuments of the earls of Warwick, in the said church and elsewhere'' (Warwick Town, St Mary, 1803)
p. 17
/ref> in Salwarpe, Worcestershire, the son of
Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, KG (16 March 13388 April 1401) was an English medieval nobleman and one of the primary opponents of Richard II. Origins He was the son of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick by his wife Ka ...
and Margaret Ferrers, a daughter of William Ferrers, 3rd Baron Ferrers of Groby. His godfather was King
Richard II of England 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, Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Jo ...
. He was knighted at the coronation of King Henry IV, and succeeded as
Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...
in 1401.


Welsh rebellion

Soon after reaching his majority and taking responsibility for the Earldom, he saw military action in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, defending against a Welsh rebellion led by
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...
. On 22 July 1403, the day after the
Battle of Shrewsbury The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King Henry IV and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. The battle, the first in which English archers fought ea ...
, he 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. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...
. In the summer of 1404, he rode into what is today
Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...
at the head of an English force. Warwick engaged Welsh forces at the Battle of Mynydd Cwmdu, near
Tretower Castle Tretower Castle () is a Grade I-listed ruined castle in the village of Tretower in the county of Powys, Wales. It was built around the beginning of the twelfth century as a motte and bailey castle and this was probably replaced mid-century by a ...
a few miles northwest of
Crickhowell Crickhowell (; , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community (Wales), community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic counties of Wales, historic county of Brecknockshire. Location The town lies on th ...
, nearly capturing Owain Glyndwr himself, taking Owain's banner, and forcing the Welsh to flee. The Welsh were chased down the valley of the
River Usk The River Usk (; ) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it flows north int ...
where they regrouped and turned the tables on the pursuing English force, attempting an ambush. They chased the English in turn to the town walls of
Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...
after a skirmish at Craig-y-Dorth, a conical hill near Mitchel Troy.


Chivalry and Pilgrimage

Warwick acquired quite a reputation for chivalry, when in 1408 he went on
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
to the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
, and was challenged many times to fight in the sporting combat which was then popular. On the return trip, he went through Russia and Eastern Europe; in 1410 he tried to join
Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...
after the
battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...
, not returning to England until later the same year.


Soldier of the King

In 1410, he was appointed a member of the royal council, and two years later he was fighting in command at
Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
. Up to this time, Warwick's career had been that of the typical
knight-errant A knight-errant (or knight errant) is a figure of medieval chivalric romance literature. The adjective '' errant'' (meaning "wandering, roving") indicates how the knight-errant would wander the land in search of adventures to prove his chivalric ...
, but in 1413 he was Lord High Steward at the Prince's coronation as
Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, and became a trusted counsellor to the king. The following year he helped put down the
Lollard Lollardy was a proto-Protestantism, proto-Protestant Christianity, Christian religious movement that was active in England from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic C ...
uprising, and then went to
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
as Captain of Calais, and represented England at the coronation of
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
as King of Germany and the
Council of Constance The Council of Constance (; ) was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church that was held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance (Konstanz) in present-day Germany. This was the first time that an ecumenical council was convened in ...
. Warwick spent much of the next decade fighting the French in the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
. He took a prominent part in the campaigns of 1417–18. Then he joined the king before
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
, and in October 1418 had charge of the negotiations with the dauphin Louis and with the duke of Burgundy. Next year he was again the chief English spokesman in the conference at
Meulan Meulan-en-Yvelines (, before 2010: ''Meulan'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It hosted part of the Sailing at the 1900 Su ...
, and afterwards was Henry's representative in arranging the
Treaty of Troyes The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that King Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the French throne upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was formally signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of ...
. He held high command at sieges of French towns between 1420 and 1422. In 1419, he was created Count of Aumale, as part of the King's policy of giving out Norman titles to his nobles. He was appointed
Master of the Horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse () in the Roman Rep ...
.


Responsibilities

Henry V's will gave Warwick the responsibility for the education of the infant
Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...
. This duty required him to travel back and forth between England and Normandy many times, and during these travels, he acted as superintendent of the
trial of Joan of Arc The trial of Joan of Arc, a French military leader under Charles VII of France, Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War, began on 9 January 1431 and ended with her execution on 30 May. The trial is one of the most famous in history, becoming ...
. In 1437, when the king's minority ended, the Royal Council deemed his duty complete. Despite his age (then 55), he loyally accepted an appointment as lieutenant of France and Normandy. Arriving in Normandy on 8 November, he ruled with vigour and remained in France for the remaining two years of his life.


Marriages and children

Warwick first married Elizabeth de Berkeley (c. 138628 December 1422), before 5 October 1397,Lawrence, Martyn John (2005).
Power, ambition and political rehabilitation: the Despensers, c. 1281-1400
'' Doctoral dissertation, University of York.
the daughter of Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley and Margaret de Lisle, 3rd Baroness de Lisle. Together they had 3 daughters: * Lady Margaret de Beauchamp (1404–1467), who married
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, 1st Earl of Waterford, 7th Baron Talbot, KG (17 July 1453), known as "Old Talbot" and "Terror of the French" was an English nobleman and a noted military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was t ...
, and whose great-great-grandson, John Dudley, was created
Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...
and subsequently,
Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of N ...
. * Lady Eleanor de Beauchamp (1408–1467), who first married Thomas de Ros, 8th Baron de Ros, and then married
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, 4th Earl of Somerset, 1st Earl of Dorset, 1st Marquess of Dorset styled 1st Count of Mortain, (140622 May 1455), was an English nobleman and an important figure during the Hundred Years' War. His rivalry ...
. * Lady Elizabeth de Beauchamp (1417–1480), who first married George Neville, 1st Baron Latimer, and then married Thomas VI Wake of Blisworth (1435–1476). Warwick then married Lady Isabel le Despenser (26 July 14001439), the daughter of Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester and
Constance of York Constance of York, Countess of Gloucester ( 1375 – 28 November 1416) was the only daughter of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and his wife Isabella of Castile. Family Constance was born in about 1375, the only daughter of Edmund of Lan ...
. With Isabel, who was also the widow of his first cousin, Richard de Beauchamp, 1st Earl of Worcester, his children were: * Henry de Beauchamp (1425–1446), who succeeded his father as Earl of Warwick, and later became Duke of Warwick. * Lady Anne de Beauchamp (1426–1492), who succeeded as the 16th Countess of Warwick in her own right, after the death of her niece. She married
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, 6th Earl of Salisbury (22 November 1428 – 14 April 1471), known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, landowner of the House of Neville fortune and military c ...
, famously known as the "Kingmaker".


Death, Burial, and Legacy

Richard de Beauchamp's will was made at Caversham Castle in Oxfordshire (now in
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
), one of his favoured residences, in 1437. Most of his property was entailed, but with a portion of the rest, the will established a substantial trust. After his debts were paid, the trust endowed the
Collegiate Church of St Mary 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 church ...
in
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...
, and called for the construction of a new chapel there. It also enlarged the endowment of the
chantries A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a set of Christian liturgical celebrations for the dead (made up of the Requiem Mass and the Office of the Dead), or # a chantry chapel, a bu ...
at Elmley Castle and Guy's Cliffe, and gave a gift to
Tewkesbury Abbey The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury, commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey, is located in the town of Tewkesbury in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Conside ...
. Beauchamp died in
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
, Normandy, two years later, on 30 April 1439. After the completion of the chapel, his body was in 1475 transferred there, where his magnificent gilt-
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
monumental effigy may still be seen. Beauchamp's life was chronicled in an important 15th-century manuscript, ''The Pageants of the Birth, Life and Death of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick'', likely commissioned by his daughter, Anne Beauchamp, wife to Richard Neville, the famed "
Kingmaker A kingmaker is a person or group that has great influence on a monarchy or royal in their political succession, without themselves being a viable candidate. Kingmakers may use political, monetary, religious, and military means to influence the ...
"."The Pageants of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick"
British Library "Medieval Manuscripts", April 2020.


Ancestors


Notes


References

* * reprinted in ''Richard III and His Rivals''.


External links



at Ancestral Trails Genealogy. {{DEFAULTSORT:Warwick, Richard De Beauchamp, 13th Earl Of 1382 births 1439 deaths 14th-century English nobility 15th-century English nobility Beauchamp Knights of the Garter People from Caversham, Reading People from Wychavon (district) Burials at Beauchamp Chapel, Collegiate Church of St Mary (Warwick)
Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
Lords of Glamorgan Medieval English knights