Statue of Christopher Columbus in Barcelona (D. Preis)

Replica of the Santa Maria (D. Preis)

Christopher Columbus arrives in America, or more exactly one of the islands in the Bahamas.  A group of three ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña, left Spain on 3 August.  They first sailed to the Canary Islands.  From there, the journey across the Atlantic took 5 weeks.

In October 1977, I visited a replica of the Santa Maria, the largest of  the three ships, in Barcelona – and was amazed how small it was.  In the photo on the right you can see Columbus pointing the way over my head.

Ludford Bridge (© Mr M Evison and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)

Battle of Ludford Bridge/Ludlow, Shropshire, won by the Lancastrians.

Warwick’s re-inforcements from the garrison of Calais under Andrew Trollope defected to the Lancastrians.  The Yorkist leaders fled, York and Rutland to Ireland, and Edward, Earl of March (York’s eldest son), Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, and his son Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, to Calais.  After the battle Cecily, Duchess of York, and her three youngest children George, Margaret and Richard, were taken prisoner by the Lancastrians and placed into the care of Cecily’s older sister Anne, Duchess of Buckingham.

A short description of the various battles of the Wars of the Roses can be found on the website of the Richard III Society.

Richard III hears of an uprising in Kent, followed the next day with the news that Henry Stafford, second duke of Buckingham, had turned against him.  Buckingham’s rebellion mainly failed due to lack of support for him and bad weather.

Reference:

4. S. L. Davies, ‘Stafford, Henry, second duke of Buckingham (1455–1483)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. [accessed online 3 Feb. 2011]

At a meeting of Parliament Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, claims his right to the English crown.  A compromise is reached and sworn on in an Act of Accord, according to which the Duke of York is the heir to the throne instead of Henry VI’s son Edward.

Truce of Hesdin between Edward IV of England and Louis XI of France. In it, Louis renounced all aid to the Lancastrians.

Reference:

Diana E. S. Dunn, ‘Margaret (1430–1482)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.   [accessed online 20 Jan. 2011]

Birth of Richard, the infant son of George, duke of Clarence, and Isabel Neville.  His mother had died on 22 December 1476, two and a half months after his birth.  Richard died a few days later on 1 January 1477.

Happy Birthday, Richard!

Fotheringhay Castle (photo by Smb1001, through Wikimedia Commons)

Richard, the youngest surviving child of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, was born at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, on 2 October 1452.  He would ascend the throne in 1483 as Richard III.

Edward IV flees to Burgundy, after the rebels under Earl of Warwick, who had by then sided with his former enemy Margaret of Anjou, invaded England with the help of French troops to restore Henry VI.  Edward was accompanied by his brother-in-law Anthony, Earl Rivers, and William Lord Hastings.  It seems his brother Richard (later Richard III) followed later after trying to gather to support for Edward in England.

Death of William Hobbes, royal physician to Richard III.   Hobbes had a long career in the service of the House of York, first to Richard, duke of York, then to his sons Edward IV and Richard III.

He obviously remained proud of this service, even after Henry Tudor claimed the throne, as he asked for the following inscription on his tombstone:

Here lies William Hobbys, formerly physician and surgeon of the most illustrious duke of York, and his sons the most illustrious kings Edward IV and Richard III, whose souls may God protect, amen.

He was buried in Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate, London.

Reference:

ODNB on  ‘Hobbes, William (d. 1488)’

His will can be found in:  Calendar of Wills Proved and Enrolled in the Court of Hustings, London, A.D. 1258-A.D. 1688, Volume 2, ed.by Reginald R Sharpe,  London, 1890, pp.590-591