Baptism of Martin Luther in Eisleben, Germany, from which his date of birth, 10 November 1483, is deducted.

He disputed the claim of the (Catholic) church that salvation could be purchased by indulgences, instead salvation is a free gift by God, received by faith in Jesus, who has redeemed our sins.  He explained his view in the 95 thesis, which he nailed on the church door in Eisleben in the evening of 31 October 1517, the evening before All Saints’ Day, when everyone would come to church.   This is often regarded as the starting point of the reformation.  While his original aim was to reform the church, the Pope saw it differently, which ultimately led to the split with the Catholic church.  As Luther was of the opinion that the Bible was the only source for knowledge of God, he translated it into German to make it accessible to everyone.

He died on 15 February 1546.

You can find out more at http://www.luther.de/en/

Dorothea Preis

Birth of Bridget of York, tenth child and seventh daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, at Eltham Palace, London.   She became a nun at Dartford Priory.  Died in 1517.

By this date Katherine Woodville is married to Henry Tudor’s uncle, Jasper Tudor.  Katherine was the sister of Elizabeth Woodville and the widow of Henry Stafford, second duke of Buckingham.

Source: ODNB on Henry Stafford, Henry, second duke of Buckingham

Richard is made justiciar of north Wales for life by his brother, Edward IV

Birth of John Plantagenet – son  of Richard, duke of York, and Cecily Neville.  He died young.

Coronation of Henry VI

Henry Stafford, second duke of Buckingham, was executed in Salisbury on Sunday, 2 Nov. 1483.  Initially, he had been Richard of Gloucester most trusted ally in the summer of 1483.  It was probably Bishop John Morton, who was Buckingham’s prisoner at Brecon who persuaded him to become involved in the uprising against Richard III.  His part in the rebellion was spectacularly unsuccessful due to atrocious rain, the flooding of the rivers and large-scale desertion of his followers.  He was betrayed and executed without trial.  In a letter of 12 Oct. 1483, which Richard III dictated to his chancellor, Bishop John Russell, he refers to Buckingham as “the most untrue creature living”

Read more:  http://www.r3.org/on-line-library-text-essays/back-to-basics-for-newcomers/henry-stafford-second-duke-of-buckingham/

Richard, Duke of York (stained glass at St Laurence, Ludlow, © Worcestershire Branch, Richard III Society)

Act of Accord

After unsuccessfully claiming his right to the crown in parliament on 10 October 1460, Richard, duke of York, had to accept the Act of Accord on 25 October 1460, which stipulated that he would be the heir to the throne after King Henry VI’s death, instead of the king’s son, Edward of Lancaster.

His claim was that while on his father’s side he was descended from Edward III’s fourth son, on his mother’s side he was descended from Edward III’s son.  The Lancastrian Kings including Henry VI, however, were descendents of the third son of Edward III.

While the Duke of York’s claim ultimately failed, it was the basis for his son Edward IV to succeed to the crown.

More on the Act of Accord here.

Birth of Edward of Lancaster, only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou, at Westminster.  He was the Lancastrian Prince of Wales.  He was baptised on 14 October by William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.

On 13 December 1470 he was married to Anne Neville, who was 14 at the time, as part of an agreement between his mother, Margaret of Anjou, and Anne’s father, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (“The Kingmaker”) to return Henry VI to the throne.    Edward fell at the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471.

The picture shows the Palace of Westminster, how it supposedly looked in the 16th century.