Henry Tudor (portrait at National Portrait Gallery, London)

Birth of Henry Tudor

On 28 January 1457, Henry Tudor was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales, the son of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, and Margaret Beaufort.  Edmund Tudor was the son of Owen Tudor and Henry V’s widow Catherine of Valois.  Margaret Beaufort, was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt (third son of Edward III) and his third wife and previous mistress Katherine Swynford.   The children of this relationship, the Beauforts, were disinherited by Letters Patent of King Henry IV from any claim to the throne. After defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485, he took the throne as Henry VII.

Read the History Today article on ‘The Birth of Henry Tudor”.

Tags: Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort

Margaret Beaufort

Marriage of Margaret Beaufort and Henry Stafford

On 3 January 1462, Margaret Beaufort married Henry Stafford, son of Humphrey, duke of Buckingham.

She had been married as a child to John de la Pole, though the marriage was soon dissolved.

She married in 1455 Edmund Tudor, but he died on 1 November 1456 from the plague.  She gave birth to Edmund’s son Henry on 28 January 1457, who would later defeat King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth and take the crown as Henry VII.

Margaret had no further children.  However, her marriage to Henry Stafford seems to have been happy.  He died on 4 October 1471.

In June 1472 she married Thomas Stanley, surviving him for five years until her own death on 29 June 1509, just two months after her son had died.

Reference:

Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, ‘Beaufort, Margaret , countess of Richmond and Derby (1443–1509)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [last accessed online 2 Jan 2020]

Michael Jones, ‘Lady Margaret Beaufort’, History Today, Volume 35, Issue 8 (August 1985).  URL: http://www.historytoday.com/michael-jones/lady-margaret-beaufort  [last accessed 2 Jan. 2020]

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Tags: Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort, Richard III

Marriage of Henry V and Catherine of Valois

Death of Catherine of Valois

On 3 January 1437, Catherine of Valois, mother of Henry VI, and grandmother of Henry Tudor, died in London.  She was buried at Westminster Abbey.

More information on Catherine of Valois here.

Tags: Henry Tudor

Death of Jasper Tudor

Jasper Tudor, uncle of Henry Tudur (Henry VII), died on 21 December 1495.

Jasper Tudor was the second son of Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V.  He was born in approx. 1431 at Bishops Hatfield, Herts, which belonged to the Bishops of Ely.

Jasper’s elder brother, Edmund, was married to Margaret Beaufort.  Their son Henry was born after his father’s death and his uncle played an important role in his upbringing and championing his nephew’s cause.  Once Henry became king he rewarded his uncle handsomely.

By 7 November 1485, he had married Katherine Woodville, widow of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, and younger sister of Elizabeth, Edward IV’s queen.

He died on 21 December 1495 at his manor of Thornbury in Gloucestershire.  Katherine survived him and married two months later Richard Wingfield.

Sources:

R. S. Thomas, ‘Tudor, Jasper , duke of Bedford (c.1431–1495)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (October 2008).  (online accessed: 3 Feb 2011

Susan Higginbotham, ‘Jasper Tudor’s Will’, Medieval Woman (14 Oct 2008).  URL:  http://susandhigginbotham.blogspot.com.au/2008/10/jasper-tudors-will.html Date accessed:  9 Nov 2012

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Tags: Henry Tudor, Tudors

Death of Katherine of York at Tiverton Castle, Devon.   Katherine was the 9th child and 6th daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, born in 1479, probably at Eltham Palace. She was married in 1495 to Sir William Courtenay.

Though a staunch supporter of Henry VII, William was suspected of being involved in the conspiracy of the Yorkist claimant Edmund de la Pole.   He was attainted and spent the rest of Henry VII’s reign in prison.  He was released after the accession of Henry VIII in 1509 and was created earl of Devon on 10 May 1511.  However, he had not long to enjoy his new status and died a month later on 9 June 1511.

The couple had three children, including Henry Courtenay who was executed by orders of Henry VIII in 1539

After her husband’s death, Katherine took a vow of chastity and enjoyed a life of luxury and hunting, but also religious devotion.  On surviving documents she called herself ‘the excellent Princess Katherine, Countess of Devon, daughter, sister and aunt of kings’.

She was buried at St Peter’s Church, Tiverton.

Source:  ODNB on ‘Katherine, countess of Devon (1479–1527)’ by Margaret R. Westcott.

(Picture of Katherine of York obtained through Wikimedia Commons)

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Tags: Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, Henry Tudor, Henry VIII

Birth of Arthur, Prince of Wales, first son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville) at Winchester.

Tags: Elizabeth of York, Henry Tudor

Remember before God

Richard III

King of England

and those who fell at Bosworth Field

having kept faith.

22 August 1485

Loyaulte me lie.

(Text:  Richard III memorial plaque in the Church of St James, Sutton Cheney

Illustration on the left:  King Richard III,  © Andrew Jamieson, http://www.jamiesongallery.com/ (used with permission)

On the right:  The Church of St James, Sutton Cheney, where the Richard III Society commemorates King Richard III in its annual memorial service in August. It is said that Richard III heard his last Mass at this church.)

Tags: Battles, Bosworth, Henry Tudor, Richard III

Death of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor (Henry VII), just two months after her son’s death on 21 April 1509.  On 24 June 1509, she had still witnessed the coronation of her grandson, Henry VIII, and Katherine of Aragon.

Source: Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, ‘Beaufort, Margaret , countess of Richmond and Derby (1443–1509)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (online version)

Tags: Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort

Birth of Henry (later Henry VIII) at Greenwich Palace, sixth child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville).  He became heir to the throne after the death of his brother Arthur in 1502, and became king on his father’s death on 21 April 1509.

Illustration:  Henry VIII, 1509, by an unknown artist. The Denver Art Museum.

Tags: Elizabeth of York, Henry Tudor, Henry VIII