This is a repost of a guest post I did last year for the excellent Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide. Speaking of guest posts, look for one here soon by Debra al-Bayani about one of my favorite Tudors, Jasper! Stepson to the King Elizabeth Woodville’s first husband was Sir John Grey, the son of Edward Grey, […]
Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset, Elizabeth Woodville’s Oldest Son Read More »
The Victorian historian Agnes Strickland was a pioneer in writing about historical women, and deserves due credit for this. That being said, Strickland also perpetuated some historical howlers, one being a misreading which led to her creating a stepmother for Anne Boleyn, whose own mother was very much alive and married to her father. This
Warwick the Matchmaker Read More »
Good morning! I wanted to start out by mentioning that Leanda de Lisle’s excellent nonfiction book, Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England’s Most Notorious Royal Family is now on sale, both here in the United States and in the UK (under the title Tudor: The Family Story). I was fortunate enough to read it a
Cecily, the third daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville and the second to survive adolescence, was born at Westminster on 20 March 1469. It seems likely that one of her godmothers was her grandmother, Cecily, Duchess of York. Young Cecily was less than a month old when she became the topic of international gossip:
The Queen’s Sister: Cecily, Viscountess Welles Read More »
When I got on my blog last night to approve a comment, I realized that I haven’t posted here in over a month! So I thought I would make amends with a quick post about two grave markers of Woodville family members. The first marker, an incised slab, can be found at the Church of
Two Woodville Family Markers Read More »
I’ve been putting together illustrations for my book on the Woodvilles. Although most of the illustrations will be from contemporary or near-contemporary sources, no contemporary likeness of the grande dame of the family, Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, exists. The chronicler Enguerrand de Monstrelet described her as lively (frisque), beautiful, and gracious, but otherwise there’s no guidance
Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford by Mark Satchwill Read More »
In the autumn of 1475, following Edward IV’s entry into the Treaty of Picquigny with Louis XI of France, Anthony, Earl Rivers, decided to do some traveling. Already he had gone on pilgrimage to Santiago: this time, his destination was Italy. Edward IV, Anthony’s brother-in-law, paved the way. On October 1, 1475, he wrote a
A Woodville Abroad: Anthony, Earl Rivers, in Italy Read More »
On November 10, 1480, Elizabeth Woodville bore her last child–Bridget, named after St. Bridget of Sweden. Bridget may have been intended for the Church; in any case, she eventually became a nun at Dartford Priory. The day after her birth, Bridget was christened at the chapel of Eltham. Her godmothers at the baptismal font, as
A Royal Christening: Bridget of York, November 11, 1480 Read More »
One of the more bizarre anti-Woodville statements I have read online is that the Woodvilles took no part in the Wars of the Roses—the implication being that they stood by and let others do the fighting. I hope this post, dealing with the military record of Richard Woodville, first Earl Rivers, and his sons, will
The Fighting Woodvilles Read More »
Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers, married twice: the first time to Elizabeth Scales, the second time to Mary FitzLewis. This post is about his first wife, Elizabeth Scales. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas, Lord Scales, and his wife, whose name is spelled variously as Ismania, Ismanie, and Esmania. Ismania was a daughter of a Cornishman
Lady Elizabeth Scales: First Wife of Anthony Woodville Read More »
