Richard III and the Murder in the Tower (34 page)

20. Craig, J.
The Mint: A History of the London Mint from
A.D.
287 to 1948
(p. 88). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953.

21. The dates of his office being 29 October 1482 to 28 October 1483, thus being the mayor at the time of Hastings’ execution.

22. See Kendall (1955),
op. cit
., p. 263.

23. Seward (1995),
op. cit
., p. 263, indicates that Hastings re-appointment was a favour granted by then Protector, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. However, the dating here makes it difficult to confirm this and it does not seem likely that this represents Richard’s direct act.

24. And see also Hammond, P. ‘Research notes and queries.’
The Ricardian
, 39 (1972), 10-12.

25. Pronay and Cox, p. 159.

26. Keay, A.
The Elizabethan Tower of London: The Haiward and Gascoyne plan of 1597
. Topographical Society: London, 2001.

27. The central keep here (the White Tower) is divided in two very much like the configuration of the central keep of Middleham castle in Yorkshire, one section of which is shown in Figure 1-1.

28. I think from all the evidence we have, we can discount Chrimes’ (1964) speculation that Hastings was in fact killed during the melée and the subsequent arrests (and see Weissbruth, 1970).

29. Rotherham was imprisoned from this day until the middle of July (see Davies,
The Church and the Wars of the Roses
, p. 142). Richard’s ire against him may have proceeded in part from his transfer of the Great Seal to the queen dowager. Morton was imprisoned and then handed over to Buckingham’s keeping. After fomenting rebellion Morton escaped from Brecknock Castle to Flanders. Thomas Stanley, later made 1st Earl of Derby by Henry VII on 27 October 1485 seemed, as we have seen, to escape major punishment altogether.

30. From
www.stgeorgeswindsor.org/tour/tour_north.asp

31. Donno, E. S. ‘Thomas More and Richard III.’
Renaissance Quarterly
, 35 (3) (1982), 401-447.

1.  Although, as will become evident, there is contention over her real name, I shall adhere to convention and call her by the name by which she is known.

2.  This absence of hard fact has not stopped a number of authors writing full-length texts about Jane, including the recent, most interesting treatment by Margaret Crossland, see Crossland, M.
The Mysterious Mistress: The Life and Legend of Jane Shore
. Sutton Publishing: Stroud, Glos, 2006.

3.  An early edition of the
Dictionary of National Biography
stated that she was the daughter of one Thomas Wainstead, although later scholarship concludes that this was an erroneous attribution and that John Lambert was her father, (and see Seward, D.
The Wars of the Roses
(p. 19), Viking: New York, 1995).

4.  Her popular surname derives from her marriage to one William Shore (and see Sutton, A. ‘William Shore, merchant of London and Derby.’
Derbyshire Archeological Journal
, 106 (1986), 127-139).

5.  Scott, M. M.
Re-presenting Jane Shore: Harlot and Heroine
. Ashgate: Aldershot, 2005.

6.  See Barker, N. ‘The Real Jane Shore.’
Etoniana
, 125 (1972), 383-391.

7.  And see St Aubyn, G.
The Year of Three Kings
. Atheneum: New York, 1983.

8.  Helgerson, R.
Adulterous Alliances: Home, State, and History in Early Modern European Drama and Painting
(p. 37), University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 2000.

9.  See Stephen, L. & Lee, S. (eds).
The Dictionary of National Biography
(pp 147-148). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1917.

10. For more see Dockray, K.
Edward IV: Playboy or Politician
.
The Ricardian
, 131 (1995), 306-325.

11. One is very much reminded of the behaviour of Mel Brooks in his movie
The History of the World
where, as the lecherous French king, he demands the sexual favours of a young lady in order to save her doomed father. The parallel is almost exact with Edward’s general behaviour.

12. There has, of course, been extensive discussion about the nature and validity of this marriage. And see also Kelly, H.A. ‘The case against Edward IV’s marriage and offspring: Secrecy, witchcraft; secrecy; pre-contract.’
The Ricardian
, 142 (1998), 326-335.

13. From Markham (1906), quoted in O’Regan (1976). Made at Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire. ‘Generally accepted the marriage vows were exchanged in a private house not in church’ (O’Regan, 1976).

14.
The Great Chronicle of London
(p. 202) reported that the marriage occurred on 1 May 1464 (and see
Fabyan’s Chronicles
, p. 654). The fact of the marriage was apparently not made public until 29 September 1464 at a Council meeting in Reading (see William Worcester,
Annales
, p. 783); see also Fahy, C. ‘The marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville: A New Italian Source.’
English Historical Review
, 76 (1961), 660-672, and see the earlier note in this text on the revelation of the marriage.

15. And see Ashdown-Hill, J. ‘The elusive mistress: Elizabeth Lucy and her family.’
The Ricardian
, 145 (1999), 490-505.

16. See
http://www.r3.org/basics/basic5.html
.

17. Stephen, L. & Lee, S. (eds).
The Dictionary of National Biography
(pp 147-148). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1917, indicates that Jane began her association with Edward in 1470. However, it is much more logistically appealing to place this at a slightly later date in 1471 after his triumphant return to the throne. Irrespective of the actual date, both interpretations imply that Jane had been the king’s mistress for over a decade and surely this must argue for her appeal in more than just the sexual dimension alone.

18. And see Seward (1995),
op. cit.
, especially pp 230-231.

19. This is More’s assertion that Hastings ‘lay nightly’ with her; however, there is the suggestion that immediately following Edward’s death she became the mistress of the Marquess of Dorset and only attached herself to Hastings following Dorset’s egress from London. Again, this is a suggestion rather than a known fact.

20. Gairdner,
op. cit
., pp 69-70.

21. Davis, M. A. ‘Lord Hastings dies.’
The Medelai Gazette
, 13 (2) (2006), 26-32, reports that: ‘The Duke of Gloucester’s chivalry, especially toward women was legendary’ (p. 28). This may be over-eulogistic, but the general opinion and principle seem well founded.

22. More implied that Richard had his eyes on her goods and possessions, but Gairdner rightly dismisses this suggestion as both illogical and counter to the other ways in which More expressed approbation of Richard’s generosity. More’s slur can be taken as just another attempt to blacken Richard, but it may well be that he genuinely did not understand the reason for Richard’s action.

23. As we know from the controversy surrounding the execution of Hastings, the dating of this letter in respect of the writing of its content has been subject to considerable scrutiny. Here, I am adopting a consistent position by relying on the fact that the letter was not written after 21 June. This reliance does not negate the argument about Hastings’ execution presented in the accompanying Appendix II.

24. It is, of course, conceivable that Jane did penance on Sunday 22 June, in which case she may have represented the ‘opening act’ to Dr Shaa’s sermon, for which Richard may well have wanted the widest possible audience. Such a speculation, while a public relations dream, is most probably incorrect, since this conjunction would have most probably been commented on by one of the contemporary writers. It argues for 15 June as the date for Jane’s penance.

25 It is surely one of the most vitriolic of all of More’s comments when he mockingly offered up Richard as the paragon of virtue and so, by juxtaposition, implied he was completely the opposite, i.e. ‘as a goodly continent prince clene & fautles of himself, sent oute of heauen into this vicious world for the amendment of mens maners.’ And see the full quotation earlier in this chapter.

26. Secretary’s copy: British Library Harleian MSS 433 f 259.

27. See Barker, N. ‘Jane Shore: Part 1, the real Jane Shore.’
Etoniana
, 125 (1972), 383-391.

28. And see Birley, R. ‘Jane Shore: Part 2, Jane Shore in literature.’
Etoniana
, 125 (1972), 391-397.

29. The attribution is noted in Crossland (2006),
op. cit
., between pp 108-109. Crossland indicates that the figure to Jane’s left is her brother John Lambert and to her right is a portrayal of her own daughter. Whether the young lady was fathered by William Shore, Edward IV or Thomas Lynom is presently unknown.

30. See Crossland (2006),
op. cit
., p. 6.

31.
Dictionary of National Biography
(1917), p. 147.

32 See Kendall (1955),
op. cit
., p. 550, n. 6.

1.  See
http://www.r3.org/bookcase/texts/tit_reg.html
.

2.  This was not the only reason and was essentially the last of three stated in the act. As Ramsay, J.
Lancaster and York
. Oxford, 1892, noted: ‘The grounds of invalidity assigned were that no banns had been published; that the service had been performed in a profane place; and that the King already stood married and troth-plight to Dame Eleanor Butler, daughter of the old Earl of Shrewsbury.’

3.  Edwards, R.
The Itinerary of King Richard III 1483-1485
. Alan Sutton, for the Richard III Society: London, 1983.

4.  Ashdown-Hill, J. ‘Edward IV’s uncrowned queen: The Lady Eleanor Talbot, Lady Butler.’
The Ricardian
, 139 (1997), 166-190.

5.  And see Markham, C. R. ‘Richard III: A doubtful verdict reviewed.’
English Historical Review
, 6 (22) (1891), 250-283.

6.  For fuller details see also Jex-Blake, T. W. ‘Historical notices of Robert Stillington; Chancellor of England, Bishop of Bath and Wells.’
Proceedings of the Somerset Archeological and Natural History Society
, 20 (Part II) (1894), 1-18.

7.  For example, Markham opined that, ‘Dr. Stillington thus becomes a very important personage in the history of King Richard’s accession; and it will be well to learn all that can be gleaned of his life.’ Markham (1906), p. 94.

8.  Kendall, P. M. (1955),
op. cit.
, p. 260.

9.  Hammond, P. W. ‘Research notes and queries.’
The Ricardian
, 52 (1976), 27-28.

10. It has been reported that he was the second son of Catherine Halthrop and John Stillington, ‘probably to the place of that name in Yorkshire who possess property at Nether Acaster, a short distance from York.’ See Foss, E.
A Biographical Dictionary of the Judges of England
(p. 632), London, 1870. It interesting to note that the village of Stillington is only about three to four miles from Sheriff Hutton, just to the north of the city of York. It should be noted that Hampton (1977) opines, ‘That the bishop was a gentleman born, and of a family very well connected in the North, has been established …’

11. With this qualification, Stillington must have unequivocally understood the implications of the pre-contract between Edward and Eleanor. And see Jex-Blake (1894),
op. cit
.

12. Smith, G.
The Dictionary of National Biography
(pp 1265–1266). Ed. L. Stephen and S. Lee. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1882.

13. Mowat, A. J. ‘Robert Stillington.’
The Ricardian
, 53 (1976), 23-28.

14. And see Chrimes (1999), p. 242, note; and also Kendall (1955), p. 260.

15. Riley, J. C.
Rising Life Expectancy
. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

16. And see Mowat (1976), p. 23.

17. Greensmith, L. T. ‘Coats of Arms of some Ricardian contemporaries.’
The Ricardian
, 56 (1977), 20-22.

18. See Mowat, A. J. ‘Robert Stillington.’
The Ricardian
, 53 (1976), 23-28, and also Hampton, W. E. ‘A further account of Robert Stillington.’
The Ricardian
, 54 (1976), 24-27. See also Kendall (1955),
op. cit
., pp 254-264.

19. For an account of Stillington’s extended family and connections see, Hampton, W. E. ‘Bishop Stillington’s Chapel at Wells and his family in Somerset.’
The Ricardian
, 56 (1977), 10-16.

20. Stillington later became Archdeacon of Berkshire in 1464 and he was succeeded in this position by both John Morton and Oliver King, whom we have also seen in our story.

21. Scofield, C. L.
The Life and Reign of Edward IV
(p. 94). London, 1923.

22. Smith, G.
The Dictionary of National Biography
(pp 1265–66). Ed. L. Stephen and S. Lee. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1882. A slightly different set of dates is provided in Maxwell-Lyte (1937),
op. cit.
, pp 1-2. Here the command to Nicholas Carent (dean) and Hugh Sugar (treasurer) of the cathedral was to allow Stillington ‘to have free administration of the bishopric in spirituals …’ was dated 11 January 1466 at Knoll. His confirmation as bishop by George Neville, Archbishop of York is dated 16 March 1466 ‘in the chapel of the Inn of the archbishop of York and others.’ It is possible this citation was to a later, and less formal ceremony. The two sources can be reconciled in this manner but further clarification is still needed.

23. Campbell, J.
Lives of the Lord Chancellors
(p. 329), John Murray: London, 1868.

24.
DNB
,
op. cit
. p. 1265.

25. We do not know exactly where Stillington retired to during the readeption of Henry VI. Intriguingly, he may just have been in sanctuary alongside Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey.