A Time-Line of Fifteenth Century England - 1398 to 1509

By Wm. E. Baumgaertner

"A Timeline of Fifteenth Century England" covers the broad stretch between the Edwards of the fourteenth century, and the Tudors of the sixteenth. It begins with the Lancastrian usurpation,and ends with the death of the first Tudor King. Packed in between, the throne of England was usurpted six times, England was invaded seven times by Englishmen, several times by the French, and some dozen times by the Scots. The fifteenth century saw the last phase of the Hundred Years War -- a heroic and frustrating thirty-five year struggle -- and the entire Wars of the Roses -- another thirty-five years of internecine bloodshed, including the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. Three different dynasties ruled England, by seven different kings, including the shortest reign of an English king since the Norman invasion. Meanwhile, English kings began to use English as the preferred written language, and the first book was printed in England. Parliament grew particularly strong, the King became a Constitutional Monarch, and England transformed from late medievalism into a reformation that led to the Renaissance. All this occurred during periods of corruption and chaos, murder and mayhem, treachery and betrayal, and war and rebellion, interspersed with occassional periods of peace and properity. It has been said that no King can rule the English for long without fighting a war, and the fifteenth century proves the point. Within these pages lies a timeline documenting all the key events and contrasting personalities of this turbulent period, from beginning to end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Sep 11, 2009
• ISBN: 9781426906381

Wm. E. Baumgaertner

Wm. E. Baumgaertner has an enduring interest in fifteenth century England, and this is his second history book on the subject. He is next planning a novel that takes place before and during the Wars of the Roses. He also has published a novel about dinosaurs, and is working on a reference book of the twentieth century. A transportation engineer by profession, he lives with his wife in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Book preview

A TIMELINE OF FIFTEEN CENTURY ENGLAND 1398-1509

WM. E. BAUMGAERTNER

Trafford Publishing

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Contents

PREFACE

A TIMELINE OF FIFTEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND 1398-1509

1398-Prelude

1399-Harbinger of Revolution

1400-A Shaky Beginning

1401-Welsh Rebellion, Scots Aggression

1402-Discontent in the North

1403-The Percy Rebellion

1404-Welsh Ascendency

1405-The Triple Alliance

1406-The Constitutional Monarch

1407-Dissention in France

1408-The Third Percy Rebellion

1409-End of the Welsh Rebellion

1410-The Bloodless Coup

1411-Internal Strife Abounds

1412-Kings Restrained, Princes Untamed

1413-From Henry IV to Henry V

1414-Beginnings of Religious Reform

1415-The Invasion of France

1416-Continental Alliances

1417-Beginnings of the Royal Navy

1418-The Reduction of Normandy

1419-The Fall of Rouen, and Normandy

1420-The Treaty of Troyes

1421-Setbacks and Gains in France

1422-The End of the Warrior-King

1423-Further English Gains in France

1424-Gains in War; Diplomatic Adjustments

1425-Gloucester’s Many Mis-Steps

1426-Settling Domestic Unrest

1427-Unexpected Turnabouts

1428-The Siege of Orléans

1429-The Maid of Orléans

1430-Henry VI’s Journey to France

1431-The Maid Endures

1432-Gloucester’s Quiet Coup

1433-In the Duke of Bedford’s Defense

1434-The Rise of Talbot

1435-The Young King Weeps

1436-Paris is Lost ... and Calais too?

1437-Warwick Returns, Talbot Shines

1438-Losing Ground at Home and Abroad

1439-Thwarted in Peace and War

1440-Harfleur Taken; Orléans Released

1441-To Pluck a Fleur, and Trim a Thorn

1442-The Vagaries of War Continue

1443-Rot Within, Weakness Without

1444-In Search of Peace and a Queen

1445-The Dove and a Royal Wedding

1446-The Fate of Maine in the Balance

1447-The Downfall of Gloucester

1448-The Loss of Maine

1449-The Collapse of Normandy

1450-Suffolk Falls, Somerset Rises

1451-The Fall of Gascony and Guyenne

1452-The Disgrace of York

1453-The Death of the English Achilles

1454-The Protector of England

1455-The White Rose Draws Blood

1456-The Red Rose Revives

1457-The Norman-Breton Navy

1458-The Keeper of the Seas

1459-The Red Rose Rampant

1460-The White Rose Resurgent

1461-The Red Rose Checkmated

1462-Rumors of Invasion

1463-Beset by Turncoats and Traitors

1464-An Ill-Advised Marriage

1465-The Capture of Henry VI

1466-The Wydville Ascendancy

1467-The Burgundian Connection

1468-Renewed War on the Continent

1469-The Warwick Deception

1470-The Red Rose Resurrected

1471-The White Rose Victorious

1472-Auncien and Mortall Adversary

1473-The Oxford Invasions

1474-Maneuvering Against France

1475-Invading France for Fun and Profit

1476-Peace in England, Strife in Europe

1477-Matrimonial Pursuits

1478-The Final Fall of Clarence

1479-Misunderstandings in Scotland

1480-Brewing Trouble with Scotland

1481-To Make Rigorous and Cruel War

1482-The Invasion of Scotland

1483-The Year of Three Kings

1484-Trying to Pluck the Tudor Rose

1485-Tudor Rose Triumphant

1486-The Roses Intertwined

1487-The Last Battle of the Roses?

1488-Discord in Scotland and France

1489-Unrest in the North

1490-The Breton Succession Settled?

1491-The End of Breton Independence

1492-Another Invasion of France

1493-Valois and Hapsburg Reconciled

1494-The Statutes of Drogheda

1495-Warbeck’s Invasion of Kent

1496-Warbeck Invades from the North

1497-Cornishmen, Scotsmen, and Warbeck

1498-Reconciliation with Scotland

1499-Pruning Another White Rose

1500-Henry VII Visits Calais

1501-The Last White Rose Flees

1502-First Bud of the Tudor Rose Dies

1503-Union of the Thistle and the Rose

1504-The Last White Rose Ensnared

1505-Who Has the White Rose?

1506-Trimming the Last White Rose

1507-The First Bud of the Thistle-Rose

1508 -Union of the Castle and the Rose?

1509 -Petals Fall from the Tudor Rose

Bibliography

DEDICATION

To the Memory of

Louis Richard Baumgaertner

an avid student of history

and

to

Ann Baumgaertner Court

another student of history,

especially of history in the making.

PREFACE

Considering how much has been written about the fourteenth century and the Edwards, and the sixteenth century and the Tudors (and how little seems to have been written about the fifteenth century), one would think nothing happened in that dull interim period. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. If we allow ourselves to start with 1399, then the throne of England was usurped six times in that century. Three different dynasties ruled England, by seven different kings. Twice England was ruled by two different kings at the same time, and there was a long period of time when some would contend that no king ruled at all (although technically they would be incorrect).

The last phase of the Hundred Years War, and the entire Wars of the Roses were fought in the fifteenth century. England was invaded at least seven times by Englishmen (not counting border incursions from Scotland by displaced factions), several times by the French, and some dozen times by the Scots. England invaded France on multiple occasions, and invaded Scotland about as many times as it was invaded by Scotland.

During the fifteenth century, English kings began to use the English language as their preferred written language, and the first book was printed in England. Parliament grew particularly strong (confirming itself as the source of taxes and revenues), the King became a Constitutional Monarch, and England transformed from the Late Medieval Period into the Reformation. During the fifteenth century, there occurred the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil, and the shortest reign of an English monarch since the Norman invasion. Fifteenth century England was a particularly exciting time, matching any other century for corruption at the highest levels, betrayals by friends and brothers, double and triple-dealing, internecine warfare, as well as murder, greed, treachery, and general chaos and mayhem. And within these pages lies the truth of it all.

Sources of Information

The Bibliography indicates the sources used to gather the information contained herein. But it may be worth pointing out here those primary sources that were used to generate the vast majority of the material contained in this document.

My primary sources of information were: (1) Burke’s Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, 104th Edition, Peter Townsend, 1967; (2) A General and Heraldic Dictionary of Peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland-Extinct, Dormant and in Abeyance, Sir John Burke, 1831; (3) Britain’s Kings & Queens, Michael St. John Parker, 1999; (4) Agincourt 1415: Triumph Against the Odds, Matthew Bennett, 1994; (5) The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens, Mike Ashley, 1999; (6) The Concise Guide to Kings & Queens-A Thousand Years of European Monarchy, Peter Gibson, 1992; (7) The Hundred Years War, the English in France, 1337-1453, Desmond Seward, 1978; (8) Who’s Who in British History, Late Medieval England, 1272-1485, Michael A. Hicks, 2001; (9) The End of the House of Lancaster, R. L. Storey, 1999; (10) Wales and the Wars of the Roses, Howell T. Evans, 1998 (c.1915); (11) John Talbot & The War in France: 1427-1453, A.J. Pollard, 1983, 2005; (12) Is Paris Lost? The English Occupation 1422-1436, Raymond Reagan Butler, 2003; (13) Scotland-The Later Middle Ages, Ranald Nicholson, 1978; (14) A Directory of British Peerages, Francis L. Leeson, 1986; (15) Handbook of British Chronology, Sir F. Maurice Powicke and E.B. Fryde, 1961; (16) Crown and Nobility, 1450-1509, J.R. Lander, 1976; (17) The Reign of Henry Vi, R.A. Griffiths, 1998; (18) Henry Vi, Margaret of Anjou and the Wars of the Roses-A Source Book, Keith Dockray, 2000; (19) Edward IV: a Source Book, Keith Dockray, 1999; (20) Richard iii, a Source Book, Keith Dockray, 1997; (21) The Castle Community-English and Welsh Castle Personnel, 1272-1422, John Rickard, 2002; and especially important, (22) Lancaster and York: A Century of English History, A.D. 1399-1485, James Henry Ramsay, 1892.

Of additional importance have been (23) The Dictionary of National Biography, edited by Leslie Stephens and Sidney Lee (1885-1900), and (24) the online encyclopedia, en.wikipedia.org. The former was used with some care, as this early edition of DNB is replete with incorrect dates, and occasional mis-information. The latter (wikipedia), although short on detail, is a rich, colorful, expansive document that was quite helpful with individuals, titles, offices, and dates.

In Appreciation

I would like to thank my wife, Kathy Herrin Baumgaertner, for her help, and for her patience. Thanks for all of the research on the Internet. Thanks for seeming to draw from somewhere the patience necessary to deal with my passion for Medieval England. And thanks for all of the other ways in which you have shown your support. Surely with the patience you have displayed, you have been elevated in the peerage of heaven.

I would also like to thank my editor, John E. Morris, for all of the time and patience that he has spent on this document.

Finally, I need to express my appreciation to the little grey tabby cat, Snugs, who acted as my muse for such a great part of this effort, sleeping on the desk in front of me, or on the chair beside me, demanding that I pay as much attention to her as to the details contained herein. I also offer my appreciation to her mentors Tiger and Chow, to her brother Rocket (her life’s companion), to her sister Gucci, who could teach her a thing or two about patience, and to the new kid on the block, Oreo, who certainly tries what patience she has.

A TIMELINE OF FIFTEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND 1398-1509

1398-Prelude

January Sir Henry Plantagenet of Bolingbroke, first Duke of Hereford, and Sir Thomas Mowbray, first Duke of Norfolk, have a strong disagreement about what is said in private between them. Hereford accuses Norfolk of slandering Richard II-accusing him of saying that the King could not be trusted, even if he swore on God’s body, and that his vengeance would ultimately extend to both Hereford and Norfolk. (Very likely Norfolk made these statements, and very likely they are true.) Hereford confides this to his father, who insists that it be repeated to the King. Hereford repeats the accusations to the King, who demands that he draw them up in writing.

January 30 Parliament. Then, in the Parliament at Shrewsbury, Hereford repeats the charges, and accuses Norfolk of treason. Richard II gives the matter over to a commission, and pardons Hereford of any wrongdoing.

February 23 The Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk appear before the King at Oswestry. Norfolk denies the accusation, and denounces Hereford as a liar and a traitor. Richard II arrests both of them. Hereford is later released, and the matter is next turned over to a Court of Chivalry at Windsor. Before this Court, Norfolk partially admits his indiscretion. The Court orders that the matter should be decided by combat. Norfolk, who is Earl Marshal of England and a warrior of some renown, accepts the verdict. The Duke of Hereford, a renowned champion of the joust, also accepts.

September 16 The Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk meticulously prepare for the combat. Hereford acquires the finest Italian armor from Milan. Norfolk acquires the finest German armor. The lists are set at Gosford Green, at Coventry. Popular feelings run high, with the Londoners hating Norfolk for being the murderer of the well-loved Duke of Gloucester. They support their old favorite, the man who has won their hearts in the joust, Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford. Richard II and his Court are present. A very large crowd has gathered, yet Richard’s closest advisors suggest that he not let the combat go forward-not only would royal blood be spilled, but the crowd might afterwards get unruly, or uncontrollable. Just before the beginning of the contest, as the charges are being sounded, Richard II interposes. He and his Council deliberate, and at the advice of his Council, and to secure the peace, Richard II prohibits the combat from proceeding. He banishes both contestants (Norfolk is banished for life, and Sir Henry of Bolingbroke is banished for ten years).

September Both Dukes are made to swear that they will not contact each other, nor contact the exiled Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury. Richard II is almost apologetic to the Duke of Hereford, and promises Sir Henry that he will not lose his inheritance as a consequence of the banishment. Richard allows him a six week stay at Sandgate Castle, and a month at Calais. He is also allowed £2,000 a year to live on, as a gift of the King. (The indiscrete Norfolk goes further abroad. He dies in Venice in 1400, some say of the pestilence, others say of grief.)

October 13 Sir Henry of Bolingbroke leaves England about October 13, 1398. His children stay in England. He goes directly to Paris, where he is received with high acclaim. The Hotel Clisson is set aside for his residence. When it is learned that so many honors bestowed upon him are displeasing to Richard II, more discretion is shown. Although there is a proposed match between him and a daughter of the Duc de Berry, who is his special confidant, marital matters do not proceed-it being whispered that no daughter of France should marry a traitor. Meanwhile, the Duke of Hereford contemplates further journeys, adventures, and challenges, as he had done earlier in his life, but his father forbids them. So he remains quietly in Paris until his father dies.

1399-Harbinger of Revolution

The years 1399 through 1403 are extremely wet years, with significant rainfalls throughout the springs and summers ... in England, laurel trees wither throughout the realm, but then revive ...

A comet is beheld in the skies ... in France this is seen as a harbinger of revolution.

January 13 Great Council. A great council is held at Coventry. Richard II’s intention to invade Ireland is discussed. The King’s relaxation of the statute of provisions is formally approved.

January Scottish Parliament. At Perth, Sir David Stewart, eleventh Earl of Carrick, and recently first Duke of Rothesay, first born son and heir of Robert III, is appointed King’s Lieutenant. The appointment has a limit of three years, but the King’s Lieutenant has full royal authority to govern the land. However, he must be guided by a special council drawn from the three estates.

February 3 The father of Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford-that is, Sir John Plantagenet of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster-dies.

Early March Without the advice of the Council, Richard II revokes the Letters of Patent granted to the heir of Sir John of Gaunt, his first born son Sir Henry Plantagenet of Bolingbroke, confiscating all of Bolingbroke’s estates-probably the largest amalgamation of land in the realm. He also decides to banish Bolingbroke for life.

The Percys are among the many Lords who protest vehemently against this action. The Percys protest a bit too vehemently, and Richard II orders their arrest. Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, advises his relations to withdraw northward to protect themselves from the King. Worcester’s brother, Sir Henry Percy, first Earl of Northumberland, and his nephew Sir Henry Hotspur Percy, quickly retreat to their power-base, staying around Warkworth Castle. The King sends several emissaries to the Percys, demanding that they return to him, but they wisely demur, claiming that uncertainties in the North require their presence there. Sentences of confiscation and banishment are soon issued against them. The Earl and his son, Hotspur, are unmoved, and remain under arms in their own territory. Richard II holds off executing the warrants against Northumberland and Hotspur due to troubles in Ireland.

March 18 Council Meeting. A council is convened at Westminster to confirm the King’s revocation of the Bolingbroke Letters of Patent. The Mowbray Letters of Patent are also annulled. (Margaret Mowbray, Duchess of Norfolk, dies on March 24, freeing this great estate for manipulation by the King.) Further, Henry Bowet, the attorney who had assisted Bolingbroke in obtaining his Letters of Patent, is condemned to death for assisting Bolingbroke.

March 22 Richard II establishes a commission to negotiate with the Scots, seeking not only a renewal of the truce, but a discussion leading to a final peace between the two realms.

April 16 Richard II writes his Will, providing that the acts of his last Parliament should be carried out even after his death, to the extent that he provides for a sum of money to spend in upholding the said acts, to the death if need be.

May 4 The Scots constitute a commission to treat with the English. Sir David Stewart, first Duke of Rothesay, (who is leading the Scottish effort to reach an accord with the English), heads up the commission, while his uncle Sir Robert Stewart, first Duke of Albany, (who does not wish to reach an accord with the English), is not a member.

May Richard II celebrates the Garter feast at Windsor with exceptional splendor. He takes farewell of his child-queen, Isabel de Valois (eldest daughter of Charles VI of France), lifting her in his arms and kissing her many times.

May 14 Hawdenstank Accord. The English and Scots agree to extend the truce until Michaelmas (September 29) 1400.

May 29 Richard II sets sail for Ireland. Sir Thomas de Holland, Duke of Surrey, already in Ireland, commands a host of 160 men-at-arms, and 800 archers. Accompanying the King are Sir Edward Plantagenet of Norwich, Duke of Aumale; Sir John de Holland, Duke of Exeter; Sir Thomas le Despenser, Earl of Gloucester; Sir John Montagu, third Earl of Salisbury; Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester; a number of Barons (including Bardolf); churchmen; foreign mercenaries; and the King’s own Cheshiremen. Aumale and Exeter each bring 140 men-at-arms and 600 archers. Each of the Earls brings 35 men-at-arms and 100 archers.

Richard II takes with him as a hostage Henry Plantagenet of Monmouth (later Henry V), the son and heir of Sir Henry Plantagenet of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster & Hereford. He also intends to take Thomas Fitzalan (heir of the Earl of Arundel) as a hostage, but Thomas escapes to France, and joins up with Sir Henry of Bolingbroke.

Richard II feels so secure against the possibility of a reprisal from Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, that he leaves the less than competent Sir Edmund Plantagenet of Langley, Duke of York, as his Regent.

June 1 A Sunday, Richard II arrives at Waterford, in Ireland.

June Sir Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, as Richard’s Regent, assembles an army at St. Albans, in anticipation of a possible invasion by Sir Henry of Bolingbroke.

June Richard II, in pursuing Art mac Art MacMurrogh-Kavanagh, King of Leinster, travels through densely wooded country, neither finding his enemy, nor enough food to sustain his army. At one point, even the knights do not eat for five days running. MacMurrogh grants Sir Thomas le Despenser, Earl of Gloucester an interview, but his terms are so extravagant that Richard pales when hearing them. Richard is so angry, that he swears by St. Edward that he will not leave Ireland until MacMurrogh is in his power, dead or alive.

June 17 Secret Treaty. A secret treaty between Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, and Louis, Duc d’Orléans, is signed. Soon thereafter, Sir Henry of Bolingbroke secretly leaves Paris to prepare for an invasion of England. He observes the closest secrecy, and his whereabouts are confused, as well as his destination. He lets out that he is heading for Spain.

July Sir Henry, Duke of Lancaster, and his few supporters leave Boulogne, assisted by a few English merchants, in three small ships. He is accompanied by Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury; Thomas Erpingham; Thomas Fitzalan (soon to be Earl of Arundel); John Northbury; Walter de Hungerford (?); and only fifteen lances.

July Sir William le Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire, is ready at Dover to repulse Sir Henry of Bolingbroke. Sir Henry makes a number of feints, disguising his intended destination.

July In the first week of July, Richard II enters Dublin. He proposes a new campaign against Art mac Art MacMurrogh-Kavanagh in the autumn, when there are no leaves on the trees for MacMurrogh to hide behind. It is said by some that he intends to make Sir Thomas de Holland, Duke of Surrey the King of Ireland.

July 4/15 Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, and his supporters enter the Humber and land at Ravenser Spur (Ravenspur), at about the same time that Richard II is entering Dublin.

July People flock to Sir Henry of Bolingbroke’s banner. He collects additional troops as he marches through England. Shut out of Hull, he enters his own Castle at Pickering without resistance. At Doncaster he is met by Sir Ralph de Neville, first Earl of Westmorland; Sir Henry Percy, first Earl of Northumberland; and his son, Sir Henry Hotspur Percy; and many other nobles from the North. (It is later reported that at a Council here, he solemnly swears that he has no designs upon the Crown.)

July After learning that Sir Henry of Bolingbroke has already landed, Sir Edmund Plantagenet of Langley, Duke of York, Sir William le Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire, along with Sir John Bussy, Sir Henry Green, and Sir William Bagot, three knights left to assist the Duke of York as Regent, all flee to Bristol, awaiting the return of Richard.

July Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, leads a large army from Doncaster first to Leicester. Richard’s ministers have fled to Bristol, so Bolingbroke next moves to nearby Berkeley.

Mid-July At about this time, Richard II first learns that Sir Henry of Bolingbroke has invaded England. Very surprised and angry, he declares that Bolingbroke will die a death that will be heard of as far away as Turkey. He sends Bolingbroke’s heir, Henry of Monmouth, and Humphrey of Gloucester (Monmouth’s cousin) to Trim Castle for safekeeping.

July Richard II is advised to take what forces he has, and with the available shipping, move immediately into North Wales. He rejects this advice, and instead returns to Waterford where more shipping is available. He ships the bulk of his army to Milford Haven in southwest Wales, hoping to join up with the remainder of his supporters at Bristol. He sends Sir Thomas Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, ahead to raise forces in Cheshire and North Wales.

Late July Reaching Milford Haven in the last week of July, Richard II realizes that Bolingbroke will reach Bristol before he can. He decides to move with all speed into North Wales. His army is impeded by the rough Welsh terrain, and he directs Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, to disperse it, continuing to add to his list of mistakes and miscalculations. He then, with a small group of followers, tries to move more rapidly towards North Wales, expecting the Earl of Salisbury to have an army awaiting him there.

July 27 Sir Edmund Plantagenet of Langley, Duke of York, Richard’s Regent, joins Sir Henry of Bolingbroke at Berkeley, bringing his army with him. Bolingbroke, with no army to oppose him, now rushes to Bristol.

July 29 The City of Bristol opens it gates to Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster.

July 29/30 Some of the King’s most reviled ministers, Sir William le Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire, along with the knights Sir John Bussy and Sir Henry Green, are beheaded. (Sir William Bagot escapes a similar fate.)

August Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, presses northward by forced marches through the Welsh Marches, passing through Gloucester, Ross, Hereford, Ludlow, and Shrewsbury, with no real resistance anywhere.

August 9: Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, reaches Chester.

August Richard II reaches Conwy Castle. Here he finds that the levies that the Earl of Salisbury had collected, have already dispersed. His own small following has also shrunken to six by further desertions.

August 18 Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, sends Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, and Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, to Conwy Castle to meet Richard II. Here, it is reported, Richard first offers to resign his crown.

August 19 Richard II is taken to Flint Castle, where he is met by Sir Henry of Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke advises Richard II that he has come to seek his inheritance. Richard advises that he is prepared to restore it. Bolingbroke is said to have treated his captive with respect, but he did mount him on a sorry hack for his journey to Chester.

August 19 Writs of Summons to Parliament are issued in Chester, in Richard II’s name, for a Westminster Parliament on September 30.

August 21 Bolingbroke and Richard II begin their journey to London.

August At Leicester, Richard II manages to escape, but is soon re-captured.

September 1 Sir Henry of Bolingbroke and Richard II arrive in London. The Mayor and citizens come out to congratulate Bolingbroke. Richard II is taken to Westminster. Bolingbroke visits his father’s tomb in St. Paul’s, then retires to St. John’s Priory to await Parliament. Probably sometime in early September, Sir Henry of Bolingbroke is joined in London by his heir, Sir Henry of Monmouth.

September 2 Richard II is transferred to the Tower.

September 29 Richard II, in the Tower of London, abdicates before Sir Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster; Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury; Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland; Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland; and a committee of Lords and others. Richard II insists upon reading his resignation himself, and does so with a cheerful mien. He also declares that he is unworthy of the crown. He adds that it is his wish that Lancaster be his successor, and he places the royal signet ring upon Sir Henry of Bolingbroke’s finger.

September 30 Parliament is assembled at Westminster. The gathered Lords stand around the empty throne in Westminster Hall, and accept Richard II’s resignation. They decide that the thirty-three counts of accusation against Richard II constitute sufficient grounds to depose him. They then choose Sir Henry of Bolingbroke to fill the vacant throne. Sir Henry is led to the vacant throne by the two archbishops, and seats himself. Henry gives a speech disclaiming any right of conquest (he does not want to sully his claim to the throne). He claims the throne on the grounds of being in the right line of descent from Henry III, and due to the misgovernment of Richard II. The Parliament having been called by Richard II, who has abdicated, the assembly ends the same day (as the Writs of Summons are deemed invalidated). (Sir Henry Plantagenet of Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford and of Lancaster, thus safely and legally usurps the throne from Richard II, and is declared Henry IV.)

September 30 Writs of Summons to Parliament are issued in the name of Henry IV for a Westminster Parliament on October 6. Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland, is appointed Marshal of England.

October 1 The homages to Richard II by his Lords and Commons are renounced. Richard II is informed that his resignation has been accepted, that he is to be deposed, and that he is no longer King of England. He answers only that he hopes Lancaster will be a good lord to him.

October 6 Parliament is assembled at Westminster (Oct. 6-Nov. 19). Henry IV opens Parliament. The Speaker of the House of Commons is Sir John Cheney.

October 7 Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland, and Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, officially convey Richard II’s abdication to the new Parliament.

Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, is awarded the Lordship of the Isle of Mann (which conferrs upon the owner the right to be called the King of the Isle of Mann). Henry IV also restores both the Earl of Northumberland’s offices and his authority, including Constable of England, Warden of the Western Marches towards Scotland (his son Sir Henry becomes Warden of the Eastern Marches), and authority to conquer most of southern Scotland. This latter does not include the funding of these conquests, which can only succeed with royal financial support. Border warfare continues, with the Percy’s and the Douglases being the principal antagonists.

October 10 The Commons petition that Richard’s evil councillors (which included Sir John Montagu, Earl of Salisbury and the Holland brothers, other Lords Appellant of 1397) be arrested. Sir Thomas, fourth Baron Morley, accuses the Earl of Salisbury of complicity in the 1397 deaths of Sir Thomas Plantagenet of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, and Sir Richard Fitzalan, tenth Earl of Arundel, and in the imprisonment of Sir Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and challenges him to trial by combat. Salisbury accepts, and meanwhile is placed in the Tower with his fellow Appellants.

October 11 Henry IV, now residing in the Tower, in the presence of Richard II, creates over forty new knights, including his four sons. In the process, Henry IV establishes the knightly Order of the Bath.

October 12 Henry IV rides from the Tower to Westminster in state.

October 13 Henry IV is coronated in great splendor. At the coronation, the King’s heir (Sir Henry of Monmouth) bears the Curtana sword. Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland, bears the small scepter (called the virge, or rod with the dove). His younger half-brother, John de Neville, Baron Latimer, still a minor, carries the great royal scepter.

October 14 Parliament. Parliament re-assembles (Oct. 14-Nov. 19). The Speaker of the House of Commons is John Dorewood. After a stormy argument, the chief supporters of Richard II are deprived of their awards of 1397 (most of these were newly created dukedoms). Richard II is condemned to imprisonment for life. Henry IV tries strenuously to be lenient with his enemies, causing murmurs among his supporters.

October 15 In Parliament, Sir Henry Plantagenet of Monmouth, first-born son of Henry IV, is created Prince of Wales, as well as Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester.

October Richard II, disguised as a forester, is taken to Leed’s Castle, in Kent, at this time under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Soon he will be taken to Lancaster’s Castle of Pickering, and then successively to the King’s castles of Knaresborough and Pontefract. At Pontefract Castle Richard II is under the authority of Sir Robert Waterton and Sir Thomas Swynford (Henry’s step-brother).

October 23 Sir Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester, is created Duke of Aquitaine.

After Nov. 1/2 Sometime after November 1 or 2, when John IV de Montfort, Duke of Brittany dies, opening up a place in the Order of the Knights of the Garter, Sir Humphrey Plantagenet, fourth son of Henry IV, becomes eligible to be invested into the Order. There are already three other vacancies available for his older brothers, Henry, Thomas, and John Plantagenet.

Early Nov. A quickly arranged truce with the Scots is coming to an end. The Scots have already begun to raid across the border. Robert III, King of Scotland, writes a letter to Henry IV addressing him as Duke of Lancaster, Count of Derby, and Seneschal of England. Henry IV is greatly insulted.

November 3 Sentence is pronounced upon the 1397 Appellants, but Salisbury is exempted, as he is to prove his innocense or guilt by combat with Baron Morley. Although the Londoners demand his execution, he is freed from the Tower through the intercession of Henry IV’s sister Elizabeth, Countess of Huntingdon (wife of Sir John de Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, former Duke of Exeter), and Sir Thomas Holland, third Earl of Kent (former Duke of Surrey), becomes surety for Salisbury.

November 10 In Parliament, Henry IV announces his plan to invade Scotland in the spring.

November 10 Sir Henry Plantagenet of Monmouth, first-born son of Henry IV, is also created Duke of Lancaster. Also this year, about this time, he is invested as a Knight of the Garter, along with his brothers, Thomas, John, and Humphrey.

November 15 Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, is confirmed as Admiral of England.

November 19 Parliament comes to an end. Sometime around this period, Henry IV, his heir Sir Henry of Monmouth, and many members of his household come down with a severe illness (attributed to poison) that leaves many incapacitated, some through the Christmas season and into early January.

November 29 Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, and Walter Skirlaw, Bishop of Durham, are appointed commissioners to France, to announce the change in monarchs, and to treat with the French. Henry IV hopes to arrange a marriage between his eldest son, Sir Henry of Monmouth, and a French princess, possibly Richard’s young wife, Isabella de Valois (assuming she becomes a widow).

December 10 Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, and Walter Skirlaw, Bishop of Durham, depart for Calais, on their mission to France. (Negotiations will last through March 1400. The French Court views Henry IV as a usurper, and press for the immediate return of Isabella and her dowery. Charles VI goes so far as to refuse to accept for Henry the title of King. Instead, he encourages the Scots, whose truce with the English had expired on Michaelmas (late September), to raid northern England.)

December 17 Sir John Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, meets with Sir John de Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, Sir Thomas Holland, third Earl of Kent, and Sir Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Rutland, at the abbot’s house at Westminster, and they enter into a conspiracy to unseat Henry IV, in favor of the Hollands’ half-brother, Richard II.

Figure 1. Conwy Castle-Western Walls andTowers

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1400-A Shaky Beginning

This year has significant rainfall throughout the spring and summer.

January 4 Richard II’s favorites are involved in a conspiracy to unseat Henry IV, in favor of the Hollands’ half-brother, Richard II. They are (1) Sir John de Holland, Earl of Huntingdon (former Duke of Exeter); (2) his brother Sir Thomas Holland, third Earl of Kent (former Duke of Surrey and Earl of Warwick); (3) Sir John Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, (4) Sir Thomas le Despencer, second Baron de Spencer, Earl of Gloucester, as well as (5) Sir Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Rutland, son of Sir Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York and (6) Sir Ralph, Baron Lumley. If Richard II is already dead, then they plan to support the rightful heir, Sir Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March (Richard II’s heir presumptive), a boy barely seven years old. They meet at Kingston. Here they assemble a force which they hope will preclude Henry IV from making it safely to London.

January 5/6 The plot is betrayed by Sir Edward, Earl of Rutland, son of the Duke of York. Henry and his family, with a few followers, escape to London during the night.

January 6 By afternoon, Henry IV has a large force assembled on Hounslow Heath.

January 6 The conspirators come to Windsor Castle disguised as Christmas players, for the purpose of murdering Henry IV and his sons during the jousting tournament planned for the Twelfth Day of Christmas. They hope to capture Windsor Castle as well. They find that the plot has been discovered, so the conspirators flee. The Earl of Huntingdon flees east, towards London. Eventually he is caught and beheaded. The rest ride to Reading, visit Queen Isabella at Sonning, and try unsuccessfully to raise the people into rebellion against Henry IV. Next they decide to retreat to the Welsh borderlands, and Salisbury leads a group of their forces to Woodstock, where he is joined by the Earl of Kent. Pressing onward, they arrive on the night of the sixth at Cirencester in Gloucester.

January 6/7 At Cirencester the populace becomes alarmed, as the conspirartors have arrived in the middle of the night with a large group of soldiers. A battle ensues, which rages from midnight to three o’clock in the morning. Then Kent, Salisbury, and Lumley surrender, hoping to be able to speak with the King before being put to death. They are housed in the abbey, under the charge of Sir Thomas, fifth Baron Berkeley. Gloucester flees towards Bristol.

January 7 Unfortunately for Kent, Salisbury, and Lumley, that afternoon a priest of their party sets fire to the town to help facilitate their escape. The townspeople become so incensed over this that the captives are brought out of the abbey in which they are being kept, and Kent, Salisbury, and Lumley are beheaded. By the time Henry arrives with an army, the rebels have been dealt with by the local populace.

January Gloucester is captured at Bristol, condemned by the commons, dragged into the marketplace, and subsequently beheaded by the rabble.

January 15 Henry IV, with the major traitors dead, orders more formal executions of the lesser traitors. On this date he is back in London, giving thanks for the suppression of the rebellion.

February 9 Great Council. At the Great Council meeting on this date, a recommendation is developed that if Richard, late king, be still living, as it is supposed he is, order should be taken that he be surely guarded, and adds further that if he is dead, that his body should be shown to the people, so that they may know of his death. (Some might construe this as an open invitation of the Great Council to execute/assassinate Richard II.)

February Over the next several days, there is a flurry of communication between London and Pontefract Castle, where Richard II is being kept.

February 14 Richard II either dies or is murdered in Pontefract Castle (sometime between February 9 and 17). He was 33 years of age. One possibility is that hearing that his supporters are all dead, he refuses food and drink, and slowly withers away. Some claim that he has been starved to death, to avoid spilling royal blood.

February 17 Richard II’s body is transported from Pontefract Castle to London. To convince the public that he is dead, his body is exhibited in Cheap in London. Many do not believe that the body is really Richard II, and it is believed that Richard is in Scotland, under the protection of the King of Scotland. Henry IV attends the services for Richard II held at St. Paul’s. Then Henry IV has Richard buried without ceremony in the friar’s church at his manor of King’s Langley.

February 18 George Dunbar, ninth Earl of Dunbar, Scottish Earl of March, writes to Henry IV, offering to switch allegiance from Robert III to Henry IV. (Background: Dunbar is greatly angered at Robert III for accepting a large dowry in gold from Dunbar so that Robert III’s son and heir Sir David Stewart, first Duke of Rothesay, would marry Dunbar’s daughter, Elizabeth. Both Robert III and Rothesay renege, Rothesay instead marries Marjorie, the daughter of Sir Archibald the Grim, third Earl of Douglas, and Robert III refuses to return Dunbar’s gold.) Henry IV accepts, asking Dunbar what castles he would be willing to turn over to Henry IV for an annuity, how many men he would require to raid Scotland, and when he would need them.

March Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, is sent with a fleet to Guyenne to quell threatened problems there. He is able to successfully placate Bordeaux and Bayonne.

June 9 Henry IV orders that an army be assembled at York on this date for an expedition of reprisal against the Scots. However, his army gets stalled due to lack of money (a chronic problem).

June The French reaffirm the truce with England, grudgingly acknowledging that the original treaty was made between the realms and peoples of England and France, not personally between Richard II and Charles VI.

July While Henry IV is collecting troops for the invasion of Scotland, Robert III proposes a full peace, based upon the 1328 Treaty of Northampton (or Edinburgh). This Treaty explicitly recognizes the independence of Scotland, and renounces the English King’s overlordship. Henry IV refuses the offer.

August Wenceslas I, Holy Roman Emperor, also King of Germany, Duke of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, also called Vaclav or Wenzel, is deposed by the Electors for drunkenness and incompetence after a prolonged drunken stupor. He is replaced by Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg as Holy Roman Emperor. Unfortunately for Frederick, he is assassinated immediately after the votes are counted.

August Rupert III, King of Germany, Count of the Palatine of the Rhine, is elected Holy Roman Emperor after Frederick is assassinated.

August 6 Henry IV writes from Newcastle reminding Robert III that the King of England is the overlord of the King of Scotland. He advises Robert III that he will be in Edinburgh on August 23 to receive Robert III’s acknowledgment that Henry IV is his overlord. Robert III’s reply refuses, and likens Henry IV to a common thief (a reference to his usurpation of the English throne).

August 13 Henry IV and Prince Henry of Monmouth cross into Scotland with an army of about 13,000 to try and stop the Scots from raiding over the border, and to seek Robert III’s homage. Young Prince Henry has a personal retinue of 17 men-at-arms and 99 archers. Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, not wishing to spend too much on what he considers a fruitless effort, arrays with the army with only 7 men-at-arms and 160 archers, well below the average for Earls. His rival, Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland, brings 200 men-at-arms and 1,000 archers. Henry IV notices the difference, and gages loyalty accordingly.

August 21 Henry IV arrives at Leith. He announces that he has come to Scotland because a certain Scottish magnate (probably Robert III’s heir, Sir David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, but possibly the King’s brother, Sir Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany) has libeled him to the French, and he has come to Scotland to see if that magnate is prepared to fight him, man-to-man, and to determine who is innocent, and who not.

August Rothesay stays holed up in Edinburgh Castle, and Henry IV assaults the castle in vain.

August Rothesay offers a counter-challenge: combat between a few hundred men on each side. Henry IV declines to accept. He resorts to minor raids into Scotland.

August The Scottish King, Robert III, will not concede defeat, and the Scottish army under the Duke of Albany shadows the English army, but refuses to fight. Instead it preys upon stragglers, and burns the countryside in advance of the English army. Little is accomplished by either side. Henry IV heads back towards England.

August 29 Henry IV re-enters England. He is too poor and too weak to maintain an army in the field against Scotland. He has little to show for the Scottish campaign except large debts to pay for the soldiers and supplies.

August What starts out as a land dispute between Owain Glyn Dwr, an educated and wealthy Welsh landowner, and Reginald, third Baron de Grey of Ruthyn, an unscrupulous English peer, becomes a highly volatile situation due to circumstances manipulated by Grey. Grey is with Henry IV on the Scottish border, and easily claims his ear. Meanwhile, Grey has also made certain that the summons of array sent to Owain Glyn Dwr never reaches him, so there is the appearance that Glyn Dwr has refused to answer Henry’s summons. Peeved over these appearances, Henry IV sides with Grey and awards him Owain Glyn Dwr’s land.

September 3 Henry IV is back in Newcastle.

September When Glyn Dwr returns to Wales, he learns that his greedy and rapacious nemesis, Reginald, Baron de Grey of Ruthyn, has accused him of being a traitor before Henry IV. He also learns that the land in dispute has already been given to Grey by Henry IV.

September 16 In retaliation, Glyn Dwr raises his standard at Glyndyfrdwy, on the Dee between Corwen and Llangollen. He attacks, plunders and burns some of Grey’s estates, and kills some of his household. The die is now cast, and soon most of North Wales is in rebellion.

Sept. 16-21 Over the next five days, Glyn Dwr’s men attack and burn the fortified towns of Denbigh, Flint, Hawarden, Holt, and Rhuddlan.

September 18 Glyn Dwr continues the rebellion against the English occupation of Wales, focusing on Baron Grey’s Ruthyn Castle. He bypasses the castle, and turns his attention on the town, which he attacks and burns. (Baron Grey is likely in northern England with Henry IV, although some place him at Ruthyn, noting he flees the attack.)

September 19 Henry IV, in Northampton, issues a summons for all the levies in the ten counties of the midlands and borders.

September 22 Glyn Dwr’s men turn along the Welsh border attacking and burning Oswestry, which is so badly destroyed that it has to be re-chartered. Glyn Dwr then turns south towards Welshpool.

September 24 Battle of River Vyrnwy. Glyn Dwr’s men sack Welshpool, but are met by Sheriff Hugh Burnell, who has quickly accumulated the levies of three counties (Shrops, Stafford, and Warwick) to meet the Welsh. He meets the Welsh on the banks of the River Vyrnwy, and soundly defeats them. The river runs red with Welsh blood. The survivors quickly withdraw, and disappear into the Welsh mountains.

September 26 The King is at Shrewsbury. He prepares to launch a lightning attack upon Wales. With him is Prince Henry.

Late SeptemberAbout this time, the Tudors of Anglesey, relations of Glyn Dwr’s, launch guerilla warfare against the English in support of Glyn Dwr.

Early October Henry IV and his son, Prince Henry of Monmouth, lead a punitive expedition into Wales. The expedition lasts barely a week, as the Welsh are much more skillful at fighting in mountainous terrain than the English are. Heavy rains and attacks by Welsh guerillas hamper the English.

October 15 Henry IV is back at Shrewsbury. He installs his thirteen year old son, Prince Henry of Monmouth, at Chester to handle things on his own. The Prince is left with his own Council, led by Sir Henry Hotspur Percy. Hotspur is really in charge, of both the training of the Prince in warfare, and in subduing Wales.

October 25 Geoffrey Chaucer, the great writer and poet, dies.

November 9 Henry IV is in Westminster, where he grants all of the forfeited lands of Owain Glyn Dwr to his half-brother, Sir John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset.

November 30 Prince Henry requires that all Welsh rebels appear before him at Chester on this date.

December 21 Manuel II Palæologus, Emperor of Constantinople, visits Henry IV (after first visiting Charles VI in Paris), seeking aid against Bajaret, the Turkish Sultan. He is met in great state by Henry IV and the English nobility at Blackheath. He is entertained during Christmas season at Eltham Palace, where twelve aldermen and their sons amuse the Court with a mystery. Henry gives Manuel 3,000 marks upon his departure, but can not help him in his war against the Turks.

1401-Welsh Rebellion, Scots Aggression

This is another extremely wet year, with significant rainfalls throughout the spring and summer.

January 20 Parliament is re-assembled at Westminster (Jan. 20-Mar. 10). The Speaker of the House of Commons is Sir Arnold Savage. De Heretico Comburendo is passed, whereby it is permitted to burn heretics at the stake. It is also forbidden to translate the Bible into English, and it is illegal to own a copy. There is also repressive legislation passed against the Welsh. This Parliament restores the good name and estate of Sir Edward of Norwich, which had been so tarnished by the Parliament of September 1399.

February 21 Scottish Parliament. The three estates meet in Scone.

March William Sawtrey, a follower of John Wycliffe, is the first Lollard to be burned at the stake.

March 10 Henry IV issues a general pardon to the Welsh rebels at the request of his son, Prince Henry. In response, Sir Henry Hotspur Percy issues a general pardon to all Welsh rebels, with the exception of Owain Glyn Dwr himself, and his two cousins Gwilym and Rhys ap Tudor ap Gronw of Penmynydd. Much of the country breaths a sigh of relief, and prepares to pay their taxes and get back to life as usual.

March Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland, is appointed a Commissioner to negotiate with the Holy Roman Emperor’s ambassadors, and a marriage between Emperor Rupert’s son, Louis, and Henry IV’s eldest daughter, Blanche Plantagenet of Lancaster, is successfully concluded.

Late March Sir Archibald Douglas, fourth Earl of Douglas, is the brother-in-law of Sir David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (Robert III’s heir and King’s Lieutenant). Douglas wishes to attack the English while they are distracted fighting Owain Glyn Dwr in Wales. The more cautious Rothesay wishes to pursue peace, and arranges to discuss a truce with the English Earl of Northumberland in April. Douglas and Rothesay have a falling out over this.

April 1 Good Friday, also All Fool’s Day. Owain Glyn Dwr’s nephews, Gwilym and Rhys ap Tudor, with only forty men, capture Conwy Castle in a daring surprise attack. The Castle has been garrisoned by fifteen men-at-arms and sixty archers, is well-provisioned, and is easily reinforced by sea. Knowing they can not take it by force, Gwilym and Rhys instead try a ruse. On Good Friday, all but five of the garrison are in the little church in town doing their devotions. A Welsh carpenter shows up at the gates of the castle, and claims to be there for his usual work. The two guards let him in, and he immediately attacks and overcomes the two of them. Throwing the gate open, Gwilym and Rhys ap Tudor and their forty men rush into and secure the castle.

April 3 Easter. Hearing of the capture of Conwy Castle, Sir Henry Hotspur Percy, accompanied by the thirteen year old Prince Henry of Monmouth, gathers his 120 men-at-arms and 300 archers, and races to Conwy Castle. He quickly places the castle under siege (and eventually it capitulates, in late May).

April 3 The peace negotiations intended by the Scottish King’s Lieutenant Sir David Stewart, first Duke of Rothesay, to commence on this date never take place.

April 20 Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, resigns his post as Admiral of England.

May 20 Royal Council. Another Royal Council meeting is convened, at which the ordinances for Wales are settled. Among those in attendance is Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester.

Late May Henry IV begins another expedition against the Welsh, as the capture of Conwy Castle has raised fears of a Welsh invasion.

May 28 Prince Henry and Sir Henry Hotspur Percy re-take Conwy Castle.

Impressed with the courage and daring of Gwilym and Rhys ap Tudor, Hotspur spares their lives; however, he beheads nine of their men who are wanted as felons. Hotspur, with Prince Henry in tow, next races about the Welsh countryside chasing down other bands of Glyn Dwr’s men.

May 30 Battle of Cader Idris. Prince Henry and Sir Henry Hotspur Percy, assisted by Sir Thomas Fitzalan, eleventh Earl of Arundel, defeat the Welsh at Cader Idris (but they never meet up with Owain Glyn Dwr).

June While the King is in Worcester preparing for an invasion of Wales, the Royal Council requests his return to London. Henry learns of the recapture of Conwy Castle, and discovers that the possibility of a Welsh invasion has been greatly exaggerated.

June Battle of Mynydd Hyddgen. Owain Glyn Dwr and an army of four hundred are camped at the bottom of Hyddgen Valley. Fifteen hundred English and Flemish settlers from Pembrokeshire suddenly charge down upon them. Glyn Dwr rallies his army, kills some two hundred of his attackers, and captures the rest. Upon learning of this, Henry IV decides upon another punitive invasion of Wales.

June 25 After resting his army at Worcester for a while, Henry IV returns to London on this date. Henry IV attends a Royal Council meeting on the very date of his return to London.

June 27 Henry IV visits the young Isabella de Valois before her departure to France. Unfortunately, his release of the French Princess buys him no good will from the French, and instead gives them a freer hand to act against him.

July Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, is among the commissioners that escorts the young Queen Isabella back to France.

After July 1 (Background: Sir David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, and King’s Lieutenant, has spurned the advise of his special council, and it has resigned. He is behaving more and more aggressively, and irrationally. He seizes the bishop’s castle at St. Andrews during its vacancy (Bishop Walter Trail has died by July 1). His father, Robert III, writes his uncle, Sir Robert Stewart, first Duke of Albany, and orders the arrest of his son, Rothesay, and asks Albany to hold Rothesay in ward until he mends his ways.) Sometime after July 1, on his way to St. Andrews, Rothesay is arrested by his Chamberlain, Sir James Ramorgny, and Sir William Lindsay of Rossie (whose sister he had once jilted). Sir Robert Stewart, first Duke of Albany, and Sir Archibald Douglas, the new fourth Earl of Douglas, arrive at St. Andrews to escort the Duke of Rothesay first to Albany Castle (and later to Falkland Castle).

July 18 Prince Thomas Plantagenet (thirteen years old) is appointed Lieutenant of Ireland, an office he holds through early 1404 (while actually resident in Ireland for only two years, from November 13, 1401 to November 8, 1403).

August Annoyed with the King for not being paid the wages for himself and his men for any of his exploits in Wales, Sir Henry Hotspur Percy resigns command of the army in Wales, and his role as tutor of Prince Henry, and leaves to continue fighting the Scots in the North with the rest of his family.

August 15 Great Council. Henry IV attends a Great Council Meeting at Westminster. The Council is attended by more knights of the shire than usual. The Council accepts war against both France and Scotland, and makes attempts to come up with the money to pay for them. The Council also agrees to send Prince Thomas Plantagenet, Lieutenant of Ireland, to Ireland to put down the chronic anarchy there.

August 30 Prince Henry is ordered to advance against the Welsh rebels.

September By now, Henry IV has become very unpopular. His officers are seizing supplies without paying for them (as they have no money to do so). Although fighting in Wales, and planning to fight Scotland and France, he has no money to pay for the soldiers he presently has, let alone additional ones. His friends complain that he has brought the realm to a state of anarchy, and near bankruptcy. Even his confessor, Philip Repyngham, Abbot of Leicester (and Bishop of Lincoln by 1404), scolds him for leading the realm into dire straits.

September 18 Henry IV issues a commission of array to assemble an army no later than October 2, to be assembled at Worcester, for another invasion of Wales.

October 1 Henry IV arrives in Worcester, prepared to invade Wales. He soon joins his son, Prince Henry.

October 2 Henry IV again invades through central Wales, and moves quickly. He pushes as far as the Abbey at Strata Florida (near Pontrhydygroes, southeast of Aberystwyth), where he exacts retribution upon the Cistercians there for supporting Glyn Dwr. He sets up a base of operations, which is used now, and will be used multiple times in the future for various operations (1402, 1407, and 1415).

October 8 Some of Henry IV’s forces are reported to have penetrated as far north as Bangor and Caernarvon. Other of his forces are reported to have raided towards the southwest into Cardigan. He fails to find or engage Glyn Dwr, or any significant numbers of his forces. He is continually harassed by hit-and-run tactics upon foragers, stragglers, and his supply train.

October 13 Henry IV and his main forces are reported at Mochdre (southwest of Newtown). The weather turns against him, and the King is forced to withdraw from Wales. His army is nearly washed away in the flooding, and the King almost loses his life when his tent is blown away.

October 15 Henry IV’s army finally reaches Shrewsbury, wet, starving, and dejected. The King arranges for the administration of Wales. Prince Henry is to have Anglesey, with £1,000 per year. Sir Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, is appointed his tutor.

October Sir Thomas Erpingham is appointed guardian of Sir Thomas Plantagenet (Henry IV’s second oldest son).

October Peace negotiations take place at Kirk Yetholm, in Scotland. The English insist that Robert III pay homage to Henry IV. The Scots respond in a decidedly non-diplomatic manner. The English ask if Robert III would consent to arbitration over the issue of homage. Matthew de Glendonwyn, Bishop of Glasgow, responds by asking if Henry IV would be willing to put his right to the English throne to arbitration. The conference then breaks up.

November 2 Owain Glyn Dwr attacks Caernarvon Castle with a great army, but is driven off by the English garrison, sustaining 300 casualties.

Early Nov. Henry IV is back at Westminster.

November Sir Archibald, fourth Earl of Douglas, has now become Sir Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany’s chief negotiator with the English. He meets with Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. Northumberland offers a marriage alliance between the two Royal houses. The Scots reject the offer. Next Northumberland offers a one year truce. Douglas again rejects the offer. This tells the English that the Scots plan to invade during the next campaign season next summer. The English begin to fortify the northern border, and prepare the Scottish Marches for war.

November 13 Sir Thomas Plantagenet, newly appointed Lieutenant of Ireland, leaves for Dublin, accompanied by Sir Thomas Erlingham and John Fastolf. They will be in Ireland for two years.

Late in year Sir Archibald, fourth Earl of Douglas, invades northern England, in violation of the peace agreement then in force. A state of open warfare between the two countries results.

Figure 2. Worcester Castle Tower

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1402-Discontent in the North

Again there is significant rainfall throughout the spring and summer.

January 30 Owain Glyn Dwr again attacks the lordship of Ruthyn, carrying off numerous cattle to Snowdon. He judiciously avoids attacking the lordships of Denbigh and other possessions of the Earl of March.

Feb./March During Lent, Owain Glyn Dwr makes another feint towards Ruthyn, then retreats, and entices Reginald, Baron de Grey of Ruthyn, into pursuit. Glyn Dwr then turns back, and captures Grey, taking him back to Snowdon. He will keep Grey for a year, until Grey pays him an almost ruinous ransom.

March ? Great Councils. Henry IV holds Great Councils in London and Coventry, and obtains more funds and supplies for his ongoing campaigns.

March Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of Westmorland, is appointed Constable of Roxburgh Castle, an office previously held by Sir Henry Hotspur Percy. This greatly aggravates Hotspur.

March 26/27 Sir David Stewart, first Duke of Rothesay, former King’s Lieutenant, and heir to the Scottish throne, after serious differences with his uncle, Sir Robert Stewart, first Duke of Albany, is found mysteriously dead of starvation (or dysentery ... or murder?) at Falkland Castle. It is believed that Rothesay is murdered by one or more of the Albanys, or is