Fifteenth Century England a Comprehensive Chronology: Volume I 1397 to 1422

By WM. E. Baumgaertner

This is the first volume (of what will likely be four volumes) of a comprehensive chronological history of fifteenth century England. It begins in 1397, a necessary prelude to the rise of Henry IV, and carries through to 1509 and the death of Henry VII. The series includes inter-related chronologies of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Burgundy and Brittany. Volume I covers from 1397 and the last few years of the reign of Richard II, through the entire reigns of Henry IV and Henry V, and ends a few months into the reign of Henry VI (1422). In the process, it covers wars, usurpations, land and naval battles, parliaments and great council meetings, and the lives and deaths of many hundreds of prominent English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, French, Burgundian and Breton persons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Mar 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781698706184

WM. E. Baumgaertner

Gene Baumgaertner has written a number of books covering a variety of genre, all published by Trafford. His works include two history books, two biographical works, and six novels. His novels range from a fantasy about dinosaurs, historical novels about fifteenth century England (a series), stories about the life and times of American baby boomers (a series), and a science fiction novel. His biographical works include life in early twentieth century New York, and a true-life drama about the struggles of a woman who was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer, who was given 4 months to live, and what it took to overcome that death sentence. He is also working on a continuation of his two series. His current work includes a comprehensive four-volume work on fifteenth century England. Mr. Baumgaertner is a retired civil engineer. He lives with his wife, Kathy, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Book preview

Copyright 2021 WM. E. Baumgaertner.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0617-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0618-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021903859

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and

such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 03/02/2021

245.png www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 844-688-6899 (USA & Canada)

fax: [phone]

Dedication Page

In Fond and Loving Memory

Brother-in-Law

Dennis Craig Hook

(1953 – 2019)

and

Life-Long Friend

John Anthony Lollo

(1947 – 2020)

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

1397 — Retribution

1398 — Mixed with Revenge

1399 — Harbinger of Revolution

1400 — A Shaky Beginning

1401 — Welsh Rebellion, Scots Aggression

1402 — Blazing Stars, Heavy Rains, and Discontent

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

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

Volume I Bibliography

Foreword

I suppose that I’m what is called an anglophile. I’m fond of most things English, and by extension, most things British. I didn’t realize this when I was young, but it became rather apparent as I grew older. I became captivated by the history of the English and the expansion of the British Empire, interested in the monarchy and aristocracy, intrigued by the unusual (to an American ear) pronunciations, and enthralled by the castles and palaces. Just think of the richness of the history of the British Isles, of the Celts and the Picts, the Romans, the Angles and the Saxons and the Jutes, the Norse and Danish Vikings, the Norman Conquest and the resistance of the Saxons, the evolution and sophistication of the monarchy, the parliament, and the culture.

I remember my first visit to England – it felt like I’d come home. The feeling was so overwhelming that, to the astonishment of my traveling companions, I blurted out: Look at the rolling green hills … the narrow winding roads ... the small, contained villages. Everything seems so familiar to me. It’s feels like I’ve been here before. It’s surprising, but it feels like I’m coming home. I have loved every visit I’ve made to the British Isles ever since. Even now, my wife and I spend hours every day watching British TV shows, mostly crime dramas or documentaries of either the monarchy or the castles and palaces and cathedrals. And these are not limited to just England, Scotland and Wales. We actively seek out and watch shows in and about Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. Similar accents, similar characteristics, but distilled by time and distance into numerous subtly distinct cultures. We can’t seem to get enough.

So, why fifteenth century England? As it turns out, in my late Teens, I played many wargame simulations (Tactics II, D-Day, Midway, Gettysburg, Wooden Ships & Iron Men, Afrika Corps, Bismarck, U-Boat), most provided by Avalon Hill of Baltimore, MD. (These were board games, a distant ancestor of today’s computer games.) Eventually, Avalon Hill acquired the rights to Kingmaker – The Wars of the Roses in Fifteenth Century England. What a great game. I couldn’t get enough of it … but you need three to six players (four players is optimal), and I could rarely find people with a long enough attention span to play it. Still, and indirectly, what a world it opened up to me, what an education it began to impose. So many questions to be answered. Why were there so many claimants to the throne? How could people (or families) change sides so frequently? How could (and why should) such seemingly minor events have such dramatic impacts on the course of the game? I was so enamored with the game that I thought of how much richer I could make it if I could add more peers, more castles, more bishops, more titles, more offices, more events. So, I started to research fifteenth century England.

The more I researched, the more deeply enmeshed in the people and the details I became. The game of Kingmaker was all but forgotten. I needed to keep solving the riddles I uncovered. Let’s take John Talbot as an example. How could a man who was old enough to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1414, be actively fighting in battles in France in the 1420’s and 1430’s, and battles in France again in the 1440’s and 1450’s? And then in battles in England in the 1460’s and 1470’s and 1480’s? How could John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, have lived such an active life for so long? And how could he be the Baron Furnival as well as Baron Talbot, and also Baron L’Isle and Viscount L’Isle, all at the same time? These were mysteries worth solving.

What I quickly learned was that many authors are lazy. They rarely identify whether they are writing about the first Earl of Shrewsbury, or the second Earl of Shrewsbury, or the third. All of whom were John Talbot. Nor do they bother to distinguish, when talking about Sir John, Baron Talbot, whether they mean the seventh Baron (who became the first Earl of Shrewsbury), or his son, Sir John Talbot, eighth Baron Talbot (the second Earl), or Sir John, ninth Baron Talbot (the third Earl). Then there was Sir John Talbot, Baron Furnival. Who was he? (Answer: The same man who was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, but Baron Furnival by right of his wife, before he also inherited the Barony of Talbot from his older brother.) And there was Sir John Talbot, Baron (and later Viscount) L’Isle. Who was he? (Answer: the first-born son of the first Earl of Shrewsbury by his second wife.)

It was very confusing if the writer hardly bothered to clarify these distinctions. But over time I unraveled these mysteries, and so many more. Like Sir Richard de Neville, Earl of Salisbury, versus Sir Richard de Neville, Earl of Warwick; not to mention the Montagu Earls of Salisbury versus the Neville Earls of Salisbury, and the Beauchamp Earls of Warwick versus the Neville Earls of Warwick. Simply referring to an individual as Talbot, or Shrewsbury, or Neville, or Warwick, or Salisbury, could be very confusing. (Neville was the worst reference, since there were dozens of them, and they included one dukedom, one marquisate, five earldoms, one viscount, six baronies, three bishoprics, and an archbishopric.) A similar area of confusion was simply referring to something like the Bishop of London. There were eleven of them during the fifteenth century. Which one did the writer mean? Thus, as you will see, I became very careful to identify who I really meant in the text of this book, sometimes tediously so. But at least the reader rarely has to ponder who is being identified or discussed. Early on in each chapter I make certain to identify which Duke of York is being discussed, or which Bishop of Winchester is being identified. (This also led to the development of a document that I may someday publish titled Who’s Who in Fifteenth Century England. Unfortunately, this document might tip the scales at 5,000 pages. A life’s work. But one of joy.)

I have also tried to be very careful about identifying who is a knight, and who is not. I have used Walter Metcalfe’s A Book of Knights Banneret, Knights of the Bath, and Knights Bachelor made between the Fourth Year of King Henry VI and the Restoration of Charles II, and William A. Shaw’s The Knights of England, Volume II, to help identify who and when someone was knighted. Burke’s Peerage has also been very helpful in this matter. However, these documents are not all-inclusive. There apparently were many knights that were created that did not make it into these books. So, if another authoritative writer identified someone as a knight, I generally accepted that that author had done the requisite research, and I also attributed knighthood to that person. Unfortunately, this cautious approach means that there may be many individuals in the fifteenth century that I do not identify as knights. I am sorry for this, but I hold the honor of knighthood too important to give it away in error.

The spelling of names, both surnames and place names, was a big issue in the fifteenth century. Because of different levels of education, regional whims, personal affectations, the national origin and/or intrinsic limitations of the chroniclers, and perhaps for other causes, there was a distressing lack of uniformity in how things were spelled. Sometimes the simpler the surname, the more spellings there were for it. For example, Cheney could also be spelled Cheyne or Cheyney; and Cherlton could be spelled Charlton, Charleton, or Cherleton. The letters a and e were frequently interchanged (Chadworth versus Chedworth). Or sometimes combined (as in Carlton, Carleton, or Carliton, versus Caerlton, Caerleton, or Caerliton). Or even one of the letters dropped when not truly necessary (as in Eastfield versus Estefield versus Estfeld or Estefylde). Sometimes the letters o and u were interchanged (Edgecombe versus Edgcumbe). As were the letters c and k (Catterick versus Ketterick). The letter e could be added or deleted, especially at the end of a surname (Green versus Greene), or singled out or doubled up (Grene versus Greene), at the whim of the individual writer. The letter i could be exchanged for a y, or vice versa (as in Smith versus Smyth, or Smithe versus Smythe; or Camoys versus Camois; or Elryngton versus Elrington and Erpyngham versus Erpingham). The Letter f could sometimes be doubled to ff (Ffineux versus Fineux). These are but a few examples of how difficult it could become trying to identify a person correctly. If possible, I tried to use the most accepted spelling, if there was one.

As you might imagine, if an English-speaking person has this much of a problem with English and Scottish surnames, how much more difficult might Welsh and Irish and French surnames be? Again, I’ve tried to use the most accepted of the possible spellings.

French place names suffered a similar fate when history was written by an Englishman. What a French mouth spoke and what an English ear heard were frequently not the same. Add to that the usual inconsistency and non-uniformity of spelling in general, and English equivalents of French place names could lead to considerable confusion to the later reader. For the modern historian, add to this the fact that some place names can change over time, sometimes rather dramatically. Cities and the major towns often escaped these problems. But the names of small towns and villages were frequently difficult to correctly identify. My basic rules when dealing with these issues has been to choose the French name over the English, and the fifteenth century name over the modern. But there are exceptions to even these guidelines.

Finally, I believe some words of explanation about the conventions I have used to express dates need to be made. But first, a general comment about dates. In fifteenth-century Europe, specific dates were usually not considered very important. Most people didn’t know the date they were born, or the date they were married, or the date of the birth of their first-born. They might know they were born in May, or perhaps only that it was in the Spring. So, dates of important events were not always recorded accurately. This was compounded by the fact that many writers were equally careless about dates, and although their research might identify that an event occurred on August 24, they might simply write that it occurred in August, or worse, that it happened in the Summer.

Further, for some reason, in the fifteenth century if not later, the English and the French did not seem to be operating off of the same calendar. I have found hundreds of examples where the English recorded an event as one specific date (say MARCH 9), and the French recorded it as one day later (MARCH 10). I have not yet found a satisfactory explanation for this. Sometimes there is even uncertainty as to the month an event occurred in. When I have found such conflicting dates, I’ve used the convention of "MARCH 9/10, or MAR./APRIL. Often chroniclers of the same event were grossly inconsistent as to the dates of that event. When this occurs, I’ve frequently either used the convention of AUGUST 24/25/28, or provided a more elaborate explanation. One example of this latter is the surrender of Aberystwyth Castle in 1408. The exact month seems to be uncertain: Seward says Summer; Pugh says early September; Curry says September; Hodges believes later September; and Kirby says Autumn. I have tried to provide details like this when the exact date is so uncertain. Finally, to distinguish this convention from an event occurring over multiple days or months, I’ve used the convention SEPTEMBER 6-10, or SEPT.-OCT."

One last comment is in order. This is the first volume of a four-volume work. Originally, I never intended nor even thought possible that I would produce a document that is over 3,000 pages in length. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, I produced A Timeline of Fifteenth Century England, 1398-1509. It is a readable document of some 540 pages that gives the reader a sound understanding of the events in England, as well as related events in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Burgundy and Brittany. But it is not what one might call a scholarly work. This is not to say that it is not accurate and well-researched, it is. But it sacrifices citations, references, annotations and bibliographical notes for readability.

Within a few years, I decided to make the attempt to translate Timeline into a more scholarly work. I went back to all my sources, added details, and added citations, references, annotations, and bibliography. Then I began further research, and added more text here, and more information there. And Timeline morphed into first two volumes, and then three, and now four. I apologize for this. Sometimes I feel like I’ve created a Frankenstein. But if you love history, and especially that of fifteenth century England, and the related histories of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Burgundy, and Brittany, not to mention a smattering of the rest of Europe and the world, then you will understand why I have done what I’ve done. And hopefully you will receive some of the joy reading it that I have experienced researching and writing it.

Wm. E. Baumgaertner

Raleigh, NC

2021

Preface

Considering how much has been written about the fourteenth century and the Edwards, and the sixteenth century and the Tudors – and how comparatively less 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 1397, 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. Even the Irish, under English leadership, invaded England at least once. 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 started on the road to becoming a Constitutional Monarch, and England transformed from the Late Medieval Period into the Reformation. During the fifteenth century, the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil, and the shortest reign of an English monarch since the Norman invasion, occurred. I find fifteenth century England a particularly exciting time, matching any other century for out-sized dreams of conquest, fears of foreign invasions, powerful warrior kings and timid, monk-like kings, acts of self-less chivalry and of corruption at the highest levels, betrayals by friends and brothers, double and triple-dealing, internecine warfare, murder, greed, treachery, and general chaos and mayhem. And within these pages lies the story of it all.

This is the first of a four-volume set. The narrative begins in 1397, which is distinctly not part of the fifteenth century. But in order to understand the Lancastrian revolution, and what motivated the man who would become Henry IV, it is necessary to understand a little about his predecessor, and the tyranny that Richard II promoted. So, Volume I of this reference work starts in 1397, when Richard II’s absolutism gained a full head of steam. A little over two years later, Richard II was deposed. Volume I also includes the entire reigns of both Henry IV and Henry V, and, as it turns out, the first few months of the reign of the toddler king, Henry VI.

There are three proposed additional volumes to this overall reference work. Volume II, expected to be published before the end of 2021, or in early 2022, runs from 1423 through 1450, covering a little more than half of the reign of Henry VI, and much of the second phase of the Hundred Years War. Volumes III and IV, expected to be published in 2022 and 2023, start at 1451, and run through to 1509, the year that Henry VII, the first Tudor king, died. Thus, Volumes III and IV will cover the last two decades of the reign of Henry VI, plus the entire reigns of Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III, and Henry VII. In the process, they cover the end of the Hundred Years War, and the entire Wars of the Roses. They also cover the end of the Lancastrian Dynasty, the entire Yorkist Dynasty, and the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty.

1397

Retribution

Some Background: After Richard II had been humiliated by the Lords Appellant in 1386-1387, he was quiescent, and ate humble pie for years. But by 1392, he was ready to re-assert his royal authority, and more. He decided to exercise his God-given rights as an absolute monarch, and punish all of those who had deprived him of those rights. In addition to the Lords Appellant, he believed that London, among all the cities of the realm, had done him grave injustices, and now was the time to punish the city. In May 1392, Richard II moved the Royal Exchequer, the Chancery, and the Court of Common Pleas from London to York. Next, he dismissed and imprisoned the city’s Mayor and Sheriffs, and replaced them with his own appointees. Then he took the city’s income under royal control. Finally, in June 1392, he fined the city £100,000 (later reduced), almost equivalent to the Crown’s entire annual income. Believing he had taught the city a lesson, by October 1392 new elections were permitted, as long as they were people who supported Richard II, and government offices began to return to London. Still, over the next five years London remained under Richard II’s control and was forced to pay heavy taxes. As late as 1397, Richard continued to exert his control over the city by imposing his own choice as mayor, Richard Whittington. By then, Richard II’s problems with the city had cost London about £30,000 in fines, loans, and gifts. It also was a prelude to the King’s growing high-handedness.

Inwood, Stephen, A History of London, pp. 79-80

Prelude: On MARCH 9, 1396, Richard II signs a treaty with France that guarantees a twenty-eight-year truce between the two countries. The marriage alliance that seals the treaty is personified by the Little Queen, seven-year-old Isabella de Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. Richard II goes over to Calais on SEPTEMBER 27, taking with him Sir John (Plantagenet) of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; Sir Thomas (Plantagenet) of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester; Sir Henry (Plantagenet) of Lancaster (aka Bolingbroke), Earl of Hereford, Derby & Northampton, and quite a few other nobles. Richard meets Charles VI in later October. The four-day meeting between the two monarchs is notable for its lavish extravagance and the excessive expenditure of money (both exercised mainly by Richard). During the meeting, Richard II proposes a marriage between Sir Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Hereford, and someone of the royal lineage of France. The Little Queen is delivered to Richard in late October, and they are wed in Calais on NOVEMBER 1 [also given as November 4 by some] by Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel, Archbishop of York (but soon to be Archbishop of Canterbury). Soon the Little Queen is transported to England. However, there are many in England who were and still are in opposition to an alliance with France and are outraged by the concessions that Richard has made to the Ancient Enemy.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 2, Annesley to Baird, Thomas Arundel, p. 138

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 26, Henry II to Hindley, Henry IV, p. 33

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, p. 151

McKisack, May, The Fourteenth Century, 1307-1399, p. 475

THIS YEAR        Sometime during 1397, Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London, is appointed Chancellor of Ireland, serving until 1401. He replaces Richard Northalis, Bishop of Ossory (who is also serving as Primate of Ireland).

Wikipedia, Chancellors of Ireland, 2019

JANUARY 1        On New Year’s Day, Sir Henry of Lancaster (also known as Henry of Bolingbroke), Earl of Derby, Hereford & Northampton, and his children (four sons and two daughters), are entertained at Tutbury by a troupe of minstrels riding on horseback. Festivities and entertainment continue for the rest of the Christmas Season, which ends on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6).

Williams, E. Carleton, My Lord of Bedford, 1389-1435, p. 4

JANUARY 2        News of the defeat at Nicopolis of the Christian Crusade reaches London. Its dismal news dampens what otherwise would have been a festive time.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 83

JANUARY 3        The Little Queen, Isabella de Valois, Richard II’s new wife, enters London, and spends the night in the Tower.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 83

JANUARY 4        Escorted by many Lords, Ladies, and others, Isabella de Valois travels from the Tower to Westminster to be received by the waiting Richard II. At Westminster, she is escorted into Richard’s presence by twenty knights and twenty ladies, all the latter dressed in red gowns decorated with Richard’s white hart.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 83

JANUARY 5        Isabella de Valois is crowned Queen of England in a ceremony at Westminster, officiated by Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel, Archbishop-elect of Canterbury. After the coronation ceremonies, a tournament lasting a fortnight is held in the Queen’s honor, with twenty knights representing her, and taking on all comers.

With the marriage, Richard II has received a substantial dowry (600,000 francs), a nearly thirty-year truce with France, and a special relationship with the King of France. But many wonder why Richard has married a seven-year-old child rather than the more mature and equally eligible daughter of the King of Aragón. Plus, Richard has made certain unpopular concessions to France that will lead to future trouble: giving Cherbourg to France in 1393, Brest to Brittany now, and it is rumored that he plans to soon give Calais back to France. Plus, he seems to have promised to lean towards the Avignon (or French) Pope rather than the Roman Pope by renouncing both Popes (an unpopular sentiment in England), and to help France fight in Italy. In fact, during the winter, Sir Edward (Plantagenet) of Norwich, Earl of Rutland, and Sir Thomas de Mowbray, second Earl of Nottingham, begin recruiting men to go to Italy, and Sir John de Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, advertises that he is going to Italy at his own cost.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 83-85

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, p. 151

JANUARY 5        Henry Beaufort, the second son of Sir John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife, Katherine de Roet Swynford, assumes the office of Dean of Wells. He had been given this appointment earlier, but had accepted it without royal permission, and had been censored. However, his cousin Richard II soon pardons him (on DECEMBER 20, 1396) so that he may accept the appointment.

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, p. 40

JANUARY 11        Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel, who had been the Archbishop of York since 1388, and who was provided with the Archbishopric of Canterbury by Papal Bull on SEPTEMBER 25/26, 1396, receives the temporalities of the Archbishopric of Canterbury on this date.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 2, Annesley to Baird, Thomas Arundel, p. 138

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd edition, p. 211

JANUARY 22        Parliament. The only Session of the 23rd Parliament of Richard II assembles in Westminster (January 22 to February 12, 1397). Sir John Bushy (a man who treats Richard II with not human, but divine honours) is again elected Speaker. For the first time in a while, Parliament is most kindly disposed towards (or in great fear of) the King, and willing to give him almost anything he wishes. Edmund Stafford of Clifton, Bishop of Exeter & Chancellor of England, opens the session with a discourse on the well-being of the church and realm. He also addresses the members, advising them that the Pope has enabled and legitimized Sir John Beaufort and his brothers (Henry and Thomas) and sister (Joan). (They are the offspring of Sir John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Katherine de Roet Swynford when Katherine was Sir John’s mistress, thus they were born out of wedlock. Later, after Sir John’s second wife died, he married Katherine. Now their offspring have been legitimized by the Pope.) Parliament will shortly recognize their legitimacy.

Further, the Chancellor notifies Parliament of Richard’s intent to help Charles VI in Italy, and thus the need to raise funds to support an expedition to Italy headed by Rutland and Nottingham. The Commons resist raising new taxes for the expedition. The King complains strongly, and is insistent to the point of going before them to explain his purpose. He demands to know who is leading a conspiracy against him. It is explained that there is no conspiracy, just a belief that the expedition is a private affair between Richard and Charles VI, and that it shouldn’t be funded with public monies. He gives the Commons more time to change their minds. Fortunately, news arrives that France has abandoned the idea of going to Italy, and the matter lapses.

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, pp. 37-38

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 85-86

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, pp. 138-139

Kirby, J.L., Henry IV of England, p. 44

Powell, J. Enoch, and Keith Wallis, The House of Lords in the Middle Ages, p. 413

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 528

Wikipedia, List of Parliaments, 2018

JANUARY 22        Guy Mone, Bishop of St. David’s, is appointed Treasurer of England (replacing Roger Walden).

Powicke, et al., editors, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd Edition, p. 102

JANUARY 23        Sir Edmund Mortimer (second son, third child, of Edmund de Mortimer, third Earl of March) is appointed to the office of King’s Lieutenant of Ireland. Sir William le Scrope is confirmed as Chief Justice of Ireland.

Powicke, et al., editors, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd Edition, p. 153

FEBRUARY 1    The Commons deliver to the Lords four points of grievance, all of which could be construed as rebuffs of the King. The first is that Sheriffs are allowed to remain in office long after their appointments have terminated. The second is that the government has failed to provide adequate defenses along the Scottish border. The third concerns the wide distribution by the peers of badges to their affinities, in contravention of the law. And the fourth concerns the extravagant expenditures of the Royal Household, and the large number of bishops and ladies living within it. The King responds to the first three, but is angered over the fourth.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 86

FEBRUARY 3        Sir Ralph de Neville, fourth Baron Neville of Raby, marries Joan Beaufort, the daughter of Sir John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife, Katherine de Roet Swynford.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 40, Myllar to Nicholls, Ralph Neville, pp. 273-274

FEB. 3-5        During the course of Parliament, a bill is drafted and introduced into Parliament by Thomas Haxey, a King’s Clerk and Keeper of Writs and Rolls of the Common Bench. The bill, similar to criticisms of the excesses of the Royal Household in 1376, 1381, and 1386, complains about the extravagance and excessive spending of the Royal Household. It proposes that the excessive spending be curtailed. Reacting to the proposed legislation, Richard II strongly complains about the interference of the Commons in the Household and accuses the Commons of committing a great offence and an offence against his regality and his royal majesty … . This great offence is interpreted to mean treason – that is, complaining about or attempting to curtail the royal prerogative is treasonous. Such an interpretation by the King is a continuation of Richard’s claim of rule by divine right – which should not be constrained by mere mortals. Rather than resist this move, the Commons apologize most humbly to the King. Even the Lords, who had rectified royal extravagance in the past, are strangely docile before the King. Haxey is accused of treason, and only a delegation of the spiritual leaders begging for his life, through no right or due that belonged to them … but only of the King’s special grace, is he reprieved. Next, a duly chastised Parliament allows those who had been exiled to Ireland in 1387 for supporting Richard II to return home to England. Richard II realizes that he has finally acquired sufficient power that neither the Lords Temporal nor Spiritual, nor the Commons, feel secure enough to resist him.

(The Haxey bill is a political conundrum. Haxey is well-connected, certainly in the know about royal finances, but an unlikely proponent of royal fiscal abstinence. It is within the realm of possibility that he is a front for Richard II himself, playing a double game of trying to flush out his opponents, plus giving Richard a ready forum for making his royal wishes clearly known to a wide audience.)

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, pp. 37-38

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 86, 88

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, pp. 138-139

Powell, J. Enoch, and Keith Wallis, The House of Lords in the Middle Ages, p. 413

FEBRUARY 9        Sometime earlier, Sir John (Plantagenet) of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, had received from Pope Boniface IX the approval of his marriage to Katherine de Roet Swynford and the recognition of their children. On this date, an Act is passed in Parliament legitimizing the Beaufort offspring of the Duke of Lancaster.

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, pp. 37-38

Powell, J. Enoch, and Keith Wallis, The House of Lords in the Middle Ages, pp. 413-414

Radford, Lewis Bostock, Henry Beaufort: Bishop, Chancellor, Cardinal, p. 2

FEBRUARY 10        Sir John Beaufort, the eldest son of Sir John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife, Katherine de Roet Swynford, is created the first Earl of Somerset. Sir John Beaufort appears in Parliament wearing a velvet robe, and is escorted by Sir John de Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, and Sir Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Norfolk and Earl Marshal. He is girded by the King, and then seated between the Earl Marshal and Sir Thomas de Beauchamp, twelfth Earl of Warwick. (The legitimization of the Beauforts was distasteful to Sir Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, but this elevation to the Earldom of Somerset rubs both Gloucester and Warwick raw, especially since Beaufort now takes precedence over Warwick.)

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, p. 39

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, pp. 151-152

Powell, J. Enoch, and Keith Wallis, The House of Lords in the Middle Ages, p. 413

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 449

Wikipedia, 1397, 2018

FEBRUARY 18        Richard travels to Canterbury for the enthronement of Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 88-89

FEBRUARY 19        Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel, former Archbishop of York, is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 2, Annesley to Baird, Thomas Arundel, p. 138

FEBRUARY 20        The new Archbishop of Canterbury meets in London with the faculty of law of Oxford University to defend his right of visitation against the chancellor of the university (protected by a Bull of Boniface IX), beginning a fifteen year conflict between the two entities that will only end with a new Bull from John XXIII that reverses Boniface’s Bull.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 2, Annesley to Baird, Thomas Arundel, p. 138

FEB./MAR.        Richard has been entertaining German envoys for some time, under the belief that the Germans will eventually ask him to become King of the Romans (aka King of the Germans, a prelude to becoming the next Holy Roman Emperor). Two of them, Friedrich III von Saarwerden, Archbishop of Cologne, and Ruprecht II de Harte, Count Palatine of the Rhine, have already become vassals of Richard, receiving in return pensions from the King. Soon the Dean of Cologne will arrive, further convincing Richard that an invitation to become King of the Romans is imminent.

McKisack, May, The Fourteenth Century, 1307-1399, pp. 476-477

MARCH 1        Richard retains the services of Sir Henry Green, who joins with Sir William Bagot and Sir John Bushy, becoming among the King’s closest advisors (and ultimately, three of the most hated men in the kingdom).

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 88

MARCH 6        Robert Waldby, Archbishop of York, receives the temporalities on this date. (He had been translated from the Bishopric of Chichester and provided with the Archbishopric of York on October 5, 1396.)

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd edition, p. 265

MARCH 16        John IV, Duke of Brittany, sends an embassy over to England, likely to try and negotiate a reduction in the 120,000 francs promised in payment for the return of Brest. An agreement is signed on this date, but the effort to reduce the payment is unsuccessful. Other matters are agreed to, including easing of the payment schedule and ducal rights in Brest. The issue of the title and earldom of Richmond, once held by Brittany and now withheld, are to be referred to Parliament.

Jones, Michael, Ducal Brittany, 1364-1399, p. 138

MARCH 17        Easter Sunday (per the Julian Calendar).

Wikipedia, Julian & Gregorian Calendars ... of the 15th Century, 2019

LATE MARCH        Richard II sends Sir William le Scrope to Brittany to receive from John IV, Duke of Brittany, the 120,000 francs agreed upon for the return of Brest to Brittany. He will also visit the Court in France, not returning to England until May 16.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 88-89

LATER APRIL        Sometime this year, likely on or before St. George’s Day (April 23), Sir John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset, is vested as a Knight of the Garter. Probably also this year (although possibly next year), Sir Thomas de Holland, third Earl of Kent, and Sir John Montagu, third Earl of Salisbury, are also vested as Knights of the Garter.

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, pp. 39-40

Wikipedia, List of Knights and Ladies of the Garter, 2019

MAY        Sir Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham (& Norfolk), and Sir Edward (Plantagenet) of Norwich, Earl of Rutland, attend the Diet at Frankfurt, ostensibly to support the Anglo-French plans to end the Great Schism. However, they are also there to support Richard II’s ambition to be elected King of the Romans (and ultimately, Holy Roman Emperor).

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 65

JUNE 5        Gilbert de Greenlaw, Bishop of Aberdeen, is appointed to the office of Chancellor of Scotland (replacing Duncan Petyt, Archdeacon of Glasgow & Keeper of the Privy Seal). Greenlaw will serve in this capacity for almost a quarter of a century.

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd edition, p. 175

JUNE 6        Richard Whittington is nominated for Mayor of London for the first time.

Wikipedia: 1397, 2018

JUNE 24        The Dean of Cologne and other German envoys arrive at the English Court and give Richard the impression that he is about to be elected King of the Romans. They apparently suggest that those in England who are against this (the Lords Appellant) should be won over with gifts and favors. Instead, Richard’s hurt pride and cold anger over the implication may be what finally pushes him to take steps to eliminate the Lords Appellant.

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 66

JUNE 30        The town and castle of Brest, on the western coast of Brittany, are turned over to the Sire de Malestroit, ending twenty years of English occupation.

Jones, Michael, Ducal Brittany, 1364-1399, p. 139

LATE JUNE        Or early July. Richard II invites three of the original Lords Appellant, Sir Thomas (Plantagenet) of Woodstock, first Duke of Gloucester; Sir Thomas de Beauchamp, twelfth Earl of Warwick; and Sir Richard Fitzalan, ninth Earl of Arundel, to a feast to be held on July 10. He also writes to Sir Thomas Mortimer (an illegitimate son of Roger Mortimer, second Earl of March) in Ireland, commanding him to come before the King. This Mortimer was a close associate of the original Lords Appellant.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 90

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, p. 152

Wikipedia, Thomas Mortimer, 2020

JULY 10-12        The Duke of Gloucester politely excuses himself from attendance at the royal feast, claiming to be of ill health. The Earl of Arundel is likewise suspicious of Richard, and remains at Reigate Castle (in Surrey). The wary Earl of Warwick, however, decides to attend the feast. Richard is convivial throughout the dinner, but afterwards has Warwick arrested and taken to the Tower.

Next, Richard swears an oath to the Archbishop of Canterbury that no bodily harm will come to his brother, and asks him to convince his brother, the Earl of Arundel, to come before the King. He promises, swearing by St. John the Baptist, that the Earl’s arrest will be temporary, just for appearances, and that no harm will come to him. As soon as Arundel appears, he is arrested and taken to the Tower under the supervision of Sir William le Scrope. (The Archbishop of Canterbury will never see his brother again.)

After this, later that evening, the King orders the Mayor of London, Richard Whittington, to call up the city militia, and with them sets out in the middle of the night, accompanied by the Earls of Nottingham, Rutland, Huntingdon, and Kent, to arrest the Duke of Gloucester. Arriving at Pleshy Castle (near Chelmsford in Essex) early in the morning, and greeting him with fair uncle, Richard arrests the Duke of Gloucester. Gloucester asks for mercy, and Richard replies he will receive as much mercy as Gloucester had given to the King’s favorite, Sir Simon Burley (who in 1388 had been arrested with a number of others of the King’s favorites and executed during the Merciless Parliament). Richard sends Gloucester to be held a prisoner in Calais.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 90-91

Burtscher, Michael, The Fitzalans, Earls of Arundel and Surrey, Lords of …, p. 81

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, p. 152

McKisack, May, The Fourteenth Century, 1307-1399, pp. 478-479

JULY 10-13        Thus Richard II reasserts his authority over the realm by having three of the original Lords Appellant arrested: the Earl of Warwick, the Earl of Arundel, and his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. They are accused of grievous wrongs and traitorously usurping the legal authority of the King’s royalty. (Side Note: the original five Lords Appellant also included Sir Thomas de Mowbray, second Earl of Nottingham, and Sir Henry (Plantagenet) of Lancaster (aka Bolingbroke), Earl of Derby & Hereford.)

Warwick is taken from the Tower and imprisoned in Tintagel Castle in the West Country (Cornwall); Arundel is taken from the Tower and imprisoned in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight (under the custodianship of Sir Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham and Earl Marshal); and Gloucester is sent to Calais (under the custodianship of Sir Thomas de Holland, third Earl of Kent, and Sir Thomas Percy, Steward of both the Royal Household and of England). The arrests seriously damage Richard’s popularity, especially among the Commons.

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, p. 42

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, pp. 144-145

Burtscher, Michael, The Fitzalans, Earls of Arundel and Surrey, Lords of …, p. 81

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 69

Wikipedia: 1397, 2018

JULY 12        Sir Edward (Plantagenet) of Norwich, Earl of Rutland, is appointed Constable of England by his cousin, Richard II. This office had formerly been held by their uncle, Sir Thomas, Duke of Gloucester.

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 66

Lewis, Matthew, Richard, Duke of York, King by Right, p. 26

JULY 12        Eric of Pomerania is crowned in Kalmar (Sweden) as ruler of the Kalmar Union, a union of the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway (with Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Shetlands and Orkneys) and Sweden (including Finland and the Åland Islands). This is engineered by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, his great-aunt and adoptive mother, who retains de facto power in the realm.

Wikipedia: 1397, 2018

JULY 13        Richard II issues a proclamation that the Duke of Gloucester and the Earls of Arundel and Warwick have been arrested due to various extortions and oppressions committed by them, and have been done so at the advice of his councilors (the Earls of Rutland, Kent, Huntingdon, Nottingham, Somerset and Salisbury, plus Baron Despenser, and Sir William le Scrope).

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 91

JULY 13        Also on this date, Richard sends a letter to the Sheriff of Chester asking him to mobilize 2,000 Cheshire archers. A week later, he asks the Sheriff to have the Cheshire archers arrayed for war, and ready to move at the King’s command. Throughout the summer, the King marshals his forces, and strengthens royal castles. The Earl of Arundel’s castles of Arundel, Lewes and Reigate are given over to the care of the Earls of Huntingdon and Nottingham and Sir William Arundel. Warwick’s castle is placed under the command of Sir John Clinton.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 95

JULY 15        In an attempt to quell the growing unrest over the arrest of the three Lords Appellant, Richard II issues another proclamation stating that the former Lords Appellant had not been arrested due to the events of 1387-1388, but for a great number of extortions, oppressions, grievances, etc. committed against the king and people and for other offenses against the king’s majesty which shall be declared in the next parliament.

(There is some evidence that a conspiracy against the King began at a meeting on July 23, 1396, at Arundel Castle, attended by the Duke of Gloucester; the Earls of Arundel and Warwick; Archbishop Arundel (at that time, Archbishop pf York); Thomas de la Mare, Abbot of St. Albans; and the Prior of Westminster – and also allegedly including the Earls of Derby & Hereford and Nottingham (the other two Lords Appellant). The alleged conspiracy included the overthrow of the Dukes of York and Lancaster, along with the King. With this evidence is an indication that the Earl of Nottingham eventually informed Richard of the conspiracy. It is also possible that the meeting was not intended to plan the King’s overthrow, but simply a meeting of like-minded persons complaining about the King’s behavior. Further, it seems unlikely that the Earl of Derby & Hereford would participate in a conspiracy to overthrow his own father, the Duke of Lancaster.)

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 92

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, p. 145

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, p. 152

JULY 18        Writs of Summons to Parliament are issued in Richard II’s name, for a Westminster Parliament on September 17. Since the arrests, and the sharp negative reaction to them, Richard has been operating from the safety of Windsor Castle. By late July or early August, he will travel through the Midlands to Nottingham.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, pp. 92, 95

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 528

JULY 20        Richard II orders John Eynesford, Sheriff of Warwickshire, to array local forces and be ready to bring them to the King when told to do so.

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 67

JULY 20        Richard Northalis, Archbishop of Dublin, dies.

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd edition, p. 337

JULY 28        Richard orders the Keepers of the Peace in Sussex, Surrey, Kent, and Essex to detain all those who are stirring unrest due to the recent arrests of Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick.

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 67

SUMMER        To help Richard and the Royal Council develop the charges against the three Lords Appellant, Richard creates eight new Appellants: Sir Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham; Sir Edward (Plantagenet) of Norwich, Earl of Rutland; Sir John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset; Sir John de Holland, Earl of Huntingdon; Sir Thomas de Holland, Earl of Kent; Sir John Montague, Earl of Salisbury; Sir Thomas le Despenser, second Baron de Spenser; and Sir William le Scrope, Lord of the Isle of Mann. He continues to distribute properties, castles and offices taken from those arrested, and gives them mainly to the new Appellants to keep them both loyal and motivated.

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, p. 145

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 67

AUGUST 5        Richard II receives his eight new Appellants in Nottingham Castle. They present grounds for indictments of treason against Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick. Most would later deny or downplay their involvement in this matter, blaming much of it on Sir William le Scrope, who was conveniently already dead when they found themselves having to defend their actions.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 96

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 48, Reilly to Robins, Richard II, p. 152

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 67

AUGUST 14        After a week in Nottingham and its vicinity, Richard again heads south. He is in Lutterworth (Leicestershire) on this date.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

LATER AUG.        Richard II moves to Woodstock (Oxfordshire), where he remains for the remainder of the summer. He is attended by the Earls of Rutland and Nottingham, and Baron Despenser.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

AUG. 19/20        Richard plans to have a large army when Parliament next meets, with the intent of again forcing his will on a possibly unreliable and dissident gathering. He sends out several proclamations, one to all Lords, knights, esquires and gentlemen who wear his livery with the white hart to gather at Kingston-on-Thames (southwest of London), suitably arrayed for combat, on the Saturday preceding Parliament. He notifies the Cheshire archers that none may volunteer for another man’s retinue until his own regiment of Cheshire archers reaches 2,300 in strength. He also asks those Lords who he trusts most, including Sir John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his son, Sir Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Derby & Hereford, to bring large retinues to Parliament to support the King.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

LATE SUMMER        Even before Parliament meets, and before the three Lords Appellant are tried, let alone found guilty, their lands, offices and other possessions are still being distributed amongst Richard’s friends.

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, p. 145

AUGUST 24        Soon after the Earl of Nottingham reaches Calais, rumors abound that the Duke of Gloucester is dead. Nottingham later would testify that Richard II had earlier commanded him to execute Gloucester, but for three weeks he refuses to do so, hoping Gloucester might die of a heart-attack or a stroke.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

AUGUST 28        Sometime after this date, Sir Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Hereford & Derby, and his father, Sir John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, are among those who raise troops for the protection of Richard II.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 26, Henry II to Hindley, Henry IV, p. 33

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 29, Inglis to John, John of Gaunt, p. 426

SEPTEMBER 3        Henry Chicheley is appointed archdeacon of Dorset, with a prebend at Salisbury.

Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 10, Chamber to Clarkson, Henry Chicheley, p. 227

SEPTEMBER 5        Sir William Rickhill, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, is awakened from his sleep at his home in Islington (or Islingham?) (a suburb of Greater London) and is given a letter by John Mulsho, written by Richard II on August 17. It directs Rickhill to go immediately to Calais to speak to Sir Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, and to follow his instructions once there. Rickhill immediately prepares to go to Calais.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 68

SEPTEMBER 7        Sir William Rickhill travels over to Calais and is given another letter written to him by Richard II, also dated August 17. It tells him to interview the Duke of Gloucester about any conspiracies against the King and write down whatever he says. Rickhill later admits he at first believed that this assignment would be impossible, as he believed that Gloucester was already dead.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 68

SEPTEMBER 8        In Calais, Sir William Rickhill, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, is brought before Sir Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, the youngest son of Edward III and uncle of Richard II, who states his willingness to cooperate with Rickhill. Rickhill is surprised, because Gloucester’s death is already being reported in both London and Calais. Rickhill interviews the Duke, then has a clerk prepare a written confession stating all that the Duke has confessed to him. In the evening, Rickhill hands the confession to Gloucester for his signature, and then departs.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 68

That evening, the Duke of Gloucester dies before he can be tried for treason. Most are certain that he is killed on Richard II’s orders, probably by suffocation, and probably soon after he signed his confession. The chief assassin, John Hall (or Halle), later confesses that he was assisted in suffocating Gloucester by servants of both Richard II and the Earl of Rutland.

Amin, Nathan, The House of Beaufort – The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown, p. 42

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, p. 146

Wikipedia: 1397, 2018

SEPTEMBER 9        Wishing elaboration, Sir William Rickhill returns to the tower where the Duke of Gloucester is being kept, but he is refused admittance. He returns to England, fearing the worst.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 97

Goodman, Anthony, The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II, p. 68

SEPTEMBER 12        Sometime before this date, Thomas Cranley, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, is provided with the Archbishopric of Dublin. He is consecrated sometime after this date (and before December 21). He will receive the temporalities on DECEMBER 21.

Powicke, et al, Handbook of British Chronology, 2nd edition, p. 337

SEPTEMBER 15        Certainly for his own protection, but also to make sure that Parliament (and the trials of the three Lords Appellant) go Richard’s way, he has over 2,000 Cheshire men-at-arms and archers meet him at Kingston-on-Thames to escort him to London and stay with him until Parliament has ended. He also has the eight new Appellants, plus Sir Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Derby & Hereford, and two other Lords, bring large well-armed retinues to Parliament to protect the King. In London, the presence of so many armed men causes great concern. Of special worry are the Cheshiremen, for in 1386 and again in 1387, when they were stationed around London at the King’s command, they became notorious for unpunished violence and rape.

Bennett, Michael, Richard II and the Revolution of 1399, p. 98

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, p. 145

SEPTEMBER 16        Before this date, Richard II lets it be known that in addition to the Lords Appellant from 1387 being considered treasonous, he also holds those in the Merciless Parliament (February 1388) who supported the Lords Appellant equally responsible, and equally guilty of treason. But then, it is reported that the King will only charge fifty of those offenders from the Merciless Parliament with treason. Of course, every man among the attendees wonders if he is one of the unlucky fifty who will be charged with treason. When asked who the fifty are, Richard refuses to name them ahead of Parliament. Clearly, Richard is trying to spread fear as far as possible.

On this date, Richard enters London. He rides through the center of the city surrounded by five thousand armed men. He is entertained with a feast by Sir Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Derby & Hereford. He then retires to Westminster, where he is well-guarded throughout the night.

During the day, Richard lets it be known that Thomas (Fitzalan) Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, is one of those he considers guilty of treason. When the Archbishop attempts to respond to the King’s accusation, Richard silences him, and simply says tomorrow. That is, the Archbishop may respond to the charge of treason in Parliament on the following day. (But when Parliament convenes, the Archbishop is denied entry into Parliament.)

Bruce, Marie Louise, The Usurper King – Henry of Bolingbroke, 1366-1399, pp. 147-148

SEPTEMBER 17        Parliament. The first session of the 24th Parliament of Richard II is convened (September 17 to 29) at Westminster, later to be called the Great Parliament. Parliament is called for one purpose only, to settle a decade-old score with three of the Lords Appellant. Every attendee is prohibited from carrying any weapons. Richard has an open-sided pavilion constructed so that the trial proceedings can be constantly viewed by armed guards, the Cheshire archers. Between the pavilion itself, and the Cheshire archers, most of Parliament is intimidated enough to do whatever the King desires.

Edmund Stafford of Clifton, Bishop of Exeter, in the opening address, takes a quotation from Ezekiel, one king shall be king to them all. The theme is the blessings of monarchy. It is clear that Richard II intends to make certain that he is and will remain the most powerful person in the kingdom. Further, it is soon made clear that the King holds not only the Lords Appellant responsible for treasonous acts against him, but he also holds those in the Merciless Parliament who supported the Lords Appellant equally responsible. He cancels all of the old pardons given out in 1388. But then, it is confirmed that the King will only charge fifty of those offenders from the Merciless Parliament with treason. Of course, every man among the attendees still wonders if he is one of the unlucky fifty. All the remainder will be mercifully pardoned, if they ask for a pardon before the feast of St. Hillary, January 13, 1398.

Richard expects three things from Parliament: to acknowledge that challenges to his regality are treasonous, to confirm and judge that the chief appellants (Gloucester, the two Arundels, and Warwick) are traitors, and to celebrate the full return of his sovereignty. On SEPTEMBER 18, Sir John Bushy is again elected Speaker. The Cheshire archers, in plain sight of the attendees, draw their arrows whenever