Late Medieval Books, Warkworth's Chronicle 1465

Warkworth's Chronicle 1465 is in Warkworth's Chronicle.

Capture of King Henry VI

29 Jun 1465. Also the same yere, Kynge Herry was takene bysyde a howse of religione in Lancaschyre, by the mene of a blacke monke of Abyngtone1, in a wode called Cletherwode, besyde Bungerly Hyppyngstones [Map]2, by Thomas Talbott3,4, sonne and heyre to Sere Edmunde Talbot of Basshalle, and Jhon Talbott his cosyne of Colebry6, withe other moo, whiche disseyvide7, beyngne at his dynere at Wadyngtone Halle [Map]8, and caryed to Londone on horse bake, and his lege bownde to the styrope9, and so brought thrugh Londone to the Toure, where he was kepte longe tyme by two squyres and ij. yomen of the crowne, and ther menne, and every manne was suffred to come and speke withe hym, by licence of the kepers,

Note 1. A blacke monke of Abyngtone. In the curious fragment printed by Hearne, at the end of the Chronicle of Sprottus, we are informed that William Cantlow was the name of this rascal. Henry's capture, in the MS. No 5, in the College of Arms, is placed under the year 1465:- "Hoc et anno, circiter festum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, captus est Henricus Sextus, nuper Rex Anglie, du[c]tus et publice per Chepam Londonie, cum aliis secum captis; ductus usque ad Turrim Londonie, ibique honorifice commendatus custodie mansit. [During this year, around the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, Henry VI, the former King of England, was captured, led publicly through Cheapside in London, along with others captured with him; he was taken to the Tower of London, where he remained in custody with honorable commendation.]" Fol. 170, vo,

Note 2. Bungerly Hyppyngstones [Map]. This was a ford, obtained by stepping-stones, across the river Ribble. - J.G.N.

Note 3. Thomas Talbott, sonne and heyre to Sere Edmund Talbot of Basshalle. Sir Edmund Talbot, of Bashall, in the parish of Mitton, co. York, died in the 1st Edw. IV. His son, Sir Thomas, was then under age (pedigree in Whitaker's History of Craven, 2d edit. 1812, p. 25); but there can be little doubt that, before his traitorous achievement, he had married Alice, daughter of Sir John Tempest, of Bracewell, under whose protection the unfortunate King was then living. Beside the present reward mentioned in the ensuing note, Sir Thomas Talbot appears to have received a grant of a yearly pension of £40, which was confirmed by Richard III. (pedigree, as above). He survived to the 13th Hen. VII. His father-in-law, Sir John Tempest, was Sheriff of Yorkshire in 18 and 37 Henry VI. (see pedigree of Tempest in Whitaker's Craven, p. 80.) - J.G.N.

Note 4. Thomas Talbott. In the Issue Rolls of the Exchequer of 5 Edw. IV. are the statements of monies paid to this gentleman and others for taking Henry, late de facto et non de jure King of England. It appears that Sir James Haryngton and Sir John Tempest were also concerned in the capture; but the fact of Sir Thomas Talbot being the chief actor is confirmed by the amount of their relative rewards, he receiving £100 and they each 100 marks. Their "costs and charges," amounting to 100 marks, were also paid. John Levesey also received a reward of £20, and William Rogers of Serne and David Colinley, valets of the King's chamber, together £6 13s 4d. On the 9th of July 1465, Edward, in consideration of "magnam et laboriosam diligentiam suam circa captionem et retinentiam magni proditoris, rebellis, et inimici nostri Henrici nuper vocati Regis Henrici Sexti, per ipsum Jacobum factum [his great and laborious diligence in the capture and retention of the great traitor, rebel, and our enemy, Henry, formerly called King Henry VI, was done by James himself]," gave to Sir James Haryngton a grant of Thurland Castle and other lands, formerly belonging to Richard Tunstell5, a partizan of Henry. - Fœdera, XI. 548.

My ancestor, Sir James Haryngton, did once take prisoner, with his party, this poor prince; for which the House of York did graunt him a parcel of lands in the northern counties, and which he was fool enough to lose again, after the battle of Bosworth, when King Henry the Seventh came to the crown." - Haryngton's Nuga Antiquæ, by T. Park, vol. II. pp. 385–86. Cf. Rot. Parl. V. 584, and Devon's Issue Rolls of the Exchequer, p. 489.

Sir James Harrington (age 35) was of Brierly near Barnsley; a younger brother of Sir John Harrington, of Hornby, who had fallen on the Yorkists ' side at the battle of Wakefield in 1460; their father, Sir Thomas, dying also of his wounds the day after the same battle. Sir James had, in 6 Edw. IV. a grant of £340 from the issues of the county of York. Both he and his younger brother, Sir Robert Harrington, were attainted after the battle of Bosworth in 1 Hen. VII. See further respecting him in Hunter's Deanery of Doncaster, vol. ii. p. 403; to which it may be added that it is probably of him that Leland speaks: "There was a younger brother of the Haryngtons that had in gifte Horneby Castelle [Map]." (Itin. viii. f. 109 a.), that is, he had it for a time to the prejudice of his nieces, the heirs of his elder brother. - J.G.N.

Note 5. The great extent of these possessions may be seen in the Great Roll of the Pipe for 1 Edw. IV. com. Westmorland.

Note 6. Jhon Talbott his cosyne of Colebry. That is, of Salesbury, in the parish of Blackburn, co. Lancaster; see Whitaker's Whalley, 3d edit. 1818, p. 432. A yearly fee of twenty marks was granted by King Edward in consideration of the good and faithful service of Johannes Talbot de Salebury, Esq. "in captura magni adversarii sui Henrici [in the capture of his great adversary, Henry.]," until he received a grant of lands or tenements to the like value; and the same annuity was confirmed to his son Sir John Talbot, of Salebury, by King Richard the Third. See the grant of the confirmation, dated at York 6th June 1484, printed in Baines's History of Lancashire, vol. i. p. 421.—J.G.N.

Note 7. whiche disseyvide. i e. which King Henry, deceived.

Note 8. Wadyngtone Hall [Map]. Waddington is a chapelry within the parish of Mitton, little more than a mile from Bashall. It had belonged to the Tempests of Bracewell from the time of Edward I. Dr. Whitaker says (Hist. of Craven, p. 25), "Waddington Hall, though constructed of strong old masonry, has nearly lost all appearance of antiquity. But one room contains the name of King Henry's chamber." In the History of Whalley, p. 473, will be seen an etching of the ruins. At Bracewell also, (which is now likewise in ruins,) in the older stone portion of the house, "is an apartment called King Henry's Parlour; undoubtedly one of the retreats of Henry VI." (Ibid. p. 82.) At Bolton, in the same neighbourhood, after describing a very ancient hall, and its canopy over the high table, Dr. Whitaker adds, "In this very hall, and probably under the same canopy, that unhappy monarch ate the bread of affliction during a retreat, as it is reported by tradition, of several months. An adjoining well retains the name of King Harry, who is said to have directed it to be dug and walled, in its present shape, for a cold bath." It is at Bolton where there are still preserved three relics of King Henry, a boot, a glove, and a spoon; figures of which are engraved in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1785, and again in the History of Craven, p. 106. The boot and glove are remarkably small, and show, in Dr. Whitaker's words, that "in an age when the habits of the great, in peace as well as war, required perpetual exertions of bodily strength, this unhappy prince must have been equally contemptible from corporeal and from mental imbecility." - J.G.N.

Note 9. His lege bownde to the styrope. One author, and as far as I have been able to find he is the only authority for it, says, that Henry was immediately cast into chains. - Matthæi Palmesii Pisani Continuatio Chronici Eusebiani, ed. Venetiis, 1483, fol. 155, vº. According to some writers, Henry's two religious friends, Drs. Manning and Bedle, were the only companions of his misfortunes. - Cf. Monstrelet, IV. 182.

And in the vthth yere of Kynge Edwarde, the Earl of Oxenforde, the Lord Abrey his sonne, and Sere Thomas Todenam knyght, were taken, and brought into the Toure of Londone, and there was leyde to them hye tresone, and aftyrwarde they were brought before the Earl of Worscetre, and juged by lawe padowe1 that they schuld be hade to the Toure Hylle, where was made a scaffolde of viij, fote hyʒt, and ther was there hedes smyten of, that alle menne might see, whereof the moste peple were sory.

Note 1. By lawe padowe. I do not understand the meaning of the word "Padowe," except it be Paduan.

Note. "By the Law of Padua". John "Butcher of England" Tiptoft 1st Earl of Worcester studied in Padua for two years. He appears to have introduced Padua legal practices into England. Twenty Trees.