Biography of Thomas Kyriell 1396-1461

1450 Battle of Formigny

1460 January Raid on Sandwich

1460 June Yorkist Landing at Sandwich

1461 Creation of Garter Knights by Henry VI

1461 Second Battle of St Albans

In 1396 Thomas Kyriell was born.

After 1440 [his son-in-law] John Fogge (age 23) and [his daughter] Alice de Kyriell were married. She brought Westenhanger Castle to the marriage.

Battle of Formigny

On 15 Apr 1450 the Battle of Formigny was a descisive victory for the French that destroyed the England's last army in France bringing to end English control of Normandy.

Charles Bourbon I Duke Bourbon (age 49) and Arthur Montfort III Duke Brittany (age 56) commanded the French. The English commander Thomas Kyriell (age 54) was captured.

The battle is considered to be one of the first where cannon played a decisive role.

1460 January Raid on Sandwich

Patent Rolls Henry VI 1452-1461. 10 Dec 1459. Coventry, Warwickshire [Map]. Commission to Richard Wydevyle of Ryvers (age 54), knight, Thomas Broun, knight, and the mayor of Sandwich to take near Sandwich, Kent [Map] the muster of the men at arms and archers ordered to go on the safe keeping of the sea in the company of Gervase Clyfton (age 54), knight, and to certify the king thereof in Chancery. By K.

Commission to Thomas Kyryell (age 63), knight, John Cheyne, knight, Thomas Broun, knight, John Seyncler, esquire, and Richard Dalafeld, esquire, to take near Sandwich, Kent [Map] the muster of the men at arms and archers ordered to go on the safe-keeping of the sea in the company of Richard Wydevyle of Ryvers, knight, as above. By K.

1460 June Yorkist Landing at Sandwich

Patent Rolls Henry VI 1452-1461. Membrane 17d. 08 May 1460. Commission to Thomas Kiriell (age 64), knight, John Cheyne, knight, Thomas Westminster. Broun, knight, John Fogge, Robert Home and William Hexstall, to take near Sandwich, Kent [Map] the muster of all men at arms and archers ordered to go with Henry, duke of Exeter (age 29), on the safe-keeping of the sea to resist the king's rebels and enemies, and to certify the king thereof in Chancery.

Patent Rolls Henry VI 1452-1461. Membrane 13d. 23 May 1460. Commission to Osbert Mountford and John Baker, esquires, ordered, Coventry, by advice of the council, to bring 200 men at arms and archers to Henry, duke of Somerset (age 24), for the safe keeping and defence of the castle and town of Guysnes and to resist the king's rebels and enemies, appointing them to arrest ships and vessels necessary herein and masters and mariners therefor.

Commission to Thomas Thorp, Thomas Kiriell (age 64), knight, John Cheyne, knight, Thomas Broun, knight, Henry Lowes, esquire, John Scot and Robert Home, to take the muster of the said Osbert Mountfort and John Baker and the said men at arms, and to certify the king thereof in Chancery.

1461 Creation of Garter Knights by Henry VI

On 08 Feb 1461 King Henry VI of England and II of France (age 39) created four Garter Knights two of whom would be killed nine days later at the Second Battle of St Albans:

181st Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury (age 32).

182nd William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville (age 68).

183rd Thomas Kyriell (age 65).

184th John Wenlock 1st Baron Wenlock (age 61).

Before 17 Feb 1461 Thomas Kyriell (age 65) and Cicely Stourton were married.

Second Battle of St Albans

Chronicle of Gregory 1461. Ande the xvij day nexte folowynge Kyng Harry (age 39) roode to Synt Albonys [Map], and the Duke of Northefolke (age 45) with hym, the Erle of Warwycke (age 32), the Erle of Arundelle (age 43), the Lord Bouser (age 30), the Lord Bonvyle (age 68), with many grete lordys, knyghtys, and squyers, and commyns of an C [Hundred] Ml men. And there they hadde a grete batayle whythe the Quene (age 30), for she come ever on fro the jornaye of Wackefylde tylle sche come to Synt Albonys, with alle the lordys a fore said; and her mayny and every lord is men bare her lordys leverey, that every man mighte knowe his owne feleschippe by his lyverey. And be-syde alle that, every man and lord bare the Pryncys (age 7) levery, that was a bende of crymesyn and blacke with esteryge is fetherys. The substance that gate that fylde were howseholde men and feyd men. I wene there were not v Mlmen that fought in the Quenys party, for [t]emoste parte of Northeryn men fledde a-way, and some were take and spoylyd out of her harnysse by the way as they fledde. And some of them robbyd evyr as they yede, a petyffulle thynge hit is to hyre hit. But the day before that batayle there was a jornay at Dunstapyl [Map]; but the kyngys mayny lackyd good gydyng, for some were but newe men of warre, for the chevyste captayne was a boucher of the same towne; and there were the kyngys mayny ovyr throughe only by the Northeryn men. And son aftyr the bocher, for schame of his sympylle gydynge and loste of the men, the nombyr of viij C, for very sorowe as it is said, hynge him selfe; and some men said that it was for loste of his goode, but dede he ys-God knowythe the trought.

And in the myddys of the batayle King Harry wente unto his Quene and for-soke alle his lordys, ande truste better to her party thenne unto his owne lordys. And then thoroughe grete labur the Duke of Northefolke and the Erle of Warwycke a schapyd a-waye; the Byschoppe of Exceter (age 29), that tyme Chaunceler of Ingelond, and brother unto the Erle of Warwycke, the Lord Bouser, whythe many othyr knyghtys, squyers, and comyns fledde, and many men slayne in bothe partys. And the Lord Bonevyle was be-heddyd, the common sayynge that his longage causyd him to dye. The Prynce was jugge is owne sylfe. Ande ther was slayne that manly knyght Syr Thomas Keryel (age 65). The nomber of ded men was xxxv C an moo [t]at were slayne. The lordys in Kyng Harrys party pycchyd a fylde and fortefyd it full stronge, and lyke unwyse men brake her raye and fyld and toke a-nothyr, and or that they were alle sette a buskyd to batayle, the Quenys parte was at hond whythe them in towne of Synt Albonys [Map], and then alle [t]yng was to seke and out of ordyr, for her pryckyers come not home to bryng no tydyng howe ny that the Quene was, save one come and sayd that she was ix myle of. And ar the goners and borgeners couthe levylle her gonnys they were besely fyghtyng, and many a gynne of wer was ordaynyd that stode in lytylle a-vayle or nought; for the burgeners hadde suche instrumentys that wolde schute bothe pellettys of ledde and arowys of an elle of lenghthe with vj fetherys, iij in myddys and iij at the othyr ende, with a grete mighty hedde of yryn at the othyr ende, and wylde fyre with alle. Alle thes iij thyngys they might schute welle and esely at onys, but in tyme of nede they couthe not schut not one of thes, but the fyre turnyd backe a-pon them that wold schute this iij thyngys. Also they hadde nettys made of grete cordys of iiij fethem of lengthe and of iiij fote brode, lyke unto an haye, and at every ij knott there was an nayl stondyng uppe ryght, that there couthe no man passe ovyr it by lyckely hode but he shulde be hurte. Alle so they hadde pavysse bore as a dore i-made with a staffe foldynge uppe and downe to sette the pavys where the lykyd, and loupys with schyttyng wyndowys to schute out at, they stondyng by hynde [t]e pavys, and the pavys as full of iijdnayle aftyr ordyr as they might stonde. And whenn her schotte was spende and done they caste the pavysse by-fore hem, then there might noo man come unto them ovyr the pavysse for the naylys that stode up-ryghte, but yf he wolde myschyffe him sylfe. Alle so they hadde a thynge made lyke unto a latysse full of naylys as the net was, but hit wolde be mevyd as a man wolde; a man might bryse it to-gedyr that the lengythe wolde be more then ij yerdys long, and yf he wolde he might hale it a brode, then hit wolde be iiij square. And that servyd to lye at gappys there at horsemen wolde entyr yn, and many a caltrappe. And as the substaunce of men of worschyppe that wylle not glose nor cory favyl for no parcyallyte, they cowthe not undyrstond that alle this ordenaunce dyd any goode or harme but yf it were a mong us in owre parte with Kyng Harry. There fore it is moche lefte, and men take them to mallys of ledde, bowys, swyrdys, gleyvys, and axys. As for speremen they ben good to ryde be-fore the foote men and ete and drynke uppe her vetayle, and many moo suche prety thyngys they doo, holde me excusyd thoughe I say the beste, for in the fote men is alle the tryste.

On 17 Feb 1461 the Lancastrian army defeated the Yorkist army at Second Battle of St Albans and rescued King Henry VI of England and II of France (age 39). The Lancastrian army was commanded by Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter (age 30) and included Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland (age 39), John Mowbray 3rd Duke of Norfolk (age 45), Henry Grey 4th or 7th Baron Grey of Codnor (age 26), Henry Roos and Richard Welles 7th Baron Welles, Baron Willoughby (age 33).

Thomas Ros 9th Baron Ros Helmsley (age 33), William Tailboys 7th Baron Kyme (age 46), John Talbot 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury (age 12) and Thomas Tresham (age 41) were knighted.

The Yorkist army included Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury (age 32), William Fitzalan 16th Earl of Arundel (age 43), John Wenlock 1st Baron Wenlock (age 61) and Henry Bourchier 2nd Count of Eu 1st Earl Essex (age 57). John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 30) was captured. Robert Poynings (age 42) and James Luttrell (age 34) were killed.

John Grey (age 29) was killed fighting for Lancaster. A death that was to have far reaching consequences; his widow Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England (age 24) subsequently married King Edward IV of England (age 18).

During the battle William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville (age 68) and Thomas Kyriell (age 65) were assigned to the protection of the King Henry VI. After the battle both were beheaded against all decent laws of battle.

William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville was beheaded. His great granddaughter Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset succeeded 2nd Baroness Bonville.

Thomas Kyriell was beheaded.

William Cotton (age 21) was killed.

Patent Rolls Edward IV 1461. 29 Apr 1461. Durham, County Durham [Map]. Grant to [his wife] Cecilia, late wife of Thomas Kyriell, knight, and executrix of his will, during the minority of Giles (age 9) the son and heir of William Daubeney late of Southpederton, co Somerset, esquire, deceased, of all the possessions of the latter, with the custody and marriage of the heir, saving to [his sister-in-law] Alice (age 29) the late wife of the said William her reaonsable dower. If the heir dire during the minority she hsall have the same during the minority of the next heir, and so on. By p.s.

Paston Letters V1 120 William Lomner to John Paston. Sir Thomas Keriel1 is take prisoner, and alle the legge harneyse, and abowte iij ml [3000] Englishe men slayn.

Mathew Gooth3 with xvc [1500] fledde, and savyd hym selffe and hem; and Peris Brusy was cheffe capteyn, and hadde x. m L Frenshe men and more, &c.

Note 1. Sent to France to carry succours to the Duke of Somerset, but defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of Fourmigni, 15th April 1450.

[his daughter] Alice de Kyriell was born to Thomas Kyriell and Cicely Stourton.