I am delighted to share with you a guest post by Susan Higginbotham, author of The Woodvilles: The Wars of the Roses and England’s Most Infamous Family. To celebrate the release of Susan’s book we are giving away one copy to a lucky commenter.
Competition now closed!
Conditions of Entry
For your chance to win a copy of The Woodvilles by Susan Higginbotham you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage).
Then simply leave a comment after Susan’s guest post below, between now and 27 October 2013.
Thanks to Susan’s generosity, this giveaway is open worldwide!
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Good luck!
Elizabeth Woodville’s Move to Bermondsey
By Susan Higginbotham
In September 1486, Elizabeth Woodville made what would prove to be her last major ceremonial appearance: she served as godmother to her grandson Prince Arthur. Within a few months, she moved to Bermondsey Abbey, a Cluniac monastery on the banks of the Thames.
Elizabeth’s removal coincided with, and has often been linked to, a conspiracy against Henry VII which had been building since the previous autumn. The conspiracy, which arose in Ireland, took the unlikely form of recruiting a boy, Lambert Simnel, to impersonate Edward, Earl of Warwick, the young son of the Duke of Clarence. In fact, the unfortunate Warwick was shut up fast in the Tower of London, to which the cautious Henry VII had moved him shortly after winning his crown at Bosworth.
On 1 May 1487, Henry VII, for what is described in classically vague bureaucratic terms as ‘divers considerations’, transferred Elizabeth Woodville’s real properties to her daughter, the queen. According to Polydore Vergil, the decision to ‘deprive’ the dowager queen of her possessions was taken in the midst of a council meeting called at Sheen to discuss the rebellion. Yet the reason Vergil gives has nothing to do with the nascent rebellion, but with Elizabeth Woodville’s 1484 agreement with Richard III to leave sanctuary. The Tudor historian Hall follows Vergil in ascribing Elizabeth’s loss of her properties to her long-ago deal with Richard, adding, ‘By this folly and inconstancy of the queen, she incurred the hatred and displeasure of many men, and for that cause lived after in the Abbey of Bermondsey beside Southwark’. As Elizabeth’s rapprochement with Richard III was old news in 1487, this hardly seems a plausible explanation.
It was not until the seventeenth century, when Francis Bacon wrote his history of Henry VII’s reign, that Elizabeth was explicitly linked to the Lambert Simnel conspiracy:
That which is most probable [is] that it was the Queen Dowager from whom this action had the principal source and motion. For certain it is, she was a busy negotiating woman […] and was at this time extremely discontent with the King, thinking her daughter (as the King handled the matter) not advanced but depressed: and none could hold the book so well to prompt and instruct this stage-play, as she could. Nevertheless it was not her meaning, nor no more was it the meaning of any of the better and sager sort that favoured this enterprise and knew the secret, that this disguised idol should possess the crown; but at his peril to make way to the overthrow of the King; and that done, they had their several hopes and ways. That which doth chiefly fortify this conjecture is, that as soon as the matter brake forth in any strength, it was one of the King’s first acts to cloister the Queen Dowager in the nunnery of Bermondsey . . .
Bacon’s admitted conjecture, arrived at more than a century after the events in question, has for some taken on the aura of historical fact. Yet, as others have pointed out, it defies credibility that Elizabeth would support supplanting her daughter’s husband (and his heir, her new grandson) in favour of the Earl of Warwick. The young earl was the son of George, Duke of Clarence, who in 1469 had been involved in the deaths of Elizabeth’s father and her brother, John. An alternative explanation that has been offered is that Elizabeth believed that Simnel was not Warwick, but her vanished son Edward V. While such a belief certainly would give Elizabeth a motive, the argument is undermined by the failure of any contemporary or near-contemporary source to mention such a claimed identity for the pretender, or such a motive for Elizabeth. Moreover, as the rebellion attracted close associates of Richard III such as Francis, Viscount Lovell, it is difficult to imagine any of them fighting to restore Edward V to the throne when they themselves had helped remove him from it in the first place.
It is possible, however, that Henry VII’s seizure of Elizabeth’s properties was linked to his suspicions of her son, Henry Grey, Marquis of Dorset. According to Vergil, the king, preparing to meet the rebels in battle, arrived at Bury St Edmunds, where, believing Dorset to be privy to the conspiracy, he arrested him and sent him to the Tower. Bacon amplified the story:
And being come to St Edmund’s-bury, he understood that Thomas Marquis Dorset […] was hasting towards him to purge himself of some accusations which had been made against him. But the king, though he kept an ear for him, yet was the time so doubtful, that he sent the Earl of Oxford to meet him and forthwith to carry him to the Tower; with a fair message nevertheless that he should bear that disgrace with patience, for that the King meant not his hurt, but only to preserve him from doing hurt either to the King’s service or to himself; and that the King should always be able (when he had cleared himself) to make him reparation.
Unlike his mother, Dorset did stand to gain from putting Warwick upon the throne: Dorset had been Warwick’s guardian during Edward IV’s reign and had probably hoped to marry him to one of his many daughters. That old tie, combined with Dorset’s defection from Henry during his exile, might have been enough to awaken the suspicions of the jittery king, who after all had good reason to know how easily a ruler could be pushed off his throne. That Dorset was indeed under a cloud at this time is confirmed by the king’s failure to summon him to Parliament that autumn. Nonetheless, whatever reservations the king had about Dorset’s loyalty, they did not extend to the whole of the Woodville family: Elizabeth’s younger brother Edward Woodville not only fought for the king against the rebels but held high command in the king’s army. Furthermore, if Henry did suspect Elizabeth of plotting, Bermondsey, an abbey conveniently located on the Thames, seems an odd place to stow her; there were more secure and more remote locations to which she might have been sent.
It is quite possible that Elizabeth’s removal to Bermondsey was prompted chiefly by financial concerns on the part of the king. The order transferring Elizabeth’s estates is sandwiched in among a number of routine matters of royal business, suggesting that the order had likewise been an administrative matter rather than a security measure. Due to chance and political upheavals, it had been a century since a married king had faced the situation of maintaining a queen dowager while assuring his own queen of her proper landed endowment. Henry solved this problem by transferring Elizabeth Woodville’s lands to her daughter; in recompense, Elizabeth received an annuity of 400 marks, raised on 19 February 1490 to £400. While a different king might have treated Elizabeth Woodville more generously, the events of the past few years had left England on shaky financial ground, and Elizabeth could at least console herself that her daughter was receiving a suitable endowment. She was also not the first queen dowager to retire to a religious house: Catherine of Valois, Henry V’s widow (and Owen Tudor’s wife) had spent her last months at Bermondsey, apparently due to ill health, and Henry III’s widow, Eleanor of Provence, spent her last years as a nun at Amesbury.
Moreover, Henry may have initially thought that Elizabeth would soon have no need of an endowment in England, because on 28 November 1487, he and the Scottish king, James III, agreed that the latter would marry Elizabeth. The negotiations had been carried on pursuant to the three-year truce that the English and the Scots had formed the previous July. It seems highly unlikely that Henry would have agreed to such a match had he believed that Elizabeth had been plotting against him. James’ death in June 1488, however, kept Elizabeth from becoming the Queen of Scots.
Following Elizabeth’s removal to Bermondsey, we have few glimpses of her. We do know, however, that in 1489, Elizabeth Woodville was staying with Elizabeth of York when the latter was awaiting the birth of her daughter Margaret. This belies Bacon’s later claim that she had been ‘banished [from] the world into a nunnery; where it was almost thought dangerous to visit her or see her’. Clearly, she had not been shut off from all contact with her family, although the extant records furnish no clue as to how often she saw or heard from them. Elizabeth of York’s privy purse expenses, which would give us an idea as to whether messages or visits were exchanged between mother and daughter, do not survive for this period (or indeed for any other period other than the last year of the queen’s life), and heraldic accounts by their very nature were concerned only with court ceremonies, not day-to-day interactions.
In June 1491, Elizabeth of York bore a second son, Henry. The birth of the future Henry VIII, the “spare,” did not provoke much comment at the time, and we do not know whether Elizabeth Woodville was a witness to his birth. She could not have left any lasting impression on her grandson, for she died a year later at Bermondsey, leaving Elizabeth and her other children her blessing. Henry VIII could at least look at his grandmother’s portrait, however, for it hung at his palace of Westminster.
Love this time in history.
Love this time in history. Can’t wait to read the whole book. Thank you
Your biggest fan!!!
FOR THE PAST YEAR MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME ALL THE phillippa gregory books, and all i can say is omg they are absolutely brilliant reading . i love now readin all about the tudors i loved reaing about elizabeth and all the woodvilles, fascinating is not the word being used, great reads, plus you learn something new every time about the history i would love to win this copy of this book, now i shall b buying these novels by this name now, keep up the good work, im in glasgow scotland, so will b scouring waterstones and bookstores for these novels, keep up the good work
Can not wait to read this book. Looks extremely fascinating and will be one of the few i would reread over and over.
This is one of my favorite historical periods to read about. It’s one I will be adding to my library.
After watching the finale of “The White Queen” on Starz, my mother and I were wondering what happened to Elizabeth after Henry Tudor took the throne. Now we know! Interesting post. I can’t wait to read the book!
I have such a fascination with Tudor history! I’d love to win a copy of this book! jen.doucette@sbcglobal.net
My husband and I were big fans of the Tudor series and we absolutely loved watching the White Queen on Starz. It’s led us to do our own research and to have many discussions. We can’t wait to learn more about the Woodville’s, York’s, Lancaster’s and Tudor’s! I’ve traced my family tree on my grandmother’s side as far back as Edward IV. I can’t get enough!
I cant get enough of the tudor books, I scour all the library book sales in the surrounding towns for books,i have a book shelf full of the tudor era esp ann Boleyn, some day I hope to visit England and visit hevar castle,tower of London, and many more places of interest,would love this book I don’t think I read anything about the woodvilles.
I love learning more about the woodvilles and the war of the roses. I love English history. Elizabeth woodville and her mother Jacquetta are fascinating.
I enjoyed your article here, and would absolutely love to win your book since it is about my favorite queen!
I love such strong women in history. What courage and cunning it took to be a woman of infleunce at yhat time.
I’d love to win a copy as I have family history connections to Owen Tudor
Great article on Elizabeth Woodville. I read everything I could on the Woodvilles, Tudors, & Plantagenets when a teen. including the The White Queen, and The Red Queen. After researching my family tree, I’ve found I’m related directly to John of Gaunt. The mini-series on Starz has picqued my interest again! Would love to receive this book, to continue my education on distant times regarding my family. Thanks for this opportunity!
Looks like a fascinating book to add to my collection.
I didn’t know much about the Woodville’s. I just finished the White Queen, but I want to learn the truth about those women rather than relying on a mini series. One good thing about the White Queen is that it hooked me to learn more!!!
I would so love to read your book !!
I’ve been waiting for this book! So excited to read it. Thank you for your research and dedication in writing it!
I JUST LOVE READING ABOUT THE HISTORY .THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESEARCH AND BOOKS SUCH A PLEASURE TO READ.
What little girl doesn’t dream of being or becoming a princess or queen? I enjoy reading about England and the royals because its much like fairy tales: a break from common everyday life.
Thanks Natalie and Susan for this chance!
I would love to read this book and I hope to win.
I have never won anything before!. I want this to be the first time!! I´m crossing my fingers
Thanks Natalie!!!
I love learning more about the woodvilles and the war of the roses.
Elizabeth woodville and her mother are fascinating and strong Women!
Such a gret article! And a wonderful giveaway! Xoxo
Hope I Win!
I have always been fascinated by the Renaissance period and history of Europe in general, but no dynasty intrigues more than the Tuodrs.
I read just about every book on them and I’d love winning this copy so I can also share it with my Mum and Husband. (I drove both crazy about The Tudors!! ) 😉
I have always been fascinated by the Tudors for as long as I can remember. This book looks so interesting, I would love to read it!
I would love to read this book! I know virtually nothing about The Woodvilles.
As a huge fan of the Tudors, I relish every opportunity to read about as many Tudor figures as I can!
I’m excited about this book and look forward to reading it!
Thanks for this opportunity Natalie and Susan!
This looks interesting. I’ve read a book on Elizabeth and this looks as if it would bring more detail to what I’ve read previously. Also very nice cover!!!
love it, as I´m always looking for something new to read on this period and these certain people!!
Thanks Natalie and Susan for this chance!
I haven’t read very much about this yet, and I look forward to getting this book. It is a very interesting subject!
I´m so happy Natalie that I found your blog! thank you very much! And I hope I can read your book soon!
A warm hug!!
Yani
Always a pleasure to recieve recommendations of historical authors I have yet to discover.
Susan Higginbotham looks like a name to be adding to my list.
Thank you “On The Tudor Trail” for continued updates and facts (and fab tweets!) – another new book I look forward to reading!
It is always good to have another tudor related book to look forward to reading.
I`m sure this one won`t disappoint ,it has all the elements that hook us Tudor fans in!
Thanks Natalie and Sandra!
I have been intrigued with this period since I came across the Tudors, I want to learn more about the wars of the roses and the families that were key during this struggle. I’d love to get my hands on this book.
Excellent, wow! Bacon’s theory has always been overemphasized though in fairness given the paucity of sources and the complexity of Woodville it’s easy to grab hold of any sources related to her. Her character is supremely intriguing, especially the way she negotiated her role in such difficult historical times. It would be easy to believe that more than just a king would be threatened by her intelligence. I’d absolutely love to read a book that untangled her life via engaging scholarship!
I cant wait to read this im completely fasinated by Elizabeth Woodvilles life and that time!
Elizabeth Woodville is a woman i truly admire and definitely a woman before her time. I find that alot of her strategy in life was ” a good defense is always a good offense” by settling her siblings and children in Such high places, she secured her blood in the next dynasties.
I already have this book on my Xmas list! Like many others, watching The White Queen has given me a thirst to find out the real stories behind the people and this looks like a perfect place to start. Fascinating article, thank you.
Moving these to the top of my must read list. There are so many interesting characters in Tudor history. It’s such fun to be able to get a view of that world!.
Thanks Natalie and Susan for this and many other opportunities!!!
A warm hug!
Susana
Hi there,
I am fascinated with English history especially the Tudor period, and try and resource information and books. This is on my wish list to add to my collection, can hardly wait!!
All the best,
I love to read anything Tudor related. It’s also so much fun to get into a book from another perspective, to see where the imagination of the author will go. It seems that no matter how many books I read on the subject, I am still constantly drawn to this fascinating era.
I am so grateful to all of you who continue to write about these people !!
Thanks Natalie!!!! We really appreciate your hard work!
i just wanted to add my note along with everyone else in saying that for years I have been interested by the history of the Kings and Queens of England, watching The White Queen has made the hunger grow for more information. I shall be purchasing the books as I can afford them, and my husband and I plan on making a trip to England within the next two years. I have a desire to dive into more of the history and just reading your post has enlightened me even more, thanks so much ma’am for writing this book.
Graciously,
Krystal
Would love to win this booking- to keep me going after The White Queen ended! 🙁
I would love to be entered for this book giveaway, as I am not only an avid reader and literature lover but I also adore historical fiction. My love of the Tudors began when I was at primary school aged 11 and I visited ‘Hampton Court Palace’ – ever since I have taken so much pleasure in exploring this particular time in history and delving into the past lives of the Tudors.
Thanks Natalie and Susan for this chance! 😉
Thanks Natalie for another great giveaway. Would love to learn more about HenryVII, and see what traits he handed down to his son. Sounds like a great read.
I would love to win a copy of this book, I am totally obsessed with anything Tudor however I have not managed to locate many books about Henry VII and Elizabeth. This would be a very welcome addition to my Tudor book shelf!
Thank you soooo much!!!!!!! 🙂
Anything about the Tudors I just can’t resist. I don’t really own that large a library of Tudor books, so I would be elated !!!!!
Thank you “On The Tudor Trail” for continued updates and facts, and also fab tweets!!!
Thanks Natalie, and I hope your book would be soon available in my country! I´m not so good buying on the internet 🙁
Thanks to Susan too for her generosity!
I’ve always been a fan of the Tudors but only know about Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, etc. I’ve never really researched the early Tudor dynasty and would love to win a copy because the books looks really interesting.
A big hug!
I would love a copy of this book, as I have been interested in the Tudors since a very young age.
I have been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it! I have read Susan´s books and her style is unique, you can´t stop reading!
Thanks for the chance to win it.
Thanks Susan and keep on writing!!!!
I would absolutely LOVE to receive a copy of this book. I have been in love with all things to do with the Tudors since my mom introduced me to her collection. Thanks so much for the chance to win! I cannot wait to one day visit “Tudor England” but for now maybe this book could shed a little light on the past!
I would love to win this book. I have been fascinated with the Tudors since I was young. I have read many on Henry VIII and his wives, but am trying to branch out and read about each individual to try to understand what influences shaped them.
A Tudor historical book, who wouldn’t want this!!! Even if I don’t win it, I’m sure I’ll end up purchasing it to read soon! Tudor era is by far my most favorite era in history.
Thanks Natalie to share with us!
All the best wishes!