The Links That Bind – Reappraisals – Richard III, Edward V, the Herald’s Memoir, Coldridge/John Evans, Sir Henry Bodrugan, Thomas Grey and Gleaston Castle.

 

 

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Could these images in Coldridge Church be of the same man? A young Edward V, an adult man whose face appears to show injury/disfigurement around the mouth/chin area and the face of the John Evans effigy which also seems to have a scarred chin?

It was way back in 2020 that I was first alerted to what I now call the Coldridge Theory  by an article on the lovely Devon Churchland website.  Following on from that I researched further and wrote my first post on the theory which has now been viewed over 9,500 times,  so I know that many of you reading this may already be familiar with the story.  Rather than scrolling away I would ask you to please bear with me.  In the course of my research I came across other links that strengthened the theory particularly the pivotal role of Sir Henry Bodrugan  towhich I will return to later.  Now and again I come across people dismissing  the theory out of hand because, they insist, the princes disappeared on Richard’s watch ergo he must have murdered them despite there being not the slightest scintilla of evidence that such a crime was ever carried out.   Thus I find Coldridge in itself being dismissed without any further thought given, unfortunately,  to the other equally important links and participants that strengthen the theory – which although still unprovable – becomes at the least very plausible.    And here’s a thing – ironically when all the leads are considered the theory has more going for it than the tired old chestnuts still being trotted out that Richard was guilty of this atrocious crime or  if not murdered by him then they were done in by either Henry Tudor, who was not in the country at the time, or his mother, Margaret Beaufort,  which is equally absurd and unsupported but there you go.   Some people simply refuse to remove their head from the sand which is a great shame as just a small amount of research can uncover intriguing possibilities that the princes were murdered by no one but sent to places of safety.  An example of these blinkered and dated views is when you ask these naysayers what they think about the crucial role Sir Henry Bodrugan played in the story – no answer comes the stern reply.   It is for this reason that I’m now going to approach the theory from a different angle – this time in the date sequence that notable incidents  occurred – a reappraisal and fresh collation aimed at those who may know some but not all the story if you like.  I hope you will stick with me. So back we go to the beginning:

Dramatis Personae:

Sir Henry Bodrugan/Bodryngham  One of the most powerful men in Cornwall.  Popular with both Edward IV and Richard III.  Crucially one time owner of Coldridge Manor and Park –  granted to him by Richard in April 1484.

Thomas Grey,  Marquess of Dorset: Elizabeth Wydeville/Woodville’s eldest son by her first husband, Sir John Grey.  Thus half brother to Edward V.  Owner of both Coldridge and Gleaston Castle via his marriage to wealthy heiress Cecilia Bonville  Coldridge was confiscated from him in 1483 but returned in 1485 by Henry VII after Bosworth.

Edward V: Became king aged 12 on the death of his father Edward IV in April 1483.

Sir Robert Markenfield/Markynfeld: Loyal follower to King Richard III.  Sent to Coldridge on the 3 March 1484 two days after Richard swore an oath on the Ist March that neither Elizabeth Wydeville nor her daughters would be harmed if they came out of sanctuary and  thus the likely date she did indeed depart from the sanctuary with her daughters.   Sir Robert’s brother, Thomas, was also a loyal follower as well as personal friend to Richard III, and rewarded generously by the king for his services.

Cecilia Bonville: The wife of Thomas Grey.   A wealthy heiress and courtesy of his marriage to her,  Thomas became owner of both Coldridge and Gleaston Castle,  as well as numerous other properties.  Cecilia had wall to wall familial Yorkist links.

Elizabeth Wydeville/Woodville.  Edward IV’s queen.  Mother to two sons by her first marriage to Sir John Grey, Thomas and Richard, two sons by Edward, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury and several daughters including Elizabeth of York who went on to become Henry VII’ s queen.  After a royal council meeting in early February 1487 to discuss the rebellion led by the Yorkist leaders she was sent to live out the rest of her days in Bermondsey Abbey.

Elizabeth Wydeville’s portrait from the Royal Window, Canterbury Cathedral.

EVENTS

Atmospheric old photo of the archway leading out of Abbot’s court, where Cheyneygates stood, to the cloisters and outside world.  Elizabeth Wydville and her family would have walked through this arch during their stay at Cheyneygates. 

APRIL 1483 Edward IV died unexpectedly at his palace of Westminster.  His Queen, Elizabeth Wydeville, and her Wydeville family were immediately galvanised into action, attempting and failing to both gain control of the young Edward V,  who was at Ludlow at the time,  and to outmanoeuvre his uncle,  Richard of Gloucester before he could arrive in London to take control of the situation in his legal role as Lord Protector.  Upon their enterprise failing,  Elizabeth, her youngest son, ten year old Richard and his sisters,  along with her son by her first marriage, Thomas Grey,  beat a hasty retreat into the sanctuary of Cheyneygates, the Abbot’s luxurious house within the precincts of Westminster Abbey.  However it was not long before Thomas made his escape and joined Henry Tudor in Brittany.  It was at this point Coldridge was removed from the ownership of Thomas and granted to Sir Henry Bodrugan.   I will return to this later.  Elizabeth was later persuaded to allow Richard to join his brother Edward V,  who was by then staying in the royal apartments at the Tower of London.  Richard was later reported by Simon Stallworth, the Mayor, in a letter dated 21 June to William Stonor,  to be ‘blessid be Jhesus, mery‘  while it was also mentioned in the Great Chronicle of London the young brothers were both seen practicing their archery at the butts and ‘playing in the garden of the tower at sundry times‘ (1).  

However before the young Edward V could be crowned a ‘precontract’ was revealed – possibly by Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells.  This precontract was basically an earlier marriage that Edward IV had made with Lady Eleanor Butler, nee Talbot daughter of John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, which, obviously,  left him unfree to marry anyone else.  The simple crux of the matter was the almost casual ease with which medieval marriages could be made with no need for priest or witnesses to be present.  All that it needed was for A to say to B  ‘I take thee B to be my wife’  and B to say to A ‘I take thee A to be my husband’ – consummate it and bingo! – you were wed.  Of course it was a good idea – especially if you were a king or marrying one, particularly Edward IV – to make sure you did  ensure you had witnesses and a priest present in case of later problems occurring.   Which they certainly did in this case.   The cat was out of the bag and basically Elizabeth was up the Swanee without a paddle –  the  children she had with Edward were, under the medieval Canon Law of the time, declared bastards and thus ineligible to succeed to the throne. The Three Estates of the Realm having  ‘accepted the legality of Edward IV’s first marriage to Lady Eleanor Butler, and consequently, the bigamous nature of Edward’s subequent union with Elizabeth Wydeville’  petitioned Richard Duke of Gloucester, who was next in line, to take up the throne.  Richard accepted and was duly crowned King Richard III on 6 July 1483 (2)  For those who would like to delve further in this matter you will find it all in  TITULUS REGIUS. 

A wonderful artist’s impression of the offer of the Kingship to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Baynards Castle by the Three Estates of the Realm.  Mural in the Royal Exchange.  Artist Sigismund Goetz. 

Soon after his coronation, perhaps too soon and before he had fully consolidated his position, the King with Queen Anne, left London, turning Northwards to go on a progress.  It was shortly after this an abortive attempt was made to ‘rescue’ the boys from the Tower.  This resulted in them, understandably, becoming more withdrawn from view until further sightings of them dried up altogether.   They simply disappeared.  This, perhaps not surprisingly,  led to rumours arising of their deaths,  although no bodies or graves were ever found, and no requiem masses performed for them either. We can safely dismiss the ludicrous and lurid story later penned by Sir Thomas More – who grew up in the household of Cardinal John Morton, Richard III’s nemesis,  which frankly,  only need be read if you are in need of a laugh.

Ist MARCH 1484.   Close to this date Richard and Elizabeth reached an agreement and on the Ist March Richard publicly swore an oath promising that if Elizabeth and her daughters were to leave sanctuary and her older daughters be placed in his care, he would ensure no harm would befall them and suitable marriages  be made for them.   This is therefore the most likely date for Elizabeth’s departure from the tedious confines of sanctuary at Cheyneygates.    She also wrote to Thomas Grey, at that time in France,  to return home:

‘By secret messengers she advised the marquise her soon,  who was at Parys, to forsake erle Henry and with all speede convenyent to returne into Enland, wher he showld be sure to be caulyd of the king unto highe promotion…’ (3). 

Are we really to believe that she left the safety of sanctuary and handed her daughters over to the very man who had murdered their young brothers as well as advise her eldest son to leave the safety of France to return to England ?  Really? Still onwards…

3 MARCH 1484.  Here enters the story Robert Markenfield.  Based in Yorkshire and from a family of high status who first begun their rise under Edward II,  Robert was a loyal and trusted follower of Richard III.   He was sent by the king southwards to Coldridge in Devon, the confiscated property of Thomas Grey,  now in royal hands but on the cusp of being granted to Sir Henry Bodrugan.   Coldridge has been variously described as a backwater, difficult to reach and  ‘a gritty little village in the boondocks of Devon’ (4).  Robert was made keeper of the deer park there. This is fact.  The question is why? 

‘Robert Markyngfeld/the keping of the park of Holrig in Devonshire during the kinges pleasure…’   Harleian Manuscript 433. 

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