Richard WOODVILLE, Earl of Rivers

1405 - 1469  (64 years)

• Name	Richard WOODVILLE
  Suffix	Earl of Rivers
  Born	1405	Maidstone, Kent, England
  Gender	Male
  Died	12 Aug 1469	Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England
  Notes	Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Woodville,_1st_Earl_Rivers He was the son of Sir Richard Wydeville (Woodville), chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford, and Joan Bittlesgate (or Bedlisgate), the daughter of Thomas Bittlesgate of Knighteston, Devon. He was a captain in 1429, served in France in 1433 and was a knight of the regent Duke of Bedford in 1435. He was at Gerberoy in 1435 and served under William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, in 1435?6. He then fought under Somerset and Shrewsbury in 1439 and the Duke of York in 1441?2, when he was made captain of Alençon and knight banneret. He was created Baron Rivers by Henry VI on 9 May 1448. Two years later, as Sir Richard, he was invested as a Knight of the Garter in 1450. Following the duke's death, the younger Richard married the widowed duchess, Jacquetta of Luxembourg (1416?1472). This was initially a secret marriage, for which the couple were fined when it came to public notice. It was a socially unequal marriage that had briefly scandalized the English court. They had at least 13 children. Their daughter, Elizabeth married Edward IV. It was a cause célèbre of the day, thanks to Elizabeth's great beauty and lack of great estates. They too were married in secret, which lead to severe problems for the country. The marriage to the King, greatly enriched the family, but their advancement incurred the hostility of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, 'The Kingmaker', and his various alliances with the most senior figures in the increasingly divided royal family. Edward V died at a young age, leaving the throne to Edward V, who was a child. After the Yorkist defeat at the Battle of Edgecote Moor on 26 July 1469, Rivers and his second son John were taken prisoners at Chepstow. Following a hasty show trial, they were beheaded at Kenilworth on 12 August 1469.
  Person ID	I35230	Master File
  Last Modified	25 Jun 2016

  
  

  Father	Sir Richard Woodville,   b. 1380, La Mote, Maidstone, Kent, England ,   d. 1434, Frafton, Northamptonshire, England  (Age 54 years)
  Mother	Joan Bedelgate,   b. 1390, Knighteston, Devon ,   d. 1448  (Age 58 years)
  Family ID	F14828	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Jacquetta of Luxembourg,   b. 1415/1416, Luxembourg ,   d. 30 May 1472, Northamptonshire, England  (Age 56 years)
  Notes	"Woodville" is the modern spelling of the name and was not so spelled at the time, even though uniform spelling was not established for almost two centuries. The spelling used at the time was "Wydeville" or "Wydville".
  Children	1. Jacquetta WOODVILLE,   b. ca 1437, Grafton, Northhamptonshire, England ,   d. ca 1475, England  (Age ~ 38 years)
  Last Modified	25 Jun 2016
  Family ID	F14543	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart