Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester

HousePlantagenetFatherEdward III of EnglandMotherPhilippa of Hainault

Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester (7 January 1355 – 8 or 9 September 1397)^[2] was the fifth surviving son and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault.

Early life

Thomas was born on 7 January 1355 at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire after two short-lived brothers, one of whom had also been baptised Thomas.^[3] He married Eleanor de Bohun in 1374,^[4] was given Pleshey Castle in Essex, and was appointed Constable of the Realm, a position previously held by the Bohuns.^[3][5] The younger sister of Woodstock's wife, Mary de Bohun, was subsequently married to Henry of Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby, who later became King Henry IV of England.

In 1377, at the age of 22, Woodstock was knighted^[3] and created Earl of Buckingham.^[6] On 22 June 1380 he became Earl of Essex in right of his wife.^[7] In 1385, he received the title Duke of Aumale, and at about the same time was created Duke of Gloucester.^[8]

Campaign in Brittany

Thomas of Woodstock was in command of a large campaign in northern France that followed the War of the Breton Succession of 1343–1364. The earlier conflict was marked by the efforts of John IV, Duke of Brittany to secure control of the Duchy of Brittany against his rival Charles of Blois. John was supported in this struggle by the armies of the Kingdom of England, whereas Charles was supported by the Kingdom of France. At the head of an English army, John prevailed after Charles was killed in battle in 1364, but the French continued to undermine his position, and he was later forced into exile in England.

John returned to Brittany in 1379, supported by Breton barons who feared the annexation of Brittany by France. An English army was sent under Woodstock to support his position. Due to concerns about the safety of a longer shipping route to Brittany itself, the army was ferried instead to the English continental stronghold of Calais in July 1380.^[9]

As Woodstock marched his 5,200 men east of Paris, they were confronted by the army of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, at Troyes, but the French had learned from the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 not to offer a pitched battle to the English. Eventually, the two armies simply marched away. French defensive operations were then thrown into disarray by the death of King Charles V of France on 16 September 1380. Woodstock's chevauchée continued westwards largely unopposed, and in November 1380 he laid siege to Nantes and its vital bridge over the Loire towards Aquitaine.^[10] However, he found himself unable to form an effective stranglehold, and urgent plans were put in place for Sir Thomas Felton to bring 2,000 reinforcements from England. By January, though, it had become apparent that the Duke of Brittany was reconciled to the new French king Charles VI, and with the alliance collapsing and dysentery ravaging his men, Woodstock abandoned the siege.^[10]

Dispute with King Richard II

Returning to England early in 1381, Thomas of Woodstock found that his brother, John of Gaunt, had married his wife's sister, Mary de Bohun, to John's own son Henry. The relations between the brothers, hitherto somewhat strained, were not improved by this event; presumably, Thomas was hoping to retain possession of Mary's estates. Still, having taken part in crushing the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, Thomas became more friendly with John, and in 1385 was created duke of Gloucester. However, this mark of favour did not prevent him from taking up an attitude of hostility to his nephew, Richard II.^[5]

Thomas placed himself at the head of the party that was opposed to the royal advisers, Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk and Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, whose recent elevation to Duke of Ireland had aroused discontent. Supported by those who were indignant at the extravagance and incompetence, real or alleged, of the king, Thomas was soon in a position of authority. He forced the dismissal and impeachment of Suffolk; was a member of the commission appointed in 1386 to reform the kingdom and the royal household; and took up arms when Richard began proceedings against the commissioners. Having defeated de Vere at the Battle of Radcot Bridge in December 1387 the duke and his associates entered London to find the king powerless in their hands. Thomas, who had previously threatened his nephew with deposition, was only restrained from taking this extreme step by the influence of his colleagues; but, as the leader of the "Lords Appellant" in the "Merciless Parliament," which met in February 1388 and was packed with his supporters, he took revenge upon his enemies, which culminated in a successful rebellion in 1388 that significantly weakened the king's power.^[5]

Richard II quickly regained control and eventually, in 1397, managed to dispose of the Lords Appellant. By 1396, Thomas and Richard were again at odds over policy. In 1397, Thomas was arrested at his home by the king himself and was imprisoned in Calais to await trial for treason.^[5] During that time he was murdered, probably by a group of men led by Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, and the knight Sir Nicholas Colfox, presumably on behalf of Richard II; parliament declared him guilty of treason and his estates forfeited.^[5] These events caused an outcry among the nobility of England that is considered by many to have added to Richard's unpopularity.^{[citation needed]}

Thomas was buried in Westminster Abbey, first in the Chapel of Saint Edmund and Saint Thomas in October 1397, and two years later reburied in the Chapel of Saint Edward the Confessor. His wife was buried next to him.^[11]

Marriage and progeny

Thomas married Eleanor de Bohun (c. 1366–1399), the elder daughter and co-heiress (with her sister Mary de Bohun) of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (1341–1373).^[12] Thomas of Woodstock and his wife Eleanor had issue as follows:

• Humphrey, 2nd Earl of Buckingham (c. 1381 – 1399), died aged 18, unmarried and without issue;
• Anne of Gloucester (c. 1383 – 1438) who married three times:
  • Firstly to Thomas Stafford, 3rd Earl of Stafford,^[13] without issue;
  • Secondly to Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford, the youngest brother of her first husband, by whom she had issue one son and two daughters;
  • Thirdly to William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu (1374–1420),^[5] by whom she had issue, represented today by the Wrey baronets (heirs of the Bourchier Earls of Bath), who quarter the arms of Bohun, Bourchier and Thomas of Woodstock.^[a]
• Joan (1384–1400), who married Gilbert Talbot, 5th Baron Talbot (1383–1419) and died in childbirth
• Isabel (12 March 1385/1386 – c.1421), a nun of the Order of Minoresses^[14]

As he was attainted as a traitor, his dukedom of Gloucester was forfeit. The title Earl of Buckingham was inherited by his son, who died in 1399 only two years after Thomas' own death. Thomas of Woodstock's eldest daughter, Anne, married into the powerful Stafford family, who were Earls of Stafford. Her son, Humphrey Stafford was created Duke of Buckingham in 1444 and also inherited part of the de Bohun estates.

The other part of these estates—including the Earldom of Hereford, which had belonged to Mary de Bohun and had then become incorporated into the holdings of the House of Lancaster—became a matter of contention in the latter 15th century.

In literature

• Thomas of Woodstock's murder plays a prominent part in William Shakespeare's play Richard II, though he is dead at the time of the play's beginning.
• He also is the subject of Thomas of Woodstock, another Elizabethan drama by an anonymous playwright. Because of its stylistic affinities to Shakespeare's play, it is also called Richard the Second Part One.

Ancestry and family

v t e  Family tree of the Earls of Essex, Earls of Hereford, and Viscounts Hereford

Godwin c. 1001–1053 Earl of Wessex Earl of Hereford (1st creation), 1043 Earl of Hereford (3rd creation), 1058 Earl of Hereford (2nd creation), 1052 Earl of Hereford (4th creation), 1067 Sweyn Godwinson 1020–1052 Earl of Hereford Harold Godwinson (c. 1022–1066) Earl of Hereford, King of the English William de Mandeville (d. before 1130) Ralph the Timid d. 1057 Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern 1011–1071 1st Earl of Hereford Earldom of Hereford (1st creation) forfeit, 1051 Earldom of Hereford (3rd creation) extinct, 1066 Earldom of Hereford (2nd creation) extinct, 1057 Earl of Essex (1st creation), 1140 Earl of Hereford (5th creation), 1141 William de Say I Beatrice ("Beatrix") de Say d. 1197 Geoffrey de Mandeville d. 1144 1st Earl of Essex Roger de Breteuil 1058– after 1087 2nd Earl of Hereford Miles of Gloucester d. 1143 1st Earl of Hereford Earldom of Hereford (4th creation) forfeit, 1074 William de Say II d. 1184 Geoffrey de Saye I d. 1214 Geoffrey de Mandeville d. 1166 2nd Earl of Essex William de Mandeville d. 1189 3rd Earl of Essex Margaret of Hereford 1122/1123–1197 Roger Fitzmiles before 1125–1155 2nd Earl of Hereford Earldom of Essex (1st creation) extinct, 1189 Earldom of Hereford (5th creation) extinct, 1155 Earl of Essex (2nd creation), 1199 Geoffrey Fitz Peter c. 1162–1213 1st Earl of Essex Beatrice de Say Geoffrey de Saye II 1155–1230 Hawise ("Alice") de Clare Humphrey III de Bohun before 1144–1181 Earl of Hereford (6th creation), 1199 Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville c. 1191–1216 2nd Earl of Essex William FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville d. 1227 3rd Earl of Essex Maud FitzGeoffrey Maud de Mandeville Henry de Bohun 1176–1220 1st Earl of Hereford Earldom of Essex (2nd creation) extinct, 1227 Earl of Essex (3rd creation), 1239 Humphrey de Bohun 1204–1275 1st Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Hereford Humphrey de Bohun d. 1265 Edward I 1239–1307 King of England Humphrey de Bohun c. 1249–1298 2nd Earl of Essex, 3rd Earl of Hereford Edward II 1284–1327 King of England Elizabeth of Rhuddlan 1282–1316 Humphrey de Bohun 1276–1322 3rd Earl of Essex, 4th Earl of Hereford Edward III 1312–1377 King of England John de Bohun 1306–1336 4th Earl of Essex, 5th Earl of Hereford Humphrey de Bohun 1309–1361 5th Earl of Essex, 6th Earl of Hereford William de Bohun c. 1312–1360 1st Earl of Northampton Humphrey de Bohun 1342–1373 6th Earl of Essex, 7th Earl of Hereford Earldom of Essex (3rd creation) and Earldom of Hereford (6th creation) extinct, 1373 Earl of Essex (4th creation), 1376 Thomas of Woodstock 1355–1397 Earl of Essex Eleanor de Bohun c. 1366–1399 Mary de Bohun c. 1369/1370–1394 Henry IV 1367–1413 King of England Earldom of Essex (4th creation) forfeit, 1397 William Bourchier 1374–1420 Anne of Gloucester 1383–1438 Earl of Essex (5th creation), 1461 Henry Bourchier c. 1404/1406–1483 1st Earl of Essex William Bourchier d. 1480 Viscount Bourchier Anne Woodville 1438–1489 Elizabeth Woodville c. 1437–1492 Edward IV 1442–1483 King of England John Devereux c. 1464–1501 9th Baron Ferrers of Chartley Cecily Bourchier (died c. 1492/1493) Henry Bourchier c. 1467/80–1540 2nd Earl of Essex Elizabeth of York 1466–1503 Thomas Parr 1478–1517 Earldom of Essex (5th creation) forfeit 1540 Viscount Hereford Earl of Essex (6th creation), 1540 Walter Devereux 1488–1558 1st Viscount Hereford, 10th Baron Ferrers of Chartley Thomas Cromwell 1485–1540 Earl of Essex Henry VIII 1491–1547 King of England Earldom of Essex (6th creation) forfeit, 1540 Earl of Essex (7th creation), 1543 Richard Devereux c. 1513–1547 Catherine Parr 1512–1548 William Parr 1513–1571 Marquess of Northampton, Earl of Essex Earldom of Essex (7th creation) forfeit 1553, restored 1559, extinct 1571 Earl of Essex (8th creation), 1572 Devereux Baronet of Castle Bromwich, 1611 Walter Devereux 1541–1576 1st Earl of Essex, 2nd Viscount Hereford Edward Devereux c. 1550–1622 1st Baronet Robert Devereux 1565–1601 2nd Earl of Essex, 3rd Viscount Hereford Walter Devereux 1578–1658 5th Viscount Hereford, 2nd Baronet George Devereux c. 1581–1665 Earldom of Essex forfeit, 1601 Earldom of Essex (8th creation) restored, 1604 Baron Capell of Hadham, 1641 Robert Devereux 1591–1646 3rd Earl of Essex, 4th Viscount Hereford Arthur Capell 1604–1649 1st Baron Capell of Hadham Leicester Devereux 1617–1676 6th Viscount Hereford, 3rd Baronet Earldom of Essex (8th creation) extinct, 1646 Earl of Essex (9th creation) and Viscount Malden, 1661 Baron Capell of Tewkesbury in the County of Gloucester, 1692 Arthur Capell 1631–1683 2nd Baron Capell of Hadham 1st Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Henry Capell 1638–1696 Baron Capell of Tewkesbury Price Devereux c. 1637–1673 Vaughan Devereux d. 1700 Barony Capell of Tewkesbury extinct, 1696 Algernon Capell 1670–1710 2nd Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Leicester Devereux 1674–1683 7th Viscount Hereford, 4th Baronet Edward Devereux 1675–1700 8th Viscount Hereford, 5th Baronet Price Devereux 1664–1740 9th Viscount Hereford, 6th Baronet Arthur Devereux d. 1711 William Capell 1697–1743 3rd Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Price Devereux 1694–1748 10th Viscount Hereford, 7th Baronet Edward Devereux c. 1710–1760 11th Viscount Hereford, 8th Baronet Frances Hanbury-Williams c. 1735–1759 William Capell 1732–1799 4th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Harriet Bladen 1735–1821 Edward Devereux 1740–1783 12th Viscount Hereford, 9th Baronet George Devereux 1744–1804 13th Viscount Hereford, 10th Baronet George Capel-Coningsby 1757–1839 5th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden John Thomas Capell 1769–1819 Henry Fleming Lea Devereux 1777–1843 14th Viscount Hereford, 11th Baronet Arthur Algernon Capell 1803–1892 6th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Algernon Capell 1807–1886 Adolphus Capell 1813–1899 Henry Devereux 1807–1839 Robert Devereux 1809–1855 15th Viscount Hereford, 12th Baronet Arthur de Vere Capell 1826–1879 styled Viscount Malden Charles Capell 1845–1924 Horatio Bladen Capell 1839–1933 Robert Devereux 1843–1930 16th Viscount Hereford, 13th Baronet George Devereux de Vere Capell 1857–1916 7th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Arthur Algernon de Vere Capell 1891–1950 Horace Charles George Arthur Capell 1868–1953 Algernon Essex Capell 1869–1952 Henry Addison Devereux Capell 1873–1925 Robert Charles Devereux 1865–1952 17th Viscount Hereford, 14th Baronet Algernon George de Vere Capell 1884–1966 8th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Bladen Ozro Capell 1897–1959 Algernon Arthur Capell Robert Capell Sixth in line to the Earldom of Essex Robert Devereux 1894–1934 Earldom of Essex (9th creation) revived, 1989 Reginald George de Vere Capell 1906–1981 9th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Robert Edward de Vere Capell 1920–2005 10th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden Bladen Horace Capell 1922–1978 Colin Capell Robert Milo Leicester Devereux 1932–2004 18th Viscount Hereford, 15th Baronet Earldom of Essex (9th creation) dormant, 1981 Frederick Paul de Vere Capell b. 1944 11th Earl of Essex and Viscount Malden William Jennings "Bill" Capell b. 1952 Heir presumptive to the Earldom of Essex Clint Capell Third in line to the Earldom of Essex Craig Capell Fourth in line to the Earldom of Essex Kevin Capell b. 1982 Second in line to the Earldom of Essex Dylan Capell Fifth in line to the Earldom of Essex Charles Robin de Bohun Devereux b. 1975 19th Viscount Hereford, 16th Baronet Henry Devereux b. 2015 Heir apparent to the Hereford Viscountcy

Notes

References

External links

• Inquisition Post Mortem, #123–125.

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Gloucester, Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 130.
• Goodman, Anthony (1971). The Loyal Conspiracy: The Lords Appellant under Richard II. University of Miami Press.
• Ward, Jennifer C. (1992). English Noblewomen in the Later Middle Ages. Routledge.
• Ward, Jennifer C., ed. (1995). Women of the English Nobility and Gentry, 1066-1500. Manchester University Press.
• Weir, Alison (1999). Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: The Bodley Head.

Further reading

• Tuck, Anthony (2008). "Thomas, duke of Gloucester (1355–1397)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online) (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27197. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Thomas of Woodstock House of Plantagenet Born: 7 January 1355 Died: 8 September 1397
Political offices
Preceded by Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex	Lord High Constable 1372–1397	Succeeded by Humphrey, 2nd Earl of Buckingham
Legal offices
Preceded by Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland	Justice of Chester 1388–1391	Succeeded by John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter
Peerage of England
New creation	Earl of Buckingham 1377–1397	Succeeded by Humphrey