Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers

Richard Woodville (or Wydeville), 1st Earl Rivers (1405-12 August 1469), was an English nobleman, best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV.

Born at Maidstone in Kent, he was the son of another Sir Richard Wydeville or Wydevill, chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford. After the duke died, 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.

Originally a mere squire from Grafton, Richard was considered "the handsomest man in England" and rose to become the squire of Henry V. At the Battle of Agincourt, he kept the king's lucky totem of a squirrel's tail tied to a lance "always within sight of the king" during the fighting, and was knighted afterwards.

He was created Baron Rivers by Henry VI on 9 May 1448. In the Wars of the Roses, he was initially a Lancastrian, but he became a Yorkist when he was thought that the Lancastrian cause was lost. He reconciled himself to the victorious Edward IV, his future son-in-law. On 1 May 1464, Edward married his daughter Elizabeth, widow of Sir John Grey of Groby. Richard was created Earl Rivers in 1466 and appointed Lord Treasurer by his new son-in-law.

The power of this new family was very distasteful to the old baronial party, and especially so to the Earl of Warwick. Early in 1468, the Rivers estates were plundered by Warwick's partisans, and the open war of the following year was aimed at destroying the Woodvilles. After Edward's 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. His eldest son Anthony succeeded him in the earldom.

Lord Rivers had a large family. His third son, Lionel (d. 1484) became the Bishop of Salisbury. All his daughters made great marriages: Catherine Woodville, the fifth child, was wife of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham.

Children of Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg

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1. Elizabeth Woodville (c. 1437-1492), married Edward IV of England.
2. Lewis Woodville (1438).
3. Anne Woodville (1439-1489). Married first William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier, and second George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent.
4. Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (1442-1483), married Elizabeth Scales, 8th Baron Scales.
5. Mary Woodville (1443-1481), married William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.
6. Jacquetta Woodville (1444-1509), married John le Strange, 8th Baron Strange of Knockin.
7. John Woodville (1445-1469), married Catherine Neville, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.
8. Lionel Woodville (1447-1485), Bishop of Salisbury.
9. Catherine Woodville (1448-1497), married first Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, second Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford.
10. Martha Woodville (1450-1500), married Sir John Bromley.
11. Eleanor Woodville (1452-1512), married Sir Anthony Grey.
12. Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers (c. 1453-1491).
13. Margaret Woodville (1454-1490), married Thomas Fitzalan, 17th Earl of Arundel.
14. Edward Woodville (c. 1455-1488).
15. Agnes Woodville (d. 1506), married William Dormer.
16. Thomas Woodville, married Anne Holland.

References

• Cokayne, George E. Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant. London: G. Bell & Sons, 1887. (p. 207) googlebooks Retrieved 4 May 2008
• See 1911 Encyclopedia.
• Chambers Dictionary of World History edited by Bruce Lenman, ISBN 0550130004
• The Princes in the Tower by Elizabeth Jenkins