General Notes

EARLDOM OF CORK [IRL] (I)

EARLDOM OF RUTLAND (I)

EARLDOM OF CAMBRIDGE (III, 2)

DUKEDOM OF YORK (II)

EDWARD, "of York," DUKE OF YORK [1385], EARL OF CAMBRIDGE [1362] and EARL OF RUTLAND [1390], also EARL OF CORK [IRL], 1st son and heir by 1st wife, was born 13 73; knighted at the Coronation of Richard II, 16 July 1377; accompanied his father to Lisbon, 1381-82, where he was married, or betrothed, to the Infanta Beatrice; nominated K.G. 1387; Steward of Bury St. Edmunds, 22 January 1389/90. He was created, v.p., 25 February 1389/90, with the consent of Parliament, 2 March following, EARL OF RUTLAND, for the term of his father's life, with a grant of the castle, town and lordship of Oakham, the Forest of Rutland and the Sheriffdom of that co. for the support of the title and with a similar limitation. Joint Keeper (in reversion), with his father and mother, of the forest of Bradon, 10 January 1390/1; Admiral of the North, 22 March, and of the North and West, 29 November 1391-May 1398; Joint Commissioner to treat for a truce with France, 22 February 1391/2. Having accompanied Richard II to Ireland, October 1394-May 1395, he took a prominent part in securing the submissions of Taig MacCarthy MÛr and other Southern Irish chiefs; and he was apparently created, v.p., before 15 January 1394/5, EARL OF CORK. He became a feoffee, as from Easter last, of the lands held by the late Queen Anne, 28 May 1395; Keeper of Brigstock Park, Northants, 1 June 1395; Joint Ambassador to treat of the King's marriage with Isabel of France, 8 July 1395; Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports, 11 September 1396-February 1397/8; Keeper of the Channel Islands for life, 30 November 1396; was sent on embassies to France and the Count Palatine, February-June 1397; Warden of the New Forest and Justice in Eyre South of Trent for life, 26 April 1397; Constable of the Tower of London, April-September 1397, and again 30 October 1397-August 1399; Keeper of Carisbrooke Castle with the lordship of the Isle of Wight for life, 4 June 1397. Following on the arrest by the King of his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, 11 July, he was appointed Constable of England, 12 July and 9 September 1397-September 1399, and was one of the eight persons who, at the meeting at Nottingham, 5 August, before the King sitting in state, resolved to appeal Gloucester, Arundel and Warwick of high treason, which was done accordingly in Parliament, 21 September 1397. For these services he received a large grant of forfeited lands, 28 September, and was further created, v.p., 29 September 1397, in Parliament, DUKE OF AUMALE. He was made Havenor of Devon and Cornwall, 17 October 1397; Keeper of Carlisle and Warden of the West March towards Scotland, 10 February 1397/8 and 16 March 1398/9; Commissioner, with the Duke of Surrey, to arrest and chastise all traitors, 15 March and 9 May 1398; and was granted the custody during minority of the lands late of Roger, Earl of March, 11 August 1398, and that of the honors of Leicester and Pontefract, &c., late of John, Duke of Lancaster, 20 March 1398/9. Having again accompanied Richard II to Ireland, May 1399, he returned with him to South Wales, July following, but, on the disbandment of the Royal army, speedily deserted to the Duke of Lancaster, whom he joined, probably at Chester, in August. By the new King he was removed from his custody of the Tower, August, and from his office of Constable, September, was imprisoned in Windsor Castle, 20 October and deprived of the Dukedom of Aumale (only), 3 November 1399. Nevertheless he was confirmed in three of his principal offices, November, and became P.C. to Henry IV, before 4 December 1399. The story, popularized by Shakespeare, of his complicity in and betrayal of the conspiracy of December 1399-January 1399/1400 is open to some doubt; but he joined with the King in pursuit of the rebel lords and is said to have brought the head of his brother-in-law, the former Earl of Gloucester, to London. Thereafter he was made Governor of North Wales, 16 October 1400, and Lieutenant of Aquitaine, 28 August 1401, whence he returned soon after November 1402. By the death of his father, 1 August 1402, he succeeded as DUKE OF YORK and EARL OF CAMBRIDGE, when the Earldom of Rutland, according to the terms of the charter of creation, became extinct. While Lieutenant of South Wales and Keeper of Carmarthen Castle, so appointed 29 November 1403, he became involved in the Mortimer plot, organized by his sister, Constance, Lady Despenser, early in 1405, for which he was committed to the Tower, 27 February, and afterwards to Pevensey Castle, Sussex, his lands being seized, 6 March 1404/5. From Pevensey he was summoned to the King's person 7 October, and released before 26 November following, after which his lands were restored to him, 8 and 17 December 1405. Before his arrest and later he was Master of the Hart Hounds; again Constable of the Tower of London for life, 1 November 1406; was at the siege of Aberystwyth, September 1407; and was ordered to remain on his Welsh lands to resist Glendower 16 May 1409. On 18 December 1411 he obtained a royal charter to found the magnificent college at Fotheringhay. He took part in the Duke of Clarence's abortive expedition to France in 1412 and was still in Aquitaine, June 1413. On 31 August following he arrived in Paris from Bordeaux to broach the project of Henry V's marriage to Catherine of France. Returning thence to England, February 1413/4, he presumably resigned the Earldom of Cambridge before the creation in Parliament, May 1414, of his brother Richard as Earl of Cambridge. He was made Justiciar of South Wales, before 16 July 1414, and Keeper of Berwick and Warden of the East March towards Scotland, 29 September 1414-May 1415. While commanding the right wing at Agincourt, 25 October 1415, he was killed or crushed to death.

He married, 1stly, 29 August 1381, at Lisbon, Beatrice, daughter and heir of FERDINAND, KING OF PORTUGAL. This child-marriage was annulled by Papal dispensation after Edward had returned to England with his father in 1382. He married, 2ndly, after April 1397, Philippe, widow of Sir John GOLAFRE, Knight of the King's Chamber and Constable of Wallingford Castle (who died 18 November 1396), and before that of Walter (FITZWALTER), 4th LORD FITZWALTER (who died, 26 September 1386), 3rd daughter and coheir of John (DE MOHUN), 2nd LORD MOHUN, by Joan, daughter of Bartholomew (DE BURGHERSH), 1st LORD BURGHERSH. He died s.p., 25 October 1415, aged about 42, when the Earldom of Cork [IRL] presumably became extinct. After a funeral service at St. Paul's, 1 December following, his bones were taken to Fotheringhay for burial in the quire of the church there. M.I. His widow, who was granted the lordship of the Isle of Wight for life, 10 December 1415, died s.p. 17 July 1431 and was buried in the Chapel of St. Nicholas, in Westminster Abbey. M.I.  [Complete Peerage XII/2:899-905, XIV:642, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]