General Notes

His eldest son, Anthony Woodville, 2d Earl Rivers, 1442?-1483, accompanied Edward into exile (1470-71) and later served him in various capacities. In 1473 he was appointed guardian of Edward, prince of Wales (later Edward V). On Edward IVís death, however, Rivers was arrested by Richard, duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), and executed. A somewhat romantic and otherworldly figure, Rivers wrote translations of various French works. His "Dictes and Sayengis of the Philosophres" (1477) was the first dated book printed in England by William Caxton.  [Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 2001 - online]

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EARLDOM OF RIVERS (II)

ANTHONY (WYDEVILL), EARL RIVERS, and BARON RIVERS, son and heir, born about 1440, was a Knight in January 1459/60, when captured with his father at Sandwich. He fought on the Lancastrian side at Towton, 29 March 1461. Having married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Thomas, Lord Scales, he was summoned to Parliament, 22 December 1462, as LORD SCALES. In that month he accompanied the King to Scotland and took part in the siege of Alnwick. J.P. in Norfolk in 1464. On 25 May 1465, cup-bearer at his sister's coronation. K.G. 1466(?). In November 1466, upon surrender by a previous grantee, he had a grant of the Isle of Wight, with Carisbrooke Castle. In June 1467 he fought the Bastard of Burgundy, whom he had challenged, in lists at Smithfield. He was a commissioner in September following to arrange the marriage of the King's sister Margaret with Charles, son of Philip, Duke of Burgundy, and in November made keeper of Porchester Castle. In October 1468, captain of the King's armed power (armata) against France, which effected nothing. When the rebellion broke out in June, 1469, he was with the King in Norfolk. In June 1470, commissioner of array in Hants, and captain of the King's armed power, with which he baulked the designs of the Earl of Warwick. He was also appointed Lieutenant of Calais. When Edward, in his turn, was obliged to flee from England, in September 1470, Rivers attended him. He returned with him in March 1471, and fought with great valour, 14 April, at Barnet, where he was wounded. Left in charge of London, while Edward was fighting at Tewkesbury, he defeated the Bastard Fauconbridge's attempt to seize the city. In July he was among the Lords of Parliament (no Parliament was then sitting) who took the oath to maintain the right of the Prince of Wales, and was appointed on the Prince's council. In 1472, he sailed with a body of men to obtain the surrender of the Earls of Pembroke and Richmond from Brittany, and was chief commissioner to treat with the Duke. On 17 May 1473, Chief Butler of England for life; 10 November, Governor of the Prince of Wales. In August 1475 he took part in the King's expedition to France, and in 1476 was with the Duke of Burgundy at the siege of Morat; an arbitrator between England and France, January 1478/9. When Edward IV died, 9 April 1483, he was with the Prince at Ludlow; on their way to London the Duke of Gloucester procured his arrest, on a charge of attempting to usurp the government; he was imprisoned in Sheriff Hutton and Pontefract Castles, Yorks, and beheaded at Pontefract, 25 June, without any regular trial.

He married, 1stly, before 22 December 1462, Elizabeth, widow of Sir Henry BOURCHIER, 2nd son of Henry (BOURCHIER), EARL OF ESSEX, and daughter and heir of Thomas, LORD SCALES (died July 1460). She died s.p., 2 September 1473. In 1477 Edward proposed Lord Rivers as a husband for the young Duchess of Burgundy; in 1479 considerable progress had been made with a proposal for a marriage with Margaret, sister of James III of Scotland. He married, 2ndly, before October 1480, Mary, daughter and heir of Sir Henry FITZLEWIS (died May 1480) of Horndon, Essex, by Elizabeth, daughter of Edmund (BEAUFORT), DUKE OF SOMERSET (g). He died s.p., as above, 25 June 1483. His widow married, 2ndly, Sir George NEVILLE.  [Complete Peerage XI:22-4, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(g) At the taking of her father's Inq.p.m., she was aged 15 (20 Edward IV).

Note: Although CP states "dsp", Anthony actually was "dsp legit", according to Ancestral Roots, line 234-34, as well as several postings on soc.genealogy.medieval newgroup.