General Notes

Richard Woodville. d. 1469, English nobleman. He was knighted (1426) by Henry VI and acquired wealth and power by marrying (c.1436) Jacquetta of Luxemburg, widow of John of Lancaster, duke of Bedford. He served in the wars in France and helped suppress the rebellion (1450) of Jack Cade in England. In the Wars of the Roses, Rivers fought for Henry VI until the Lancastrian defeat at Towton (1461). He then transferred his loyalty to the Yorkist Edward IV, to whom he gave his daughter (see Woodville, Elizabeth) in marriage in 1464. He and his family soon received extensive royal favors, Rivers himself becoming treasurer and then constable (1467) of England. He was created earl in 1466. The favoritism shown the Woodville faction embittered Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, who rebelled in 1469. Rivers was captured and executed after Edwardís defeat at Edgecot,  [Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 2001 - online]

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EARLDOM OF RIVERS (I)

RICHARD WYDEVILL, son and heir, was one of those knighted at Leicester, on Palm Sunday, 19 May 1426, by Henry VI. He was retained to serve the King in the war in France, 11 April 1433. In 1435 he was a knight bachelor in the Regent's court, and is said to have been captured by the French, when the English, under the Earl of Arundel, besieged Gerberoy. He was in the Earl of Suffolk's retinue in France in 1436; in 1437, chief rider in Salsey Forest. He was with the Earl of Somerset in 1439, and took part in the attempt to relieve Meaux. In November 1440, in lists at Smithfield, he represented England against the challenge of Pedro de Vasquez, a Spanish knight. In February 1440/1, a commis sioner for collection of a subsidy in Northants; in July he was again going to France. Truce was made in 1443, lasting till 1449. In 1444 he and his wife were in the escort of Margaret of Anjou, coming to England for her marriage. J.P. Northants, 1445 till his death. In 1446 he went twice to Calais on the King's business. As the King's knight he was created, 9 May 1448, BARON and LORD DE RYVERS, in tail male (d). Between 1449 and 1459 he was constantly employed, when in England, upon various commissions. In May 1450 there was at any rate a report that he was made Constable of England; in June he was one of the leaders against Cade and the Kentish rebels; K.G., 4 August, and in that month P.C. In October 1450 appointed Seneschal of Aquitaine. With a number of other government officials and members of the King's household, he was indicted in Kent in August 1451. In 1454 and 1455 he was joint deputy of the Duke of Somerset as Lieutenant of Calais. Keeper of Rochester Castle for life, November 1457. One of the barons summoned to the Great Council held at Westminster, January 1457/8. On the outbreak of civil war, he was naturally a staunch supporter of the King. Having been ordered to proceed to Calais against the Earl of Warwick, he was captured by surprise at Sandwich by Warwick's men, January 1459/60, with his wife and eldest son. They were kept prisoners in Normandy, probably till June 1460. On 29 March 1461 he was taken prisoner at Towton, but soon afterwards he obtained a general pardon from Edward IV. He took part in Edward's expedition to Scotland in 1462, and from 1463 till his death was a member of numerous commissions. In May 1464 the King married his daughter Elizabeth. On 4 March 1465/6 he was appointed Treasurer of England during pleasure. On 24 May 1466 he was created EARL OF RYVERS. Constable or England for life, 24 August 1467, with remainder to his son Anthony. The resentment aroused by the favours showered on an upstart and unpopular family resulted in a rising, and Lord Rivers retired with his son Sir John to Chepstow. After the Yorkist defeat at Edgecote, Northants, they were given up to the Earl of Warwick, and executed without trial.

He married, before 23 March 1436/7, Jacquette, widow of John, DUKE OF BEDFORD (died 14 September 1435), daughter of Pierre DE LUXEMBOURG, COUNT OF ST. POL. He died, as above, 12 Aug. 1469. His widow died 30 May 1472.  [Complete Peerage XI:19-22, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(d) . . . To sustain the dignity Wydevill was granted the reversion of a rent of 14 l, 4, s due from the fee of Chokes to the ward of Northampton castle, and all fees belonging to "Chokesfee, Bryansfe, feoda Johannis de Baiocis, Maundevyllfee, Loxingtonfee," or the baronies (sic) of Rivers (Ripariis) and Ledet fee.  The reason for the choice of the title of Rivers is undoubtedly due to a claimed descent from the Rivers [Reviers], Earls of Devon, as is shown from the arms used by the Earls.  [XI:20 note (d) as corrected by XIV:549]