Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509)

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Major figure in the Wars of the Roses
Mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch

Lady Margaret Beaufort was born 31 May 1443 to John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (1404-1444) and Margaret Beauchamp (c1410-1482) and died 29 June 1509 of unspecified causes. She married John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1442-c1491) 1450 ^JL . She married Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (1430-1456) 1 November 1455 ^JL . She married Henry Stafford (c1433-1471) 1464 ^JL . She married Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby (1435-1504) October 1473 ^JL .

Biography

'Lady Margaret Beaufort was a prominent figure in English history and a key player in the Wars of the Roses. She was born on May 31, 1443, at Bletsoe Castle in Bedfordshire, England, and died on June 29, 1509, in London, England. Margaret was the only child of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and Margaret Beauchamp.

Margaret was married four times throughout her life, but her most important marriage was to Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who was the half-brother of King Henry VI. They were married in 1455 when Margaret was just 12 years old, and Edmund died in captivity in 1456, leaving Margaret pregnant with their son, who would later become King Henry VII.

Margaret was deeply religious and devoted much of her life to charity and good works. She founded several schools and colleges, including Christ's College and St. John's College at the University of Cambridge. She also funded the establishment of several chapels, including the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey.

Margaret was an important political figure in her own right and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. She was a staunch supporter of the Lancastrian cause and worked tirelessly to ensure her son's claim to the throne. She was also a key advisor to her son during his reign as King Henry VII, and was a respected and influential figure in court circles.

Margaret's legacy was her role as the mother of the Tudor dynasty, which would go on to rule England for more than a century. Her son, Henry VII, was the first Tudor monarch, and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, is one of the most famous monarchs in English history. Margaret's life and achievements have been celebrated in literature and film, and she is remembered as one of the most influential women of her time.

Family Life

1st Marriage: Duke of Suffolk

Married 1450-1453 to John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1442-c1491) at age 10. Then annulled-

2nd Marriage :

Married : to Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (1430-1456), founders of the Tudor dynasty.

Motherhood

While in the care of her brother-in-law Jasper Tudor, on 28 January 1457, the Countess gave birth to a son, Henry Tudor, at Pembroke Castle. She was thirteen years old at the time and not yet physically mature, so the birth was extremely difficult. In a sermon delivered after her death, Margaret's confessor, John Fisher, deemed it a miracle that a baby could be born "of so little a personage".^[1] Her son's birth may have done permanent physical injury to Margaret; despite two later marriages, she never had another child. Years later, she enumerated a set of proper procedures concerning the delivery of potential heirs, perhaps informed by the difficulty of her own experience.^[2]

Marriage to Sir Henry Stafford

Shortly after her re-entry into society after the birth, Jasper helped arrange another marriage for her to ensure her son's security.^[3] She married Sir Henry Stafford (c. 1425–1471), the second son of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, on 3 January 1458, at the age of fourteen. A dispensation for the marriage was necessary because Margaret and Stafford were second cousins; it was granted on 6 April 1457. They enjoyed a fairly long and harmonious marital relationship and were given Woking Palace, to which Margaret sometimes retreated and which she restored. Margaret and her husband were given 400 marks' worth of land by Buckingham, but her own estates were still their main source of income. For a time the Staffords were able to visit Margaret's son, who had been entrusted to Jasper Tudor's care at Pembroke Castle in Wales.

Children

Offspring of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (1430-1456) and Lady Margaret Beaufort
Name	Birth	Death	Joined with
Henry VII of England (1457-1509)	28 January 1457 Pembroke Castle, Wales, United Kingdom	21 April 1509 Richmond Palace, England, United Kingdom	Elizabeth of York (1465-1503) Unknown Breton concubine (c1455)

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Siblings

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Harriss (2004). "Beaufort, John, marquess of Dorset and marquess of Somerset". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-1861. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
Jones, Michael K, and Malcolm G. Underwood, The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby. Cambridge University Press, 1992. see especially pp. 17–22
Weir, Alison (2008). Britain's Royal Families, The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-09-953973-5.
Griffiths, Ralph Alan (1981). [[[:Template:Googlebooks]] The Reign of King Henry VI]. London: Ernest Benn Limited. ISBN 978-0-52004-372-5. Template:Googlebooks.
Harriss, Gerald Leslie (1988). [[[:Template:Googlebooks]] Cardinal Beaufort: A Study of Lancastrian Ascendancy and Decline]. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19820-135-9. Template:Googlebooks.
Jones, Michael K. (1981). [[[:Template:Googlebooks]] "John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and the French Expedition of 1443"]. In Griffiths, Ralph Alan. Patronage, the Crown and the Provinces in Later Medieval England. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 79–102. ISBN 978-0-39102-096-2. Template:Googlebooks.
Jones, Michael K. (1982). The Beaufort family and the war in France, 1421–1450 (PhD). University of Bristol. OCLC 71194555. https://research-information.bristol.ac.uk/files/34504530/507865.pdf.

External Links

wikipedia:en:Lady Margaret Beaufort
Lady Margaret Beaufort at thePeerage
Lady Margaret Beaufort - Geni.com
Lady Margaret Beaufort at Find A Grave
English Kings 1066-1603 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
The Beaufort Family
E. M. G. Routh, Lady Margaret: A Memoir of Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond & Derby, Mother of Henry VII, 1924: e-text
Catholic Encyclopedia article
Margaret Beaufort's patronage of theatre and/or music
The school that was established in honour of Lady Margaret Beaufort's will
Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Richmond and Derby, Margaret, Countess of". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
"Lady Margaret Beaufort and the Art of the Book". Cambridge University Library. https://exhibitions.lib.cam.ac.uk/moving-word/case/lady-margaret-beaufort/.

Ancestry Trees

Contemporary References

Some of the best contemporary references for John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, include:

The Paston Letters: This is a collection of letters written by various members of the Paston family in England during the 15th century. The letters provide valuable insights into the political and social events of the time, including the Wars of the Roses and the role of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, in those conflicts.
The Chronicles of Jean Froissart: Froissart was a French chronicler who wrote extensively about the Hundred Years' War and the political and military events of 14th and 15th century Europe. His chronicles provide important context for understanding John Beaufort's military campaigns in France.
The Book of Margery Kempe: Margery Kempe was an English mystic and author who wrote a spiritual autobiography in the 15th century. Her book provides a glimpse into the religious culture of the time and mentions John Beaufort's involvement in the Siege of Rouen in 1418-1419.
The Yorkist Chronicle: This is a chronicle written by a supporter of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses. It provides a different perspective on the political and military events of the time and includes information on John Beaufort's role in Lancastrian politics.
The Records of the Parliament of England: The parliamentary records of England provide a wealth of information on political and legal events in the country during the medieval and early modern periods. They include discussions of John Beaufort's titles and land holdings, as well as his involvement in the governance of the country.

Citations: Life of St. Margaret

Here is an excerpt from "The Life of St. Margaret, Countess of Richmond and Derby" written (original text = Latin) by the Tudor historian, John Fisher, who was a contemporary of Lady Margaret Beaufort:

"Vixit autem haec nobilis domina in omni vitae genere purissime, integerrime, religiosissime, pietate ac sanctimonia conspicua, atque in rebus divinis et caelestibus tantum usum fecit, ut eius animus ad caelestem vitam aeterna cum sua carne migraret. Nam cum acerrimo corporis doloribus continuo conflictaretur, id tamen ad praedicationem sancti evangelii et devotas orationes multipliciter et libenter pertulit. Igitur vitae ipsius forma, morum honestas, pietas, religio, in omni ecclesia fama fuit, tam vera et sincera, ut post mortem eius, cujus nomen in coelo est inscriptum, in Ecclesia Dei postulatio laudabiliter fuit."

English translation: "This noble lady lived a life that was pure, honest, and religious, notable for her piety and sanctity. She devoted herself to divine and heavenly things to such an extent that her soul migrated to eternal life along with her body. Despite continuous bodily pain, she bore it willingly and eagerly for the sake of preaching the Holy Gospel and devotional prayers. Therefore, her way of life, her honesty, her piety, and her religious devotion were known throughout the church. They were so true and sincere that after her death, her name was inscribed in heaven, and her commendable sanctity was celebrated in the Church of God."

Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General

₪ Wedding

Three years later, the marriage was dissolved [wikipedia]

Thurstan, Rtol, Phlox, MainTour

^ Gristwood, Sarah (2013). Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses. New York: Basic Books. pp. 49.
^ Gristwood, Sarah (2013). Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses. New York: Basic Books. pp. 48.
^ Tallis, Nicola (2020). Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch. London: Michael O'Mara Books Limited. pp. 58. ISBN 978-1-78929-258-9.

[1] Gristwood, Sarah (2013). Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses. New York: Basic Books. pp. 49.

[2] Gristwood, Sarah (2013). Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses. New York: Basic Books. pp. 48.

[3] Tallis, Nicola (2020). Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch. London: Michael O'Mara Books Limited. pp. 58. ISBN 978-1-78929-258-9.

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