Richard II and the Rebel Earl (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series, Series Number 97)

The reign of Richard II and the circumstances of his deposition have long been subject to intense debate. This new interpretation of the politics of the late-fourteenth century offers an in-depth survey of Richard's reign from the perspective of one of the leading nobles who came to oppose him, Thomas Beauchamp, the Appellant Earl of Warwick. This is the first full-length study of one of Richard II's opponents to explore not only why the Earl rebelled against the King, but also why Richard lost his throne. Rather than offering the traditional explanation of a subject grown too mighty, Alison Gundy sets Warwick's rule in the context of the political and constitutional framework of the period. The interplay of local and national events helps to reveal Warwick's motives as a long-serving member of the nobility faced with a king determined to rule in a manner contradictory to contemporary political structures. Cover 1 Richard II and the Rebel ­Earl 3 Series 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Figures 10 Acknowledgements 11 Abbreviations 13 Introduction 19 Chapter 1 The geo-political framework 50 Chapter 2 1369–1382 79 Chapter 3 1383–1389 117 Chapter 4 1389–1397 157 Chapter 5 1397–1401 208 Conclusion 255 Appendix I The Beauchamp affinity, c. 1369–c. 1401 262 Appendix IIA Active Warwickshire justices of the peace, 1369–1401 280 Appendix IIB ACTIVE Worcestershire justices of the peace, 1369–1401 283 Notes 268 Notes 281 Notes 284 Bibliography 285 Primary sources 285 Birmingham Reference Library (BRL) 285 British Library, London 285 Herefordshire and Worcestershire Record Office, Worcester 285 The National Archives, London (TNA) 286 Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-­upon-­Avon 287 Warwickshire County Record Office, Warwick 287 Worcester Cathedral Library 288 Chronicles and printed sources 288 Secondary sources 289 Unpublished theses 300 Index 301 The reign of Richard II and the circumstances of his deposition have long been subject to intense debate. This new interpretation of the politics of the late-fourteenth century offers an in-depth survey of Richard's reign from the perspective of one of the leading nobles who came to oppose him, Thomas Beauchamp, the Appellant Earl of Warwick. This is the first full-length study of one of Richard II's opponents to explore not only why the Earl rebelled against the King, but also why Richard lost his throne. Rather than offering the traditional explanation of a subject grown too mighty, A. K. Gundy sets Warwick's rule in the context of the political and constitutional framework of the period. The interplay of local and national events helps to reveal Warwick's motives as a long-serving member of the nobility faced with a king determined to rule in a manner contradictory to contemporary political structures.