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LXII. Observations on the Wardrobe Account for the Year 1483; wherein are contained the Deliveries made for the Coronation of King Richard the Third, and some other Particulars relative to the History of that Monarch: by the Reverend Doctor Milles, Dean of Exeter, President of the Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

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Extract

It is a misfortune generally attendant on the earlier periods of History, that they want those original and authentic records which are necessary to transmit facts and characters of men in a just and impartial light to posterity.

This is supposed to have been the case with respect to king Richard III; for although the contemporary historians of our own and other kingdoms have charged him with a complication of the most atrocious crimes; yet Mr. Buck, fired with a zeal for the house of York, and for the honour of that king, (in whose service his ancestor, Sir John Buck, fought in Bosworth Field, and afterwards lost his head for it at Leicester), has professedly undertaken to apologize for Richard's character, and, where he could not exculpate him, has taken uncommon pains to extenuate his guilt.

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Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1779

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References

page 363 note [a] Arnold, who lived in 1519, published an Account of the Customs of London, with a Chronicle of the Magistrates of that city; where, under the year 1483, he has the following observation, expressing, in very descriptive words, the manner of the young prince's death. “This year decessyd the Kynge in Aprell, entring “into the 23d yere of his regne; and the two sons of Kynge Edward were put tosilence, and the Duke of Gloucester tooke upon him the crowne in July,” &c.

page 363 note [b] Philip ds Comines says of Richard the IIId, “Tantost apres le Roy Ed “ward fat mort, le Roy notre maitre en fat adverti, & n'en feit nulle joie, ne “semblant quand il le sceut, “cestre, qui s'etoit fait Roy d'Angleterre, & se signoit Richard lequel avoit faitmourir les deux fils du Roy Edouard son frere. Lequel Roy Richard requeroit “l'armtie du Roy, & croy qu'il eut bien voulu ravoir ceste pension; mais le Roi ne “vouloit repondre a ses lettre, n'ouir le message, & l'estima tres cruel & mauvais; “car apres le trespas du Roy Edward, le dict Duc de Glocestre avoit fait hom “mage a son neveu, comme a son Roi & souverain Seigneur, & incontinent apres “commit ce cas”—Livre vi. chap. 9. Hall gives the same account in his Life of Richard III. p. 2.

page 364 note [c] See his Life of Richard III. Kennet's Col. vol. I. p. 545.

page 365 note [d] Hist. l. ii. cap. vi.

page 365 note [e] Gale's Hist. Angl. Script. tom. I. p. 568.

page 365 note [f] The Croyland continuator, speaking of the removal of the princes to the Tower, mentions a piece of advice given at that time by some who were then in the Sanctuary, that the daughters of King Edward should be sent abroad in disguise. Ut siquid dictis Masculis humanitus in Turre contigerit, nihilominus per Salvandas personas filiarum, Regnum ad veros rediret haeredes, p. 567. Mr. Walpole supposes this advice to have been given after Richard's coronation at York, referring the beginning of the next sentence, interim, et dum haec agerentur, to that which was only the last of many events mentioned in the preceding paragraph, wherein he describes the several previous steps taken by Richard III, to usurp the throne; nor does that author mention the report concerning the princes death till some sentences afterwards.

page 366 note [g] Lord Bacon-says, “All this time it was still whispered every where, that “at least one of the children of Edward IV, was living; which bruit was cun “ningly comented by such as desired innovation; neither was the king's nature “and customs greatly fit to disperse these mists, but contrariwise be had a fashion “rather to create doubts, than assurance.” Life of Henry VII, in Kennet's Collection, vol. I. p. 583.

page 366 note [h] From which I have had the opportunity of extracting the following account, by the favour of Mr. Chamberlain, the keeper of that record, whole civility on this occasion deserves a particular acknowledgment.

page 368 note [i] Page 7, b.

page 368 note [k] Page 10, a.

page 368 note [l] Page 13, a.

page 368 note [m] Page 18, b.

page 368 note [n] Page 33, b.

page 368 note [o] In the mercery account, the scarlet cloth is charged from 8s. to 16s. and per yard; the cloth engrayne from 10s. to 13s. cloth of divers colours from 2s. and 2d. to 6s. the yard; and the ray cloth used in covering the floor for the procession, of which there were 5488 staves, from 2d. to 3d. per stave.

In the pelry account, the ermine cost from 20 s. to 40s. each tymbre; the tymbre contained 40 skins. The backs at 21 or 22 d. the members or bellies of ermine at 6s. and 8d. There were several other kinds of furr, and 68,701 powderings made of bogy shanks, at 20 s per thousand. Amongst the mercery articles, the velvet cost from 9 s. and 4d. to 26 s. the yard. Cloths of gold, from 33s. to 4l. the yard. Silk damask at 8s. per yard. Satyn of silk from 8s. to 13 s. per yard. Hosen 4 s. the pair. Shoes of Spanish leather double soled and flops, 8d. per pair. Shoes of black leather, and flops of the same kind, 6d. Long spurs, parcel gilt, 13 s. 4d. Short spurs, 6 s. Black spurs, 16 d.

page 368 note [p] Page 40, a.

page 368 note [q] Page 54, a.

page 368 note [r] page 23, b.

page 368 note [s] And 5000 more are mentioned in the general accounts, pag. 31 b.

page 369 note [t] Page 58, a.

page 369 note [u] Page 61, b.

page 369 note [w] Page 62, a.

page 369 note [x] It appears, that a yearly pension of 40 s. was paid by the Wardrobe Office to the parson of Saint Andrew's, at Baynard Castle, “as by reason of the old “Graunte of King Edward the Thirde it hath been accustomed,” that is to witt, by 296 days, after the rate of 1 d. q. by the day.—Piers Courteys's salary, as keeper of the Wardrobe, was 20 l. per ann.

page 369 note [y] Page 66, a.

page 369 note [z] Page 67, a.

page 369 note [a] Page 69, a.

page 369 note [b] Page 79, a.

page 370 note [c] Page 80, b.

page 370 note [d] Page, 81, b.

page 371 note [e] Page 82, b.

page 371 note [f] Page 89, b.

page 371 note [g] Page 90, a.

page 372 note [h] An old English name for a page, or rather an equerry, derived from the Saxon word which signifies a horse.

page 373 note [i] Page 79, b.

page 373 note [k] Page 98, a.

page 373 note [l] Page 99, b.

page 374 note [m] Page 105, a.

page 374 note [n] Page 109, a.

page 375 note [o] Page 109, a.

page 375 note [p] Charged in the Parcels of the Stable, page 41, b. price of each 10 s.

page 375 note [q] This article is charged in the Parcels of Drapery bought, page 11, b. and cost 13 s. and 4 d. the yard.

page 377 note [r] Page 116, a.

page 377 note [s] Page 118, a.

page 377 note [t] Page 119, a.

page 377 note [u] Page 125, a.

page 377 note [w] page 133, a.

page 379 note [x] Charged among the mercery parcels, page 20, b. and is the only article of that colour in the account.

page 380 note [y] Fabian's Chron. p. 513, b.

page 380 note [z] Many of these articles, which relate to Lord Edward and his Hengemen, are charged in the Wardrober's general account of receipts and deliveries, undistinguished from those which were issued for Richard's Coronation.

page 382 note [a] He had the office of Steward of the Lordships of Lanemtherry, Lanthesant, Newport Wenloke, and Kevoeth Meredith, in Wales, and the Marches, for the term of his life. Pat. 2 Rich. III. p. 1. dated August 9th. He had also the ward and marriage of Robert Arundel Treryse, son and heir of John Arundel Treryse, Esq;&c. during his minority. He had the rule of the Castle of Guisnes, and in the absence of Lord Mountjoy was Lieutenant there, and made Governor of Glamorganshire, though he was sent to Guisnes, anno 2 Rich. III. The King also sent him to Flanders for divers matters, and put him in trust in Wales against the Duke of Buckingham; he was also a Commissioner for the forfeited estates of that Duke and other traitors in Wales and the Marches. See Kennett's notes on Buck's History, vol. I. p. 552; where the grants made to the other accomplices in that murder are also mentioned. King Henry VII. made him Sheriff of Glamorgan, Feb. 19, anno primo regni. Esceat Roll, p. 4.

page 385 note [b] See his pedigree in the annexed sheet.

page 386 note [c] Pat. 19 Henry VII. p. 1. m. 5.

page 386 note [d] Pat. 22 Hen. VII. p. 1. m. 4.

page 386 note [e] Rymer's Foedera, tom. xii. p. 169.

page 386 note [f] Harl. MSS. 293, N° 95.

page 386 note [g] Kennet's Collections, vol. I. p. 501.

page 386 note [h] Hall says, “The man had a high harte, and sore longed upward, not rising “so fast as he hoped, beying hindred and kept under by Richard Ratcliffe and Sir “William Catesby, which longyng for no more parteners of the princes favour, “nameli not for him, whose pride thei knew would bear no pere, kept him, by “secret drifts, out of all secret trust.” First year of Richard III. fol. 111.