Richard de Beauchamp (1382-1439)

Richard de Beauchamp , Earl of Warwick was a reknowned Soldier who made his reputation during the reign of King Henry IV fighting against Owen Glendower in Wales and the Percys at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403.

In 1408 he set out for the Holy Land, visiting various monarchs en route; he made a similarly active return trip through Russia, Poland, and Germany. Returning in 1410, Beauchamp performed several royal missions, including that as chief English lay envoy to the Council of Constance (1414).

He helped in the suppression of the Lollards in 1414, and from 1415 until 1421 had a distinguished military career in the French Wars.. In 1422 he was appointed a member of the council of regency for infant Henry VI and served as tutor to the young king from 1428 until 1437.

In 1437 he was appointed became Lieutenant of France and Normandy, where at Rouen he would die in 1439..

Richard de Beauchamp married Elizabeth Berkeley, the thirteen year old heiress to the Berkeley Baronies in 1397. They had three children, Margaret (b.1404) who would marry the Earl of Shrewsbury, Eleanor (b.1407) who would marry Lord Ros, and Elizabeth (b.1418) who would marry Lord Latimer. Following Elizabeth's dath in 1422 the Earl married Isabel Le Despenser (1400-1439), daughter of Lord Thomas of Gloucester, who would inherit the Burgesh title in 1433. They would have two children, Henry (b.1425) who would die in 1466 without surviving children, and Anne (b.1426) who would marry, and pass on the title of Earl of Warwick to, Richard Neville.

Article added: 2006-04-04 @ 2:45 am | Last Modified: 2006-04-08 @ 4:54 am

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