We are aware that lady Margaret has been a controversial character whose image has not always been popular at the first sight. In our days, social media has been an instrument that link the access to documents and sources to common folk who are not entitled to be historians which can make it easier to propose a discussion about such a woman. However, popular cultura in the same means has been responsible for perpetuating a view about Margaret that does not match with the person that she was. It's often seen that writers or not work with historical characters by dividing them in two categories: good or bad, forgetting that human beings are too complex as a whole to be classified according to personal tastes. Naturally, we are entitled to opinions but we must bear in mind before asserting any sort of judgement the society such characters lived in, how they performed a social role that needs input them, and of course have a read of days that we have not lived with careful eyes. Thus, we must put aside our contemporary views in order to comprehend the background of the matriach of this dynasty we intend to study. Must it always be remembered, in addition, that this post is nothing but the result of humble attempts in analyzing this Beaufort lady and hoping to implement a discussion with it.
The question that leads this post, as often did in previous ones, is mostly directed to inquire about the person she was. As a woman born and raised in the 15th century, how was her conduct before the conflicts that culminated, of all events in her life, in separating herself from the son whom she loved the most and was quite devoted to until the end of her days? How did she live to see the reigns of six different kings? How did she, who witnessed the fall of one dynasty and most certainly helped to raise another, use her position for her own sake? Who, in the end, was Margaret Beaufort? No definite truths are the answer to be found, but we might be able to read between the lines as sources come to our eyes.
Margaret Beaufort was born on the year 1443 at Bletshoe, located near Higham Ferrers in Bedfordshire. She was the only child of John, duke of Somerset, and his consort, Margaret née Beauchamp. From her father's side, Margaret was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt who was one of the sons of King Edward III. John of Gaunt, who was once the topic discussed on this same blog, had taken as his third wife his long time mistress Katheryn Swynford née de Rouet. During the reign of King Richard II, the Beauforts had been legitimized, but Henry IV in posteriority denied his half-siblings any claim to the throne.
It states that Margaret's father, the duke of Somerset, had agreed with Henry VI that, had he died in his expeditions at the french soil, his daughter's wardship would remain under Margaret Beauchamp's care. However, upon his return, Somerset fell out of favour and rumour has it he took his own life, but the chronicle who wrote it so held in high favour the Yorkists, and the author Lady Margaret Domville works with the view that he was likely dead by some disease. Because of Somerset's fallen out of the royal graces, Henry VI broke such agreement, placing Margaret under the care of William de la Pole, duke of Suffolk.
Even though Margaret was permitted to "remain under her mother's roof", Suffolk did not take too long to engage his son to lady Beaufort. Instead, the king seemed to have thought better in choosing a proper suitor for his Beaufort cousin. As quoted below:
"By february 1453, the king had annulled Margaret's wardship and marriage to John de la Pole, the papal dispensation for which was signed on 18 august 1450, expressly so that she should be available for remarriage. This made Lady Margaret's wardship and marriage a very desirable asset and without any doubt the king intended a marriage between Margaret and one of the Tudor brothers. Since Edmund was the elder, it was he who Margaret would marry."
That way,
"On 24 March Edmund and Jasper were jointly granted the keeping of all the possessions of the late John Beaufort first duke of Somerset, then in the king's hands, including the wardship and marriage of Somerset's nine-year-old daughter and heiress Margaret Beaufort. When Margaret was summoned to court on 24 May, together with her mother Margaret Beauchamp, the king made her a grant of 100 marks to mark the occasion, to spend on clothes."
Both authors, listed on the bibliography, Bayani and Domville list an account of Margaret's remembrance of the time she was betrothed to Edmund Tudor found in Bishop Fisher, her religious adviser, in his "Mornynge Remembrance". It appears that she told this tale a few times and, naturally, it is our duty to quote it below:
"Being not yet fully nine years old, and doubtful in her mind what she were best to do (as to the marriage proposals made to her), she asked counsel of an old gentlewoman whom she much loved and trusted, who did advise her to commend herself to St. Nicolas, the patron and helper of all true maidens, and to beseech him to put in her mind what she were best to do. This counsel she followed, but specially that night when she should the morrow after make her determination. A marvellous thing! The same night, as I have heard her tell many a time, as she lay in prayer, calling on St. Nicolas, whether sleeping or waking she could not assure, but about four o'clock in the morning one appeared to her arrayed like a bishop, and naming unto her Edmund Tudor, bade her take him as her husband. This she related to her parents (the Duchess of Somerset had re-married with Lord Welles), who willingly followed the supernatural direction."
This account is mainly interpreted as a sign of Margaret's apparent contentment with the choice made, since it can be said that she had no choice upon the matter. Hence, their marriage eventually "took place on 1 Novemberat the bride's birthplace, Bletsoe Castle."
Unfortunately for the young bride, the "union with Edmund Tudor was of short duration ; before the year was out the little bride of fourteen was left a widow, and the young Earl of Richmond was buried in the house of the Grey Friars at Caermarthen, whence, at the dissolution of the monastery, his remains were removed to the Cathedral church of St. David [...]"
An addendum must be made, however. It has been discussed about how Edmund and Margaret's consummation implied some flaws concerning the former's character, that the earl of Richmond payed no respect towards his young bride by choosing not waiting until Margaret was older and have her body matured for such an act. Before we set our contemporary eyes in the judgement of two characters who lived and were raised following the customs of the 15th century, let us be remembered that once a woman, regardless of her age, bled for the first time it counted as being mature and ready to conceive a child. Edmund was not different from other men of his days, so to accuse him of disrespectful is to forget the society he was inserted to. We may not know of his character as the sources scarcely mention him on that matter, but must not be us the judges of the past. Margaret herself cherished her late husband's name by signing Margaret Richmond and continuing the use as Countess of Richmond until the end of her days. That there are motives for doing so on behalf of her son is plausible, but perhaps here lies an indictive of their relationship.
The young widow, at the early age of 13, gave birth to her only son, the future king Henry VII on the 26th January 1456, following the feast of St Agnes. Henry, who was born already entitled as Earl of Richmond due to his father's premature death, probably had, by the time of his birth, Henry VI as his godfather, whom he was probably named after. There are accounts, however, that regard Jasper naming his nephew Owen, whilst Margaret preferred to honour the king, her cousin. Whether was the case, there are not further evidence about Henry being styled as Owen Tudor, though one might suspect his whole name might have been Henry Owen Tudor, something that we can only speculate. As seen below:
"Jasper Tudor, with the young mother and child under his protection, took charge of proceedings. According to the Welsh chronicle Elis Gruffydd, Jasper named the boy Owen, in memory of his own father. But Margaret, now well enough to attend the baptism, commanded the bishop to halt the service, begin again and give her son the name of Henry."
It is important to highlight the nature of Margaret Beaufort and Jasper Tudor's relationship, which has been used by novelists to credit a romantic relationship that never had occurred in real life. On the following paragraphs an excerpt taken from Debra Bayani's book "Jasper Tudor, Godfather of the Tudor Dynasty" explains properly why this romantic nature never occurred, presenting plausible arguments for such.
"[...] From the moment Margaret became a widow, she sought Jasper's guidance for herself and also for important decisions regarding her son, who needed a strong base. It is often claimed by novelists, and thought by many people, that Jasper and Margaret were in love with each other but as brother-in-law and sister-in-law were forbidden to marry Jasper chose, out of compassion, to take care of her son, his nephew. This is most likely unfounded gossip and there are in fact several reasons which disprove it.
If Jasper and Margaret were really in love and wanting to marry they could have easily discussed this with the king, who could have been able to ask the pope for a dispensation. Whether or not the request would have been granted remains open to question, but the fact is that the pope did give his permission in other similar cases: for example, the later marriage of Henry VIII to his widowed sister-in-law Catherine of Aragon.
Further, custody of Margaret was fully in Jasper's hands after Edmund's death, something that would surely have expedited matters if there were any feelings of love between them. On the contrary, Jasper started negotiations with the duke of Buckingham (with whom he had by now developed a close relationship) for Margaret's marriage to the duke's son, probably two months after she had given birth. As soon as the young mother was churched in March, Jasper, Margaret and probably baby Henry visited the duke at his manor at Greenfield near Newport and it is likely that this was when Margaret's third marriage was arranged with Buckingham's second son Henry Stafford, her second cousin. By this marriage, Jasper lost a source of income, but as he made the match himself he must have preferred Margaret and his young nephew's safety and the cementing of this powerful and political alliance above the financial side."
In addition to these arguments, Bayani considers the two children Jasper allegedly fathered: Joan and Hellen Tudor, children of a Welshwoman named Mevany Ferch Dafydd from Gwynnedd. It appears that both girls were born in Snowdonia and made good marriages in their adult lives, with one of them, most likely Hellen, being the mother of Stephen Gardiner, a proeminent figure during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary I.
Against the view of Margaret as a cold, heartless and ruthless woman, there lies an account that points how:
"Lady Margaret was held by her contemporaries to have shown no inconstancy of affection, but rather a wise discretion when, after two years, she consented to marry her cousin, Lord Henry Stafford, a younger son of the Duke of Buckingham. But though the Lady Margaret proved an excellent wife, and was much beloved by her second husband's family, her strongest affections seem always to have been centred on her son and only child ; for, in the quaint phrase of an old chronicler, "though she was married to the Lord Henry Stafford, and again to the Earl of Derby, yet she never brought forth a child after, as though she had done her part when she had born a man-child, and the same a kynge of the realms."
Another indicative of Margaret's affectionative and warm side that few discuss about, comes from her own son, Henry VII:
"That Henry himself had a vivid remembrance of his mother's care and love is proved by a letter written by him towards the end of his life, when, after acceding to a request she had made him, he goes on to say: "And not only in this, but in all things that I may know should be to your honour and pleasure and weal of soul, I shall be as glad to please you as heart can desire it ; and I know well that I am as much bounden to do it as any creature living, for the great and singular motherly love and affection it hath pleased you at all times to have for me."
Where her habits are concerned, it's safe to say she did not differ much of others of her position in her days. As a young woman,
"the Lady Margaret was taught French thoroughly, for she could converse freely and translate it easily. Of Latin she had only "a little perceiving, chiefly in the rubrics and the ordinal, and for the saying of the service which she well understood"; in after life she regretted that she had not given herself seriously to study the language, "as she might easily have done"."
As an adult, "that her studious habits were known and appreciated is shown by the bequest made to her by her husband's mother, the duchess of Buckingham, who died in 1480". The said duchess gave Margaret books as "Legenda Sanctorum", "Luccan", and others of religious nature as the Epistles and Gospels. Her wit, once mentioned by Erasmus when Margaret was already an older lady, is quite perceptible by the translations she made. After all, "as regards purity of diction and choice of language, Lady Margaret's writings may be regarded as standard specimens of the good English of the age."
During the days she was wed to Lord Stafford, she enjoyed a relatively peaceful life, visiting her son Henry, who was placed under the care of William Herbert, whenever she could. Her marriage with Stafford offered her some stability and comfort, and there's a quote below that tells us about her household and mentions, naturally, her pious nature:
"From her mother, a woman of great piety and zeal for religion, the Countess of Richmond had learnt to give the first hours of the day to religious exercises, and to fulfill all her duties with promptness, diligence and care. 'Her own household with marvellous diligence and wisdom this noble Princess ordered, providing reasonable statutes and ordinances, which she commanded to be read three or four times a year; and oftentimes she would lovingly encourage them to do well, sometimes herself, sometimes by other persons. If there were any strife or controversy, she would with a great discretion study the reformation thereof'."
But such peaceful days would come to an end when Civil War broke again. She was only 28 years of age when she was widowed again and it was by June 1472 that Margaret remarried for the third, or fourth if the reader considers the marriage with John de la Pole valid, time. This time, it was a convenient marriage, a political alliance with the ruthless Thomas Stanley, Lord High Constable and King of Mann.
As Stanley was linked to the Yorkists, Margaret enjoyed the opportunity to approach the new regime. Must be remembered that Henry, her son, was by then in exile in Brittany with Jasper and with Margaret's Somerset cousin being executed for treason, she realized that, to have her son back safely home, she would have to cope with her enemies. Thus, by this marriage she managed to return in good graces with Edward IV and his consort, Elizabeth Woodville. It appears she grew close to the Queen to the point that she was named godmother to one of her daughters. An apparent engagement between princess Elizabeth to the exile Henry seemed to have been accorded, but then nothing came out of it.
Another addendum must be made here. Much has been speculated about relations between Margaret Beaufort and the Queen Dowager Elizabeth Woodville. It is widely known that both women plotted during King Richard III's reign after the disappearance of the princes in the Tower, that Elizabeth of York would be Henry of Richmond's wife had he won the throne over Richard III's body, which eventually happened, and by extense the partisans of the Woodville-Yorkists woudl follow him. However, these close ties seemed to have changed when Henry of Richmond became King Henry VII and Margaret was referred as "My Lady the King's Mother."
"Much has been made of supposed 'contention' between the new king's mother and the new queen's mother as to who was more influential at court, but the truth is that Margaret was willing to walk a half-step behind Elizabeth Woodville while that former queen was at court and that is a huge concession to Elizabeth's rank. Margaret did get the same high quality clothes, and she was given great power over the court by her son, but there is no evidence this caused undue friction among the royal women. Henry's bride, Queen Elizabeth, would have known Margaret since her youth and the women shared a mutual devotion to the king and the children Elizabeth bore him."
As the Countess was referred following the already mentioned title, novelists and, for a long while, historians had vilified Margaret by crucifying the woman as ambitious, cruel and ruthless. Throughout this post we have proved otherwised. Her kindness towards Queen Elizabeth, her daughter-in-law, goes against the false belief that Margaret was envious of the other's position. In fact, the two of them worked together and an example of this mutual coalition showed by the time of Margaret's granddaughter and namesake's betrothal to the King of Scots, James IV. Margaret and Elizabeth convinced Henry VII not to send the princess to the Northern lands too soon due to the early age, reminding him of what had happened to her by marrying and consummating the marriage too soon.
That Elizabeth Woodville ended her days in a convent is also used as a weapon against Margaret Beaufort, as most claimed that the countess wished to sweep away from the court the remaining Yorkists. There is no evident proof that Woodville was part of the Warbeck conspiracy even though it is not wise to exclude her completely from it, but there was more than enough proof condemning Cecily Neville, duchess of York, in it. And yet, did Margaret act upon the elderly woman? To forge accusations over Margaret's character after all she'd been through is to diminish her charity, her good sense and the already mentioned qualities that her enemies seem quite easily to forget.
Throughout her son's reign, Lady Margaret "enjoyed legal and social independence which other married women could not [...]. Her son's first parliament recognized her right to hold property independently from her husband, as if she were unmarried. Towards the end of her son's reign she was given a special commission to administer justice in the north of England."
Also,
"later in her marriage, the Countess preferred living alone. In 1499, with her husband's permission, she took a vow of chastity in the presence of Richard FitzJames, Bishop of London. [...] The Countess moved away from her husband and lived alone at Collyweston, Northamptonshire (near Stamford). She was regularly visited by her husband, who had rooms reserved for him. Margaret renewed her vows in 1504."
She was, after all, a survivor. Margaret managed to play the game of thrones throughtout the Wars of the Roses, and her wit with discipline, good will, resilience and piety all combined shaped her character. She left a legacy in her translating works and in academic foundations that are still found in present days. Margaret was constantly occupied, found in diverses journeys, which confirms that she enjoyed a good and strong health. Blessed Fisher, who left his work 'Mornynge Remembrance' to us, said that "in her hours of leisure she used to recreate her mind with reading and translating from the French books profitable to religious meditation."
Margaret Beaufort was, for her own days, a very successful woman. She filled her duty as daughter, wife and, above all, mother. She was cunning and her wit is clear in every act that made her the matriarch of the Tudors. She outlived her dearest and most loving son, whom she much cherished and devoted her time to. It would be no surprise if this accelerated her aging. For she died peacefully on 29 June 1509, a day after her grandson's 18th birthday, giving him completely power to rule solely. At Henry VIII's coronation, it's said that Margaret wept. What would have been her thoughts back then? We can only but speculate. A model of chastity and loyalty, Margaret must be remembered for being it so instead of being degenerated by faults that others in her own days shared... if not worst.
Lady Margaret was buried in Westminster Abbey and received every pomp and honour that she deserved in life. It's said that her grandson and his court grieved her deeply, and how could it be otherwise? To end this post, we leave the epitaph, translated to English, written by the very well known humanist scholar Eramus to the Countess of Richmond and Derby:
"Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII, grandmother of Henry VIII, who donated funds for three monks of this abbey, a grammar school in Wimborne, a preacher in the whole of England, two lectures in Scripture, one at Oxford, the other at Cambridge, where she also founded two colleges, one dedicated to Christ and the other to St John, the Evangelist."
Bibliography:
- DOMVILE, Lady Margaret. "The King's Mother. Memoir of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby." London: Burns & Oates, Limited. 1899.
- BAYANI, Debra. "Jasper Tudor, Godfather of the Tudor Dynasty." MadeGlobal Publishing. 2015.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Beaufort,_Countess_of_Richmond_and_Derby
- https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/margaret-beaufort-mother-of-the-tudors/
- http://www.kyrackramer.com/2016/06/29/the-passing-of-margaret-beaufort/
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