The House of York Vaught-Jasper-Trusty-Molloy, Genealogy Tree Edward IV Born: Rouen, Normandy, 28 April 1442. Titles: King of England and France, Earl of March (from birth), Duke of York, Earl of Ulster and Earl of Cambridge (from 1460). Crowned: Westminster Abbey, 28 June 1461. Ruled: 4 March 1461-3 October 1470, deposed, restored 11 April 1471-9 April 1483. Married: I May 1464, at Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire, Elizabeth (c1437-92) dau. of Richard Wydville, Ist Earl Rivers: 10 children. Edward also had at least four illegitimate children. Died: Palace of Westminster, 9 April 1483, aged 40. Buried: St George's Chapel, Windsor. Edward IV was the first king of the House of York though, like his predecessor Henry VI, he was a Plantagenet. Both were descended from Edward III, Henry through Edward's son John of Gaunt, and Edward through a younger son, Edmund, duke of York (and in the female line through Lionel, duke of Clarence). Edward IV's father was Richard, duke of York, who, in 1460, had been declared heir to the throne, though he died soon after in battle at Wakefield. Edward, who was only eighteen, was able to rally support along with his cousin Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, and successfully invaded London. He was declared king on 4 March 1461, and just over three weeks later decisively defeated the forces of Henry VI at Towton, probably the bloodiest battle fought on English soil, and this secured his claim on the throne. Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou fled to Scotland, seeking sanctuary with James III. Edward IV was welcomed to the throne. Although he was young he had already proved himself an able soldier. Moreover he was tall (six feet three inches) and handsome with a dashing smile, golden brown hair and winning ways - he could, for instance, always remember the names of his knights and officials and something about them, which endeared him to the court. Nevertheless all the time Henry VI lived, Edward's claim on the throne could not be regarded as secure. He needed to rule wisely and ensure the support of his noblemen. He did this by limiting the previous practice of court favourites. Instead he placed the control of Crown lands under court officials, confiscating many of the lands previously bequeathed to Lancastrian sympathisers. He set about making England profitable through foreign trade, including his own commercial ventures, to the extent that he was eventually able to make the Crown solvent, rather than buried in debt as under previous kings. He did his best to make the Crown and government administratively efficient and financially sound, though it must be admitted that one reason he reduced administrative costs was in order for more money to be spent on himself and the image of the king so that his court was as resplendent as those in France and Burgundy. Once Edward felt firmly established as king he left the work of defeating the remaining outposts of Lancastrian resistance, which were mostly in the north, to his cousins Richard and John Neville. Edward knew how much he owed to Richard Neville for his position as king and Neville was highly rewarded. He would later earn the reputation as Warwick, the Kingmaker. He was made the Chamberlain of England, as well as receiving many other honor and considerable land. He became the second most powerful man in England. After the battle of Hexham in May 1464, where the last important Lancastrian resistance was crushed, John Neville was given the earldom of Northumberland, the hereditary title of the Percy family. With the Nevilles supporting him, Edward's position was secure, and therefore Edward's next act was one of the greatest folly. Edward was a highly sexed man, and his actions were as much ruled by his lust as by his brain. Warwick, under his own initiative, had been working to secure an alliance with the French king Louis XI, who still supported Henry VI. The proposed treaty of friendship was to be scaled by the marriage between Edward IV and a French princess, Bona of Savoy. Warwick continued the negotiations throughout 1464 with a view to concluding them in October. Edward was not fully supportive of the negotiations as he favoured a treaty with England's older ally, Burgundy, which was itself at loggerheads with France. Edward's marriage was therefore a powerful bargaining tool. Yet Edward married in secret to an English lady and, to make matters worse, the marriage might even have been bigamous. Although more rumour than fact, Edward had a reputation for taking many of the ladies of the court to his bed. All the time he was an honourable bachelor, and all the time this led to no consequences, everyone turned a blind eye. However, in May 1464, under the pretext of a hunting trip, Edward entered into a secret marriage with Elizabeth Wydville (often called Woodville), daughter of the IST Lord Rivers, and the widow of Sir John Grey. The story went that Edward lusted after her but she would not submit without a promise of marriage. Edward agreed, probably not meaning it, but Elizabeth held him to his word. Edward was reputed often to make promises for sex with the ladies of the court, and this reputation would later be the downfall of his family. When news of his marriage leaked out - amazingly he kept it secret for four months - there was uproar. There was even a rumour that Edward had made a similar marriage compact with Lady Eleanor Butler a year or two earlier. How much of this was true has never been satisfactorily resolved, and the rumour was probably a fabrication built upon Edward's known philandering, but it was later a major weapon to be used against the legitimacy of his children by Elizabeth. What made matters worse was that Edward had married into a family of Lancastrian sympathisers: Elizabeth's father had married a second time to Jacquetta of Luxembourg, the widow of Henry V's brother John, duke of Bedford. Elizabeth's father, brother and her former husband had all fought on the side of Henry VI. Warwick was the most outraged at the marriage. It had humiliated him in the face of the French king and lost him his opportunity to gain lands and titles in France. Moreover it meant that the Wydville family now advanced in status and threatened to equal or even overthrow his stature as the second most powerful man in England. Although Warwick continued to work with Edward and the Wydvilles over the next few years, he became increasingly exasperated at Edward's persistence in allying with Burgundy while Warwick tried to cement an alliance with France. Also when Edward thwarted Warwick's proposals of marriage contracts between his family and the king's, Warwick realised that differences between them were becoming irreconcilable. The last straw came when Edward married his sister, Margaret, to Charles, duke of Burgundy, in July 1468. Warwick withdrew his support from Edward and began to side with Edward's over-ambitious brother, George, duke of Clarence, who desired the kingship. Warwick was also supported by Louis XI, who promised Warwick lands in France if he successfully overthrew Edward. Warwick had not at this stage moved across to the Lancastrian cause, though he knew that Louis still supported Margaret of Anjou. Warwick's intention was to depose Edward and make George king in his place. In July 1469 Warwick succeeded in securing the marriage between George and and his daughter Isabella which Edward had so long opposed. Warwick now supported a series of uprisings that began in northern England. Although Edward was still a popular king amongst his subjects, his marriage had sullied his reputation and Elizabeth was never a popular queen. Warwick, on the other hand, was always a popular hero, seen by many as the nation's deliverer, and when in mid-July, Warwick issued a proclamation declaring that Edward must reform his ways or suffer deposition, Warwick received enormous support. Edward at first procrastinated, perhaps a little too sure of himself, and found himself trapped at Nottingham by a rebel army. A relief force was defeated and, although it allowed Edward's escape, Edward realised that his army was outnumbered. A battle was out of the question and, wisely, Edward dispersed his army and allowed himself to be captured by Warwick. Warwick imprisoned the king and sought to govern in his name, but was unable to find support in Parliament and, with government crumbling, he began to incur the wrath of the populace for imprisoning their sovereign. Warwick had no choice but to release Edward, who returned to London in October 1469 amidst much public acclaim. Although on the surface, Edward reconciled himself with Warwick and his brother George, Warwick knew that his authority was now limited. Grudgingly, if he was to achieve any restoration of his power, he needed to throw in his lot with Louis XI and Margaret of Anjou and defect to the Lancastrian cause. Supported by the Lancastrians, Warwick again fomented rebellion in the autumn of 1470, and their invasion fleet landed at Dartmouth in September. Edward was caught in prepared. John Neville sent his army purportedly to support Edward but, at the last moment, declared his support for Henry VI. Edward suddenly realised that his forces were considerably outnumbered and his only recourse was to flee. He left England on 2 October seeking refuge with his brother-in-law, the Duke of Burgundy. Warwick seized the opportunity, brought Henry VI out of imprisonment in the Tower and restored him to the throne. Had Warwick withheld his zeal, Henry's restoration might have remained permanent, but urged on by Louis XI, Warwick and Louis declared war on Burgundy. Charles, who until then had not wished to be involved, was now compelled to grant Edward a fleet and an army, and on II March 1471 Edward returned to England. Edward's skills as a soldier and general now became apparent. Although outnumbered three to one, Edward's army soundly defeated Warwick's at the battle of Barnet, on Easter Sunday, where both Warwick and his brother John were killed. Edward marched victoriously into London and was restored to the throne. Six weeks later Edward defeated the army of Margaret of Anjou at Tewkesbury on 4 May, where Margaret's son, Prince Edward, was killed. Edward IV was once more firmly in command of his realm. To ensure there was no further rebellion in favour of Henry VI, Edward ordered that the old king be murdered, though the public message was that he had died naturally and his body was put on display to curb any rumours.  The second half of Edward's reign lacks the glory and excitement of the first, although it was more administratively sound. It was during this period that Edward was able to carry through the reforms he had started in the previous decade, which led to better executed offices of the Crown, more effective administration of the law, and generally profitable and safe trade throughout England. The Crown became self-financing, and the loss of burdensome taxes made Edward even more popular amongst his subjects. He exerted considerable diplomacy abroad, developing strong alliances with the dukes of Brittany and Burgundy and with the king of Aragon. In July 1475 Edward determined to recapture the former English lands in France but his own invasion army was not matched by the promised reinforcements from Burgundy, and Edward had no choice but to negotiate peace with Louis. This was almost certainly the better outcome for, despite Edward's superior generalship, continued conflict in France was bound to have financial repercussions that might have soured Edward's popularity. As it was, Edward's brothers Richard (see RICHARD III) and George both saw the peace treaty as an ignominious defeat. George, who still believed he should be king, began to plot against his brother. This time Edward had him arrested and tried for treason. Found guilty, George was executed in February 1478. The traditional story is that George was drowned in a butt of malmsey wine.  Edward was a great patron of the arts, and a pioneer patron of printing. Although he personally preferred the illuminated manuscript, he encouraged William Caxton in his pursuits, and in November 1477 helped finance the first book printed in England, The Dictes and Sayenges of the Phylosophers, which had been translated by the queen's brother, Anthony, Lord Rivers. Edward also financed major building works at Windsor Castle and Eltham Palace in Kent. Ultimately, however, he fell victim to his own love of food. His continued gorging had made him fat and lazy and the once virile and strong king had become stout and inactive. His health began to fail and he became subject to an increasing number of ailments. Just which one killed him has never been satisfactorily resolved. He died just before his forty-first birthday, probably of pneumonia, though it has been conjectured that he had contracted typhoid or may even have been poisoned. Certainly some attributed his death to a surfeit of food. Had he reigned longer Edward might well have been regarded as a great king. He was without doubt a strong one, and governed intelligently, though in his private life he was unwise and naive, and his actions ultimately proved fatal to his dynasty. Edward IV King of England and the Molloys are 1st cousins 17 times removed. Their common ancestors are Ralph De Neville and Joan De Beaufort.

Edward V Born: Westminster Abbey, 4 November 1470. Titles: King of England; Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester and Duke of Cornwall (1471-83), Earl of March and Earl of Pembroke (from 1479). Crowned: Never crowned. Ruled: 9 April-25 June 1483, deposed. Married: Never Married. Died: Tower of London, probably 3 September 1483, aged 12. Buried: Tower of London and subsequently Westminster Abbey.   Edward did not live long enough to enjoy any of the benefits of kingship, only its hardships. He and his brother Richard, Duke of York, are immortalised in history as the ill-fated "Princes in the Tower" whose deaths have become one of the best-known historical mysteries.   The likelihood of Edward ever becoming king seemed doomed from the start. Although his father Edward IV was a popular king, his mother, Elizabeth Wydville, was not so universally liked. Possibly had Edward been their first born, he might have been old enough to take control himself at the time of his father's sudden and unexpected death. His eldest sister, Elizabeth, was then seventeen, and at that age Edward could have assumed royal authority. But he was his father's fourth child, and was born at the lowest ebb in Edward IV's reign, when the king had fled England and Elizabeth had sought sanctuary in Westminster Abbey. Although his father regained the throne, young Edward grew up in a family where there was considerable hostility between his father and his uncles, George, duke of Clarence, and Richard, duke of Gloucester (later Richard III). Nevertheless the child had a good education and a regal bearing and may, in due course, have made a fine king. However upon his father's death, his uncle Richard rapidly manipulated events to establish himself as "Lord High Protector" of England. Young Edward was holding court as Prince of Wales at Ludlow and travelled to London under the protection of his mother's brother, Earl Rivers. They were met at Stony Stratford by Richard, on his way to London from York. Thereafter he escorted Edward to London and, though professing absolute loyalty, he was already planning on assuming the kingship himself. Edward and his brother were installed in the Tower of London which, at that time, was still a royal residence and not solely a prison, but the young king's freedom was totally restricted and he never left the Tower again. Plans for his coronation were delayed and in June 1483 Bishop Stillington, almost certainly at the instigation of Richard, announced his belief that Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Wydville had been illegal because Edward already had a pre-contract marriage arrangement with Lady Eleanor Butler. As a consequence his children by his second marriage were illegitimate. Although no evidence for this first marriage was ever produced, such was Edward IV's reputation as a womaniser that it was easily believed, and Richard was able to gain the support of Parliament in declaring the young king illegitimate and he was summarily deposed on June 25th 1483. His period as king can scarcely be honoured with the description of a reign, since he had no opportunity to exercise any authority, but he was the true heir to the throne and as such had the shortest reign of any legitimate king after the Norman Conquest.   Rumours began almost immediately of the fate of Edward and his brother. The last they were seen was in July 1483, but there is circumstantial evidence to suggest that they lived for another four or five weeks. Over the centuries there has been considerable speculation as to what became of the Princes and who caused their deaths. Had they died naturally it would have been in Richard's interests to make it known. Some believe the boys survived Richard's reign and that they were subsequently murdered on the orders of Henry VII The fact that their fate remained such a secret allowed two pretenders to the throne to emerge during Henry VII's reign, Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, both of whom claimed that they were Edward's younger brother Richard. It was not until the year 1674 that the remains of two young children were found buried in the Tower of London. These were treated as the bones of Edward and Richard and were reburied in an urn in Westminster Abbey. More recent research on these bones, whilst inconclusive, was suggestive that they were the remains of the young Princes. The likely explanation of their deaths is the one given to Henry VII by Sir James Tyrrell, who declared under torture that he had smothered the two children by order of Richard III. Henry VII chose to maintain its secrecy because he had earlier shown favour to Tyrrell and it might be implied that Henry had sanctioned the death of the Princes.   Nevertheless the thorough research conducted by Alison Weir in her book The Princes in the Tower make it clear that the only person who could have been responsible for their deaths was Richard III. Edward V King of England and the Molloy's are 2nd cousins 16 times removed. Their common ancestors are Ralph De Neville and Joan De Beaufort.

Richard III Born: Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire, 2 October 1452. Titles: King of England; duke of Gloucester (from 1461). Crowned: Westminster Abbey, 6 July 1483. Ruled: 26 June 1483-22 August 1485. Married: Anne (1456-85) dau. Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, and widow of Edward, Prince of Wales: I son. Richard had at least four illegitimate children. Died: (In battle): Bosworth Field, Leicestershire, 22 August 1485, aged 33. Buried: Greyfriars Abbey, Leicester.   Richard III (Crookback) has long been regarded as one of England's most villainous kings and, though many revisionists have sought to clear his name, the evidence continues to suggest that Richard was as conniving in his personal affairs as history dictates, but not necessarily any more conniving than many of his predecessors. He was certainly not the evil monster portrayed by Shakespeare in his play Richard III and, though he probably had a slight deformity in his shoulder, he was not a hunch-back. Richard was the younger brother of Edward IV. His was apparently a difficult birth, and he seems to have been a delicate child, but grew through all of this into a strong and resourceful young man, albeit short. He was only nine when his brother became king, after a childhood where he was frequently moved to safe custody as the fortunes of his father, Richard, duke of York, waxed and waned during the Wars of the Roses. Five months after his brother became king, Richard was created duke of Gloucester. Although young, he was well aware of the actions of his elder brother George, duke of Clarence, who, encouraged by Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, rebelled against Edward in 1469, but Richard remained loyal to Edward. As Warwick rapidly fell from grace, starting in 1469 and culminating in his death at the battle of Barnet in 1471, Richard benefited, being granted many of Warwick's titles and much of his land in the north. By 1471 Richard was Constable and Lord High Admiral of England, chief justice of the Welsh Marches, chief steward, chamberlain of South Wales, Great Chamberlain of England and chief steward of the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1472, though still only nineteen, Richard married Anne Neville, the daughter of the earl of Warwick, herself a descendent of Edward III and the widow of Edward, prince of Wales, the son of Henry VI. Their only child, Edward, was born early in 1476. Through this marriage Richard became entitled to half of the Warwick estates, which caused considerable acrimony with his brother, George, who felt that the reapportionment of Warwick's lands was unequal. During these years Richard strengthened his hold on the north of England governing it on Edward's behalf. He became known as "Lord of the North", ruling it as king in all but name. His chief residence was his castle at Middleham in Yorkshire, a strong yet comfortable castle which became known as the Windsor of the North. Richard accompanied Edward on his expedition to France in 1475, and the only show of dissension between Richard and Edward was over the peace treaty, which Richard held to be dishonourable. Nevertheless, Richard remained loyal to Edward during the continued defiance of George, resulting in George's execution. Richard strengthened his hold on the north and even turned his eyes towards Scotland. He conducted several campaigns against James III resulting, in 1482, in regaining Berwick and advancing into Edinburgh. During all this period Richard was highly regarded by his peers and subjects, both as a just administrator and as a wise and strong general. To all intents Richard ruled northern England, which was recognized when he was -ranted Palatine powers in the west March in 1483. Two months afterwards Edward IV died unexpectedly and his will named Richard as "Lord High Protector of the Realm" during Edward V's infancy. Thereafter matters moved swiftly, Richard knew that he needed to assert his authority before the Wydvilles - the family of Edward's widowed queen - did so. Richard hastened down from York while the Wydvilles were bringing the young heir from Ludlow. Richard met them at Stony Stratford, took the young king under his protection, escorted him to London, and placed him in the Tower. The Tower was still a royal residence in those days, but it was also a strong fortress, and once there the king was entirely under Richard's power. Predictably the Wydvilles reacted, and Richard was able to represent their actions as being treasonable. Anthony Wydville, the queen's brother, was executed without trial. Richard meted out the same fate to Lord Hastings, once his loyal supporter and a staunch opponent of the Wydvilles. However when Hastings realised that Richard was seeking to claim the throne and depose Edward, he objected and was promptly arrested and executed. Richard now broadcast the belief that Edward V was illegitimate, because Edward IV had entered into a previous marriage contract. Parliament recognized this claim on 25 June, when the young king was deposed, and Richard was proclaimed king the next day. He had secured the throne quickly and quite ruthlessly in eleven weeks. By the standards of his day, while one might not condone his actions, one can understand them. The rivalry between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians were not at an end and England needed a strong ruler with full authority. Even acting as protector, Richard could not always count on the full support of Parliament. He thus needed to be rid of the young king. His main rivals were the Wydvilles whom Richard and most Yorkist supporters opposed, so it was crucial that they did not gain power. Seen in this light Richard's quick actions were those of a shrewd, calculating tactician who knew how to control and manipulate. Morals aside he was a very clever man. With Edward V deposed, it remains questionable why the young king and his brother had then to be killed. Richard probably recognized that the Act of Parliament that had overthrown Edward's legitimacy could as easily be revoked and, so long as the princes were alive, they remained a threat to his overall control. It seems likely that Richard ordered their deaths in early September 1483 while he was on a state tour of the realm and outside the capital, but although rumours were rife about the fate of the princes, the real facts about their deaths did not come to light during Richard's lifetime. Although secure on the throne, Richard had to deal with some residual rebellions. The main threat came from his once loyal supporter Henry Stafford, duke of Buckingham, who had entered an alliance with the Wydvilles and with Henry Tudor who, through his mother, was another descendent of Edward III and the last Lancastrian claimant. Buckingham's revolt was, however, ill planned and thwarted by rainstorms, and he was captured without battle and executed at Salisbury on 2 November 1483. Henry Tudor remained in Brittany but continued to ally himself with the Wydvilles and awaited his opportunity.  There is little doubt that Richard governed as a wise and competent king. This suggests two sides to his character. But though he may have been ruthlessly ambitious and duplicitous in his desire for kingship, he enjoyed the power of governance and treated his subjects fairly. He was highly regarded as a monarch by the English and by his contemporaries in Europe. Though it might seem hypocritical, Richard railed against the poor English morals and issued proclamations to uphold moral standards. Richard was, in fact, a very pious man, a staunch supporter of the church and generally loyal to his wife. He had fathered several illegitimate children before his marriage, but the records are unclear as to whether he continued to maintain mistresses afterwards. He was distraught when his young son, Edward, who had always had a weak constitution, died in April 1484, aged only eight. Richard's wife, Anne, was too weak to bear another child. She was consumptive and died within the year, in March 1485. Later stories implied Richard had poisoned her because of his plans to marry his niece, Elizabeth of York, in order to father a new heir to the throne. This never occurred, and it is not clear how serious Richard's plans were to this effect, and it may have only been to thwart Henry Tudor's plans to marry Elizabeth. Henry Tudor's planned invasion happened in August 1485. The two armies met at Market Bosworth, just west of Leicester. Had Richard succeeded, his authority to rule would have been unchallenged. However the battle was soon over. Richard charged straight into the thick of it, intent upon killing Henry Tudor himself, and was killed in the close-fought action. His naked body was carried on a pack-horse to Leicester for burial. According to tradition Richard's crown was found on the battlefield under a hawthorn bush. When his brief reign is viewed in the round, Richard was undoubtedly a worthy king. He was as capable of taking the kingdom forward into a new age as his ultimate successors. History as written has chosen to focus on the vicious and ruthless side of his character rather than a balanced view. Richard was certainly not someone to have as either your friend or your enemy, but he was a better king than many who had come before him and many who would come after. With his death the Plantagenet line came to an end. The nearest Yorkist claimant was Edward, the son of Richard's brother George, duke of Clarence. One of Richard's illegitimate sons, John, was captain of Calais but was murdered in 1499. Another likely illegitimate son, also called Richard, lived in anonymity in Kent until 1550 and is buried at Eastwell Church. Richard III was the last English king to die in battle. Richard III King of England and the Molloy's are 1st cousins 17 times removed. Their common ancestors are Ralph De Neville and Joan De Beaufort.