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YORK, RICHARD, DUKE

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 927 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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YORK, See also:RICHARD, See also:DUKE of (1411-1460), was See also:born on the 21st of See also:September 1411, the son of Richard, See also:earl of See also:Cambridge, second son of See also:Edmund of See also:Langley, duke of York. By the See also:death of his See also:uncle See also:Edward at See also:Agincourt he became duke of York, and on the death of Edmund See also:Mortimer in 1425 he succeeded to his claims as representing in the See also:female See also:line the See also:elder See also:branch of the royal See also:family. He had been kindly treated by See also:Henry V., and his name appears at the See also:head of the knights made by the little Henry VI. at See also:Leicester on the ,9th of May 1426. York's first service was in See also:France during 1430 and 1431. In 1432 he obtained See also:livery of his lands and afterwards went over to See also:Ireland to take See also:possession of his estates there. In See also:January 1436 he was appointed See also:lieutenant-See also:general of France and See also:Normandy, but did not enter on his command till See also:June. He showed vigour and capacity, and recovered See also:Fecamp and some other places in Normandy. Probably he was not supported cordially by the See also:home See also:government, and in 1437 applied to be recalled. One authority alleges that his See also:council thwarted him in his See also:desire to relieve See also:Montereau, because he had been discharged from his See also:office (See also:Chronicles of See also:London, 143). York returned to See also:England in the autumn of 1437• From this See also:time at all events he attached himself to the See also:war-party of which See also:Humphrey of See also:Gloucester was head, in opposition to the government under See also:Cardinal See also:Beaufort. By his See also:marriage in 1438 to See also:Cicely, See also:sister of the earl of See also:Salisbury, he allied himself to the rising family of the Nevilles. On the 2nd of See also:July 1440 York was again appointed to the See also:French command.

His previous experience made him stipulate for full See also:

powers and a sufficient See also:revenue. He did not, however, go to See also:Rouen till June 1441. During his second governorship York maintained, if he could not improve, the See also:English position in Normandy. He was again hampered by his See also:political opponents at home, and at the end of 1446 was recalled, on the pretext that his See also:term of office had expired. The death of Humphrey of Gloucester in See also:February 1447 made York the first See also:prince of the See also:blood. See also:Suffolk, now Henry's See also:chief See also:minister, found a convenient banishment for a dangerous See also:rival by appointing York to be lieutenant of Ireland for ten years (eth of See also:December 1447). York, however, contrived., to put off his departure for eighteen months. During his See also:absence in Ireland English discontent came to a crisis in See also:Jack See also:Cade's See also:rebellion. The use made of the names of Mortimer and York, however unauthorized, shows the. trend of popular See also:opinion. In September 1450 York landed in See also:Wales. His opponents endeavoured to waylay him, but he came to London with an armed See also:retinue and forced himself into the See also:king's presence. Nevertheless he declared his See also:loyalty and that he desired only See also:justice and See also:good government.

He took See also:

part in the See also:punishment of Cade's supporters, and discountenanced a proposal in See also:parliament that he should be declared See also:heir to the See also:crown. In See also:March 1452 he came once more in arms to London, and endeavoured to obtain See also:Somerset's dismissal. On a promise that his rival should be held in custody he disbanded his men, and thus outwitted found himself virtu-ally a prisoner. However, a nominal agreement was concluded, and York accepted the king's See also:pardon. The situation was changed by the See also:birth of a prince of Wales and the king's illness in See also:October 1453. After a struggle with the See also:queen and Somerset, York secured his recognition as See also:protector on the 27th of March 1454. He declared that he accepted the See also:post only as a See also:duty, and, though he put his own See also:friends in See also:power, exercised his authority with moderation and on the See also:side of good See also:order. But at the end of the See also:year the king's sudden recovery brought York's See also:protectorate to an end. When it was clear that the queen and Somerset would proceed to extremities, York and his friends took up arms in self-See also:defence. Even when the two armies met at St Albans, York endeavoured to treat for See also:settlement. The issue was decided by the defeat and death of Somerset on the 22nd of May 1455. York used his success with moderation.

He became See also:

constable of England, and his friends obtained office. This was no more than a See also:change of ministers. But a return of the king's illness in October 1455 made York again for a brief space protector. Henry recovered in February 1456, and See also:Margaret, his queen, began to assert herself. Finally, at See also:Coventry, in October, the Yorkist officials were displaced. Still there was no open See also:breach, and in March 1458 there was even a ceremonial reconciliation of all parties at St See also:Paul's in London. York would not again accept See also:honour-able banishment to Ireland, but made no move till the queen's preparations forced him to See also:act. In September 1459 both parties were once more in arms. York protested that he acted only in self-defence, but the See also:desertion of his best soldiers at See also:Ludlow on the 12th of October See also:left him helpless. With a few followers he escaped to Ireland, where his position as See also:lord-lieutenant was confirmed by an Irish parliament, and he ruled in full See also:defiance of the English government. In March 146o the earl of See also:Warwick came from See also:Calais to See also:concert plans with his See also:leader. York himself only landed in England on the 8th of September, two months after Warwick's victory at See also:North- ampton.

All pretence of moderation was put aside, and he marched on London, using the full arms of England, and with his See also:

sword See also:borne upright before him. On reaching See also:Westminster, York took up his See also:residence in the royal See also:palace, and formally asserted his claim to the See also:throne in parliament. In the end a See also:compromise was arranged, under which Henry was to retain the crown for See also:life, but Richard was to succeed him. On the 8th of See also:November he was accordingly proclaimed heir-apparent and protector. Meantime the queen was gathering her friends, and See also:early in December, Richard went north with a small force. He kept See also:Christmas at See also:Sandal See also:Castle near See also:Wakefield. There, on the 3oth of December, he was hemmed in by a See also:superior force of Lancastrians. Declaring that he had never kept castle in the See also:face of the enemy, Richard rashly offered See also:battle, and was defeated and slain. His enemies had his head cut off, and set it up on the walls of York adorned with a See also:paper crown. Richard of York was not a See also:great statesman, but he had qualities of See also:restraint and moderation, and might have made a good king. He had four daughters and four sons. Edmund, earl of See also:Rutland, his second son, was killed at Wakefield.

The other three were Edward IV., See also:

George, duke of See also:Clarence, and Richard III. See The Paston Letters with Dr See also:Gairdner's Introduction; Three Fifteenth See also:Century Chronicles, and Collections of a London See also:Citizen (published by the See also:Camden Society) ; Chronicles of London (ed. C. L. See also:Kingsford, 1905) ; J. S. See also:Stevenson's See also:Wars of the English in France (Rolls See also:Series). The French chronicles of Matthieu d'Escouchy, T. See also:Basin and Jehan See also:Waurin should also be consulted (these three are published by the Societe de l'Histoire de France). For See also:modern accoants see especially See also:Sir See also:James See also:Ramsay's See also:Lancaster and York, and The Political See also:History of England, vol. iv., by See also:Professor C. See also:Oman. (C.

L.

End of Article: YORK, RICHARD, DUKE

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YORKE (1757-1834)

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