Saturday 6 April 2013

Fotheringhay

The small town of Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire holds a special place in the hearts of all Yorkists because Richard III was born at Fotheringhay Castle on October 2nd, 1452.



The castle was first started about 1100, and had various owners. In the 14th century, Edward III granted it to his fifth son, Edmund Langley, Duke of York from whom the Yorkists descended. Edmund’s son Edward was killed at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, and he was succeeded by his nephew, Richard, Duke of York.


Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, but it wasn’t until 1476 that his body was brought back to Fotheringhay, to be buried in the church there. The funeral procession was led by his son, Richard of Gloucester (later Richard III), and was met at the entrance of the churchyard by Richard’s older brother, Edward IV.

Edward IV granted the castle and manor to his mother, Cecily Neville, and when she died in 1495, she was buried with her husband in Fotheringhay Church.

The castle was then granted to Cecily’s granddaughter, Elizabeth of York, who had married Henry Tudor, and it remained in royal hands. In 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at the castle.

By 1635 the castle had fallen into ruins and was demolished. Traditionally, James I is supposed to have ordered its demolition  to avenge the execution of his mother, but this has no basis in historical fact, as he died in 1625.

Stones from the castle were used for other buildings, and for roads. It’s claimed that the great staircase in the Talbot Inn in nearby Oundle came from the castle.

Nothing now exists apart a fragment of stonework from the great hall, and the motte on which the castle keep once stood. Two plaques commemorate the birth of Richard III and the death of Mary, Queen of Scots.

 
Tomb of Richard, Duke of York,
and his wife, Cecily Neville
Fotheringhay Church is almost a shrine to the Yorkists. As well as the tomb of Richard of York and his wife Cecily, there are various coats of arms around the walls, and a ‘York window’ containing the emblems and shields of the Yorkist family from Edmund Langley to Richard III. Even the kneelers had tapestry covers depicting Yorkist symbols.

And of course there was the 15th century font. In the words of one of the ladies preparing floral arrangements in the church when we visited, ‘That’s where himself was baptised’!

21 comments:

  1. I have never been there, must try and make it one day.
    Fascinating facts, Paula.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Margaret, you would love the church with all its Yorkist links!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This name was familiar to me and now I know why :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Another great one to add to my list.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Never knew that. Thanks for the interesting post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for another interesting post transporting us into the past, Paula. Love those castles!

    Cattitude and Gratitude

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello, Paula! What a fascinating look at history. Thanks for sharing! I hope what I learned comes in handy the next time I play Trivial Pursuit. :)

    Happy A to Z-ing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks all, so glad you're enjoying this trip into history!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, I did enjoy this one, too. This one will also be shared. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  10. Fotheringay/hay features in many places, Paula. An excellent post on it. Yet another of those...I've not done it, but might some day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. All these castles look like they should belong to royals, and from what I've heard they have to. The upkeep of these is quite expensive.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's definitely worth visiting, Nancy, simply to see the church (since there's not much left of the castle!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Joyce, most castles in England no longer belong to the Crown, as they were granted at some stage in their history to noble families. The majority now are in the hands of English Heritage, a government funded body charged with maintaining historic places.

    ReplyDelete
  14. And I think my 103 year old house is old...

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL, Talya, my house is 75 years old, and it's considered modern! We have so much here in England that is many hundreds of years old.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love old baptismal fonts! Our church uses a font that Father Junipero Serra used for baptisms. Nice post, Paula!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds like an amazing place with a rich history!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great post! I had no idea I would learn so much during this challenge.
    Connie
    A to Z buddy
    Peanut Butter and Whine

    ReplyDelete
  19. My girlfriend (who has been absolutely everywhere) has been there and loved it.

    Dropping in from A to Z Challenge. It's my first year participating.

    Brett Minor
    Transformed Nonconformist

    ReplyDelete