Thomas St. Leger

Last updated

Sir Thomas St. Leger
Anne of York and Sir Thomas St. Leger.jpg
Thomas with his wife
Bornc.1440
Died13 November 1483
Exeter, Devonshire, England
Resting place St. George's Chapel, Windsor
Spouse Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter
Children Anne St Leger
Parent(s) Sir John St Leger of Ulcombe
Margery Donnet
Arms of St Ledger: Azure fretty argent, a chief or Arms of St Leger.svg
Arms of St Ledger: Azure fretty argent, a chief or

Sir Thomas St Leger KB (c.1440 – executed 13 November 1483) was the second son of Sir John St Leger (d.1441) of Ulcombe, Kent, and his wife, Margery Donnet. He was also the second husband of Anne of York (10 August 1439 – 1 February 1476), daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (by his wife Cecily Neville) and thus she was an elder sister of Kings Edward IV (1461–1483) and Richard III (1483–1485). His younger brother, Sir James St Leger of Annery in Devon, married Anne Butler, daughter of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond, and was, therefore, an uncle to Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire.

Contents

Career

St. Leger faithfully served Edward IV in both a military and administrative capacity for years. For his loyal service, Edward IV rewarded St. Leger with a substantial grant of eight manors in the early 1460s. He had a lucky escape from justice in 1465 when he was arrested for brawling in the Palace of Westminster and sentenced to have his hand cut off. Edward IV, however, granted him a pardon. Thomas fought for Edward at the Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury.

St Leger played a key role in ending the Hundred Years' War when he signed the Treaty of Picquigny with Louis XI on 29 August 1475. He was granted by Louis XI a pension of 12,000 crowns annually which was to be distributed between himself, Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, Sir John Howard (later Duke of Norfolk), Sir Thomas Montgomery, and some other of the profligate courtiers. [2]

Thomas was also knighted as a member of the Order of the Bath.

Marriage

Heraldic glass in the Rutland Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, erected in 1849 by Charles Manners, 6th Duke of Rutland. It shows far left the arms of Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter (1439-1476) impaled by the arms of her 1st husband Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter. To the right of the last are her arms impaled by the arms of her 2nd husband Sir Thomas St. Leger (c. 1440 - 1483), KG. The rightmost window shows top: the arms of Anne's daughter Anne St Leger impaled by the arms of her husband George Manners, 11th Baron de Ros (c. 1470 - 1513). Below are the arms of his son Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland (c. 1492 - 1543), impaling the arms of his 2nd wife Eleanor Paston RutlandChapelGlass 1849 StGeorgesChapel Windsor.PNG
Heraldic glass in the Rutland Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, erected in 1849 by Charles Manners, 6th Duke of Rutland. It shows far left the arms of Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter (1439–1476) impaled by the arms of her 1st husband Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter. To the right of the last are her arms impaled by the arms of her 2nd husband Sir Thomas St. Leger (c.1440 – 1483), KG. The rightmost window shows top: the arms of Anne's daughter Anne St Leger impaled by the arms of her husband George Manners, 11th Baron de Ros (c. 1470 – 1513). Below are the arms of his son Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland (c. 1492 – 1543), impaling the arms of his 2nd wife Eleanor Paston

Thomas was most likely the lover of Anne of York, before their marriage in c.1474. She had been married at the age of eight to Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, in 1447. Anne and Exeter had had one daughter, named Anne, who had been born in c.1455. The marriage was unhappy and Exeter and his wife mostly lived apart. Exeter was also a loyal Lancastrian while his wife was a Yorkist, and Exeter fought against Richard, 3rd Duke of York, at the Battle of Wakefield where Anne's father and her brother, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, died in battle.

Anne and Exeter eventually separated. Thomas fought against Exeter at the Battle of Barnet, where Exeter was badly wounded and left for dead, but survived. Exeter was later imprisoned, and Anne divorced him in 1472. Exeter was also on Edward's expedition with Thomas St Leger to France in 1475. On the return voyage, he fell overboard and drowned. Some say he was in fact thrown overboard at the King's command. St Leger's stepdaughter, Anne Holland, died sometime around 1474, leaving her inherited Exeter estates behind.

Anne of York died giving birth in 1476 to her only child with Thomas, another girl, also named Anne. Following his wife's death, St. Leger remained on good terms with his brother-in-law, Edward IV, and served as the King's Controller of the Mint. In 1481, he was granted a licence to found a perpetual chantry of two chaplains at the Chapel of St. George in memory of his wife. He never remarried. In 1483, by Act of Parliament, Anne St. Leger was declared heiress to the entire Exeter estate, except for a portion which was given to the queen's son Richard Grey. This act, by which the lands of the Exeter dukedom fell into the hands of the last duke's stepdaughter and his daughter's brother-in-law, along with a number of similar acts, is thought to be a cause of difficulty in maintaining noble support for the reign of Edward IV. [3]

Rebellion and death

Thomas's brother-in-law, Edward IV, whom he had served faithfully, died suddenly on 9 April 1483, leaving behind a twelve-year-old son, Edward V, who was by marriage Thomas's nephew. However, Richard III ascended the throne in July 1483. Thomas St. Leger attended the new king's coronation and was given cloth of silver and velvet for the occasion, but he was soon deprived of his positions of Master of Harthounds and Controller of the Mint. His daughter Anne was ordered to be handed over to Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham. It has been suggested that Buckingham had the heiress in mind as a bride for his own eldest son Edward. This never came to pass, for both St. Leger and Buckingham ended up in rebellion against the new king. St Leger had been unshakably faithful to Edward IV and, like many of the other rebels of the rebellion of 1483, was undoubtedly distressed at Edward V having disappeared from sight after having been deprived of his crown.

When the rebellion floundered, St. Leger continued the fight in Exeter, but was captured. He was executed on 13 November 1483, at Exeter Castle, despite the offer of large sums of money on his behalf. He had been executed with Sir John Rame. St. Leger, described by the Crowland Chronicler as a “most noble knight,” received a private burial. They are not buried in Rutland Chapel as most believe.[ citation needed ]

His daughter Anne St Leger (14 January 1476 – 21 April 1526) eventually married George Manners, 11th Baron de Ros. Their son was Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, and their daughter, Lady Eleanor Manners (1505 – 16 September 1548) married John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath, and had descendants including daughter Elizabeth Bourchier who married Sir Richard Thomas Chase of Hundrich. Lady Anne St. Leger and her husband George are both buried in the private Rutland Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Bourchier (cardinal)</span> English archbishop and lord chancellor (1404–1486)

Thomas Bourchier was a medieval English cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk</span> English nobleman and statesman (1443–1524)

Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1485 and again from 1489 to 1514, was an English nobleman, soldier and statesman who served four monarchs. He was the eldest son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, by his first wife, Catharina de Moleyns. The Duke was the grandfather of both Queen Anne Boleyn and Queen Katherine Howard and the great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1513, he led the English to victory over the Scots at the decisive Battle of Flodden, for which he was richly rewarded by King Henry VIII, then away in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers</span> 15th-century English noble, courtier, and writer

Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, was an English nobleman, courtier, bibliophile and writer. He was the brother of Queen Elizabeth Woodville who married King Edward IV. He was one of the leading members of the Woodville family, which came to prominence during the reign of King Edward IV. After Edward's death, he was arrested and then executed by the Duke of Gloucester as part of a power struggle between Richard and the Woodvilles. His English translation of The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers is one of the first books printed in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter</span> English admiral (1430–1475)

Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, 3rd Earl of Huntington was a Lancastrian leader during the English Wars of the Roses. He was the only son of John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, and his first wife, Anne Stafford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham</span> 15th–16th-century English noble

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Katherine Woodville, and nephew of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. Thus, Edward Stafford was a first cousin once removed of King Henry VIII. He frequently attended the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He was convicted of treason and executed on 17 May 1521.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford</span> English nobleman, soldier and politician

Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, KG of Chenies in Buckinghamshire and of Bedford House in Exeter, Devon, was an English nobleman, soldier, and politician. He was a godfather to the Devon-born sailor Sir Francis Drake. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Devon (1584-5).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Stafford</span> English baronial title

Baron Stafford, referring to the town of Stafford, is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. In the 14th century, the barons of the first creation were made earls. Those of the fifth creation, in the 17th century, became first viscounts and then earls. Since 1913, the title has been held by the Fitzherbert family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny</span> English courtier (1469–1535)

George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny KG, PC, the family name often written Neville, was an English nobleman and courtier who held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Manners, 11th Baron Ros</span> English peer

George Manners, 11th Baron de Ros of Helmsley was an English peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland</span> English Earl (c.1497–1543)

Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, 12th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG, of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, was created Earl of Rutland by King Henry VIII in 1525.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne of Gloucester</span> Countess of Stafford

Anne of Gloucester, Countess of Stafford was the eldest daughter and eventually sole heiress of Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, by his wife Eleanor de Bohun, one of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex (1341–1373) of Pleshey Castle in Essex.

Isabel of Cambridge, Countess of Essex was the only daughter of Richard, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, and Anne de Mortimer. She was the sister of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and like him a great-grandchild of Edward III of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon</span> English noblewoman

Lady Anne Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon was an English noble. She was the daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Catherine Woodville, sister of queen consort Elizabeth Woodville. She was first the wife of Sir Walter Herbert and then George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, and served in the household of King Henry VIII's daughter, the future Queen Mary I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne, Duchess of Exeter</span> Duchess of Exeter

Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter, aka Anne Plantagenet, was the first child of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. She was thus the eldest sister of kings Edward IV (1461–1483) and Richard III (1483–1485) and their siblings Edmund, Earl of Rutland; Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk; Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy; and George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath</span> English noble

John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath was an Earl in the peerage of England. He also succeeded to the titles of 12th Baron FitzWarin, Baron Daubeney and 4th Count of Eu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset</span> English peer (1477–1530)

Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner of the House of Grey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle</span> Royal chapel in Windsor Castle, England

St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar, and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St George's Chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and extensively enlarged in the late 15th century. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle.

Anne St Leger was a niece of two kings of England, Edward IV and Richard III. Before she was eight years old, she had inherited a vast fortune and been disinherited of it. Married at 14, she had eleven children and is a link in the maternal line that was used to identify the remains of Richard III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph St Leger</span>

Ralph St Leger of Ulcombe in Kent was Sheriff of Kent in 1467/8 and was constable of Leeds Castle in Kent. He was a member of the St Leger family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John St Leger (died 1441)</span> High Sheriff of Kent

Sir John St Leger of Ulcombe in Kent, was Sheriff of Kent in 1430 and 1433.

References

  1. Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p. 365, St Leger, Earl of Doneraile
  2. MacFarlene, Charles, The Cabinet history ofEnglish civil, military and ecclesiastical
  3. Ross, Charles (1997). Edward IV. Yale English monarchs (illustrated ed.). Yale University Press . pp. 336–337