Edmund de Mortimer, 5th Earl of March
Encyclopedia
Edmund de Mortimer, 5th Earl of March and 7th Earl of Ulster (6 November 1391 – 18 January 1425) was, while a young child, briefly heir presumptive
to King Richard II
of England
.
, and Alice Fitzalan. Alice was the daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel
, and Eleanor of Lancaster
.
On his father's side, Edmund was a direct descendant of King Edward III of England
through his grandmother, Philippa Plantagenet, daughter of Edward's second surviving son, Lionel of Antwerp. On his mother's side, he was a descendent of Henry III. Because the senior line of succession through King Richard II
had no issue, Edmund's father Roger Mortimer was next in line for the throne and was accordingly named heir presumptive
in 1385.
Edmund's elder sister Anne Mortimer married their cousin Richard, Earl of Cambridge, another descendant of Edward III, through a younger son, Edmund of Langley.
on 20 July 1398. Mortimer, then six years old, succeeded his father's title and estates and became (under the nomination of 1385) the new heir to the throne.
On 30 September 1399 Richard was deposed and the crown usurped by Henry of Lancaster
. The young Earl of March
and his brother Roger were then kept in custody by Henry IV, who nonetheless treated them honourably.
by the opponents of the House of Lancaster
on the orders of Constance of York
. Their uncle, Sir Edmund Mortimer
, and his brother-in-law Henry Percy
(Hotspur) were leaders in league with Owain Glyndŵr
. The boys were soon recaptured, and in 1409 were committed to the care of Henry of Monmouth
, Prince of Wales
.
in 1413, the Earl of March
was set at liberty and restored to his estates, his brother Roger having died some years previously.
Edmund continued to enjoy the favour of the King in spite of the Southampton Plot
in 1415 to place Mortimer on the throne, a rebellion in which his brother-in-law and cousin, Richard, Earl of Cambridge, played the leading role. Mortimer was reportedly approached by the conspirators at a very late stage in the preparations, and after a period of about ten days informed the King of the threat against him. Cambridge was attainted
as a result and executed for treason.
Thereafter, March accompanied Henry V to France in several campaigns of the Hundred Years' War
. He did not fight at Agincourt
, being ill at the time, but did participate in the conquest of Normandy and the other campaigns that led up to the signing of the Treaty of Troyes
. When Henry V died on 31 August 1422 and was succeeded by his one-year-old son Henry VI of England
, Mortimer became a member of the Council of Regency.
Mortimer died in Ireland of the plague in 1425 and was buried at Clare Priory, Suffolk. He married Anne Stafford, daughter of Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford
, but left no issue. The Earldom of March, the Earldom of Ulster and his estates therefore passed to his nephew, Anne Mortimer's son, Richard Plantagenet
(later restored as 3rd Duke of York
, who was nevertheless styled "Earl of March", as was his son).
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Family
Edmund was son of Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March by Alianore de Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of KentThomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
Thomas Holland , 2nd Earl of Kent, 3rd Baron Holand KG was an English nobleman and a councillor of his half-brother, King Richard II of England.-Family and early Life:...
, and Alice Fitzalan. Alice was the daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
, and Eleanor of Lancaster
Eleanor of Lancaster
Eleanor of Lancaster, Countess of Arundel was the fifth daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and Maud Chaworth.-First marriage and issue:...
.
On his father's side, Edmund was a direct descendant of King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
through his grandmother, Philippa Plantagenet, daughter of Edward's second surviving son, Lionel of Antwerp. On his mother's side, he was a descendent of Henry III. Because the senior line of succession through King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
had no issue, Edmund's father Roger Mortimer was next in line for the throne and was accordingly named heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
in 1385.
Edmund's elder sister Anne Mortimer married their cousin Richard, Earl of Cambridge, another descendant of Edward III, through a younger son, Edmund of Langley.
Heir presumptive
Edmund Mortimer's father died in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on 20 July 1398. Mortimer, then six years old, succeeded his father's title and estates and became (under the nomination of 1385) the new heir to the throne.
On 30 September 1399 Richard was deposed and the crown usurped by Henry of Lancaster
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
. The young Earl of March
Earl of March
The title The Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland , and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border...
and his brother Roger were then kept in custody by Henry IV, who nonetheless treated them honourably.
Revolt against Bolingbroke
Their captivity briefly ended in March 1405, when Edmund and his brother Roger were carried off from Windsor CastleWindsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
by the opponents of the House of Lancaster
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
on the orders of Constance of York
Constance of York
Constance of York, Countess of Gloucester was the only daughter of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York and his wife Isabella of Castile, daughter of Pedro of Castile and Maria de Padilla. On about 7 November 1379, Constance married Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester , who was eventually...
. Their uncle, Sir Edmund Mortimer
Edmund Mortimer
-Members of the Marcher family of Mortimer:*Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Wigmore*Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, and his second son*Edmund Mortimer, son of the 3rd Earl*Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March...
, and his brother-in-law Henry Percy
Henry Percy
Sir Henry Percy, also called Harry Hotspur KG was the eldest son of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Lord Percy of Alnwick. His mother was Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby and Alice de Audley. His nickname, 'Hotspur', is suggestive of his impulsive...
(Hotspur) were leaders in league with Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
. The boys were soon recaptured, and in 1409 were committed to the care of Henry of Monmouth
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
Reign of Henry V
On the accession of Henry as King Henry V of EnglandHenry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
in 1413, the Earl of March
Earl of March
The title The Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland , and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border...
was set at liberty and restored to his estates, his brother Roger having died some years previously.
Edmund continued to enjoy the favour of the King in spite of the Southampton Plot
Southampton Plot
The Southampton Plot of 1415 was a conspiracy against King Henry V of England, aimed at replacing him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March. The three alleged ringleaders were Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, Mortimer's brother-in-law; Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham The...
in 1415 to place Mortimer on the throne, a rebellion in which his brother-in-law and cousin, Richard, Earl of Cambridge, played the leading role. Mortimer was reportedly approached by the conspirators at a very late stage in the preparations, and after a period of about ten days informed the King of the threat against him. Cambridge was attainted
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
as a result and executed for treason.
Thereafter, March accompanied Henry V to France in several campaigns of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War (1415-1429)
The Lancastrian War was the third phase of the Anglo-French Hundred Years' War. It lasted from 1415, when Henry V of England invaded Normandy, to 1429 when English successes were reversed by the arrival of Joan of Arc. It followed a long period of peace from 1389 at end of the Caroline War...
. He did not fight at Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
, being ill at the time, but did participate in the conquest of Normandy and the other campaigns that led up to the signing of the Treaty of Troyes
Treaty of Troyes
The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the throne of France upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt...
. When Henry V died on 31 August 1422 and was succeeded by his one-year-old son Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
, Mortimer became a member of the Council of Regency.
Final years
March was appointed lieutenant of Ireland in May of 1423 (a post also held by his father and grandfather). He worked through a deputy at first, but in February 1424 he took ship for Ireland.Mortimer died in Ireland of the plague in 1425 and was buried at Clare Priory, Suffolk. He married Anne Stafford, daughter of Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford
Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford
Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and 6th Baron Audley, KB, KG was the son of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp....
, but left no issue. The Earldom of March, the Earldom of Ulster and his estates therefore passed to his nephew, Anne Mortimer's son, Richard Plantagenet
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
(later restored as 3rd Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
, who was nevertheless styled "Earl of March", as was his son).