Roger Bolingbroke was a 15th-century English cleric, astronomer, astrologer, magister and alleged necromancer. He flourished in the first half of the 15th century. He was tried, convicted and executed for treasonable witchcraft on the person of 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...

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Bolingbroke was a person of great intelligence and learning. He was part of the household of Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, and was the personal clerk to Eleanor Cobham

Eleanor Cobham

Eleanor [née Eleanor Cobham], Duchess of Gloucester , was a mistress and the second wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. A convicted sorceress, her imprisonment for treasonable necromancy in 1441 was a cause célèbre.-Family:...

, the Duke's wife.

Conspiracy

Bolingbroke was the best known of the three scholars implicated in the "conspiracy" to bring about the death of King Henry. He was described as a ‘gret and konnyng man in astronomye’ and ‘renowned in all the world’,

In October 1440 he and Thomas Southwell produced a horoscope for Eleanor Cobham which predicted the death of King Henry, an event, which, if it were to have happened, would have meant the Duke would have become King and Eleanor his Queen.

Naturally, when the King was acquainted with this prediction he was not best pleased. The Kings Council
charged Bolingbroke and Southwell, and another - John Home (or Hum), with conspiring to kill the King with necromancy.

In addition to these scholars, a woman known as Margery Jourdemayne was also implicated. Jourdemayne was known as "The Witch of Eye" and was engaged in the conspiracy to provide spells and potions. She and Bolingbroke were the only two to be executed for their parts in the affair.

Charges

On 23 July 1441 Bolingbroke was brought before the Church authorities, and at St. Paul's Cross, London, he made a very public confession that his actions were not compatible with Christianity and he foreswore his diabolic activities.

Around this time Bolingbroke also appeared before the Kings Council and was accused of treason as well as sorcery. At this point he accused his mistress, Eleanor Cobham, as having directed his actions.

On 18 November of that year, Bolingbroke was brought from the Tower to the London Guildhall. The King's Commissioners found him guilty of various treasonable crimes. He was duly dragged on a hurdle that same day to Tyburn, where he was hanged, drawn and quartered

Hanged, drawn and quartered

To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...

. His head was displayed on London Bridge

London Bridge

London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...

and his quartered body was distributed around the country.