Wells, Richard, 7th Baron Wells

Richard Wells was born around 1428 and was the eldest of five ^[1] children in the family of Lionel Wells, 6th Baron Wells , and his first wife Joan Waterton, daughter of Esquire Robert Waterton ^[2] and his second wife, Cecily Fleming. Richard had four full sisters, as well as a brother from his father’s marriage with Margaret Boshan of Bletso ^{[1] [3]} ; thus, Richard was the half-brother of Margaret Beaufort , the mother of King Henry VII .

Until January 9, 1449, Richard married Joan Willoughby , the only daughter and heiress of Robert Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Erzby , and his second wife, Elizabeth Montague. Joan inherited the title and possessions of his father in 1452 ^[4] . On January 31 of the following year, Richard began managing his wife's possessions; before that he was knighted. In 1453, Richard was present at various commissions in Lincolnshire, and until March 15, 1454, he entered the Privy Council. From May 26, 1455 to August 10, 1469, he sat in Parliament as Lord Willoughby (that is, by the right of his wife). According to historian Michael Hicks, Richard, who was also supposed to inherit the possessions of the Wells and Waterton, “was destined to become the main power broker in Lincolnshire” ^{[2] [5] [6]} .

At the dawn of his military service, Richard, like many members of his family, was a supporter of the Lancaster and for actions in Lincolnshire in 1459 against the Yorks , on March 21, 1460 he was awarded payments from confiscated lands in the amount of forty pounds a year. Richard was in the army of Queen Margarita when she marched on London, and also participated in the victorious second battle of St. Albans on February 17, 1461 and the devastating battle of Tauton on March 29, 1461. After the end of the battle of Tauton, it was erroneously reported that Richard had fallen in battle; in fact, then his father died, who was posthumously convicted by the York Parliament, deprived of all possessions, titles and awards ^{[7] [8]} . On February 5, 1462, Richard was able to receive the forgiveness of the new king , but neither his father’s lands nor his title were returned to him ^{[2] [5] [6]} .

Joan gave birth to two children, Richard, and died between May 11, 1461 and February 13, 1462. ^[9] Richard married a second time. Both of his wives had family ties with the Neville , who came to power along with the Yorks. After receiving royal forgiveness, Richard went over to the Yorks and helped the Neville destroy the forces of Lancaster in northern England in 1464. He was with Edward IV at Dover on August 21, 1463, and was among the York leaders under the command of John Neville, Marquis of Montague , who defeated the Lancaster at the Battle of Hexham on May 15, 1464. Richard was generously rewarded for his service to York by Edward IV: on October 9, 1464, his father's confiscated possessions were returned to him, and on July 11 of the following year he completely took over the Wells estates. In June 1467, Parliament reinstated Richard as heir, repealing the confiscation and deprivation of his father's rights; thus he became the seventh Baron Wells. In 1468, by order of the king, Richard was asserted in his rights in relation to competing claims to the lands of his father by his stepmother and half-brother ^{[2] [6]} .

Although Richard was able to regain the family’s possessions, he was not able to establish sole domination in Lincolnshire; Humphrey Bourceux, Baron Cromwell, and Sir , a relative and close associate of King Edward IV, rivaled him ^[2] . In February 1470, Richard's son, Robert , attacked the in Gainsborough. This incident, some historians believe, was the result of a conspiracy of Count Warwick , who wanted to provoke the king; however, other historians believe that it was just a private war for influence ^[10] . The king summoned Richard and Sir Thomas Daimock, who was married to his sister Margaret ^{[11] [12]} , to the capital for an explanation. Wells was initially ill, but later came to London. However, fearing the wrath of Edward IV, he refused to go to him; Richard took refuge in a shelter in Westminster Abbey , from where he was lured only by the promise of royal pardon, which was granted on March 3, 1470. By this time, Wells' son, Sir Robert, had openly joined the rebellious Earl of Warwick and George, Duke of Clarence . After the pardon of Richard and his son-in-law, the king took them into custody and went north to personally crush the rebellion in Lincolnshire. Robert Wells refused to lay down his arms, after which, on March 12, 1470, the king executed Wells Sr. and Dimock ^[13] in Stamford . On the day of his father's execution, Robert gave the , but was defeated and executed at Doncaster on March 19. Both Richard and childless Robert were stripped of their rights and titles; Edward IV transferred the possessions of Willoughby and Wells to his supporter , who was married to Richard's daughter - Joan ^{[2] [5] [14]} .

The deprivation of Richard and his son was repealed by the first parliament of Henry VII ^{[2] [5] [15]} .

Offspring

Richard's first marriage was to Joan Willoughby, the only daughter and heiress of Robert Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Erzby, and his second wife Elizabeth Montague. In this marriage two children were born ^[16] :

• Robert (d. March 19, 1470) - 8th Baron Willoughby de Erzby and 8th Baron Wells . The title of father to Richard was returned posthumously by the act of Parliament of Henry VII. Richard was married to Elizabeth Bourtschier, daughter of , Baron Berners, and Margery Berners. Robert’s widow survived him only for several months and was buried next to him in Doncaster ^{[9] [17]} .
• Joan (d. January 23, 1475) - 9th Baroness Willoughby de Erzby. She was married to Sir Richard Hastings, the younger brother of Baron Hastings , from whom Joan gave birth to a son Anthony, who died during his father’s lifetime ^{[5] [18] [19]} .

By his second marriage, Richard was married to Margery Strangeways, the widow of John Ingleby, a servant of Neville, and the daughter of Sir James Strangeways and his first wife, Elizabeth Darcy. Richard had no children in this marriage. Margery did not marry again; On May 8, 1474, she became a nun. ^{[9] [15]}

• Jobson Archbold, William Arthur. Welles, Lionel de // Dictionary of National Biography / ed. Sidney Lee - 1899. - Vol. 60. - P. 168-169.
• Cokayne, George Edward. The Complete Peerage / edited by Geoffrey H. White. - London: St. Catherine Press, 1959.- T. XII.
• Hicks, Michael. Leo Welles // Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. - Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Lee, Sidney. Dymoke, John // Dictionary of National Biography . - 1888. - Vol. 16. - P. 294-296.
• Nicolas, Nicholas Harris. Testamenta Vetusta . - London: Nicholas and Son, 1826 .-- T. I. - P. 310.
• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families / ed. Everingham, Kimball G. .. - London: Salt Lake City, 2011 .-- T. I. - ISBN 1449966373 .
• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families / ed. Everingham, Kimball G. .. - London: Salt Lake City, 2011 .-- T. II. - ISBN 1449966381 .
• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families / ed. Everingham, Kimball G. .. - London: Salt Lake City, 2011 .-- T. III. - ISBN 1449966381 .
• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families / ed. Everingham, Kimball G. .. - London: Salt Lake City, 2011 .-- T. IV. - ISBN 1460992709 .
• Wagner, John A. Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses . - ABC-CLIO, 2001 .-- 367 p. - ISBN 1851093583 , 9781851093588.