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Note: Henry Clifford was featured in the March 2020 Magna Carta Project Newsletter.
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Sir Henry Clifford, 10th Baron Clifford, was born in 1454, the heir of John Clifford, 9th Baron Clifford, and Margaret Bromflete.[1] At about seven years of age he succeeded his father who died on 28 Mar 1461 after the Battle of Ferrybridge at Dinting Dale on the eve of the Battle of Towton.[1] His father, John Clifford, died by a chance arrow to his throat after removing the throat protection of his armor (his bevor), possibly so he could breathe better, scan the battlefield more quickly and shout commands.[2][3] All of Henry's titles and estates were then forfeited by the posthumous attainder of his father, a Lancastrian, by King Edward IV at his first parliament on 4 Nov 1461.[4]
Henry's birth pace is uncertain. His father had significant landholdings in the North of England, including Yorkshire and Westmorland[5] or one of his mother's properties in Yorkshire.[6]
Henry was called “The Shepherd Lord” because, as the story goes, his mother took him as a child from Skipton Castle and hid him from the reigning Yorkists by sending him to live at her estate in Londesborough on the property of a trusted family nurse where he tended sheep with the family[7] while his brother, Richard was smuggled abroad where he died. Henry then emerged into public view "with the manners and education of a shepherd."[8] This myth was probably invented by Edward Hall in the mid-16th century and perpetuated by Lady Anne Clifford,[4] Henry's 2x great granddaughter, who wrote the first history of her family[9]
In reality, it is unlikely vengeful Yorkists pursued the 7 year old Henry. His mother, however, wasn't willing to take that chance, spending a few years in rural retreat in Craven or Wharfedale. She married Sir Lancelot Threlkeld, probably in late 1461 or early 1462 (having her first child, Anne, by him around 1462), so they spent some time in Threlkeld in Cumberland. Interestingly, the Threlkeld family owned Yanwath Hall which is about 2.5 miles west of Brougham Castle owned by the Cliffords. Yanwath Hall is said to have a secret chamber or nook used to hide the young Cliffords.[10]
All of this does not mean he was illiterate or shepherd-like. The title was most likely a Yorkist slur. They were probably just laying low during the Wars of the Roses which was one of the most bloody affairs in England, killing most of the male lines of both families. Henry was not only known to be literate but also owned numerous scientific, legal and medical books. He valued learning and supported scholars in Oxford and the monasteries at Shap, Bolton and Gisborough.[11] In her memoirs, the same Lady Anne Clifford, speaks of him as 'a plain man, who lived for the most part a country life, and came seldom to court or London, except when called to parliament, on which occasion he behaved himself like a wise and good English nobleman.'[8] A wise and good English nobleman does not have the manners and education of a shepherd.
As early as age 12 (1466), Henry was named publicly in wills, receiving personal property, and by age 17 or 18 received a general pardon on 16 Mar 1472.[12]
Most likely in 1486, Henry married a half-cousin of King Henry VII, Anne St John, daughter of Sir John St John, K.B. of Bletsoe (the king's mother's half-brother) and Alice Bradshagh. They had four sons and six daughters,[1] whose birthdates and birth order are mostly uncertain:
Henry was known for his infidelities, so much so that Lady Anne complained about the number of baseborn children he’d fathered.[11] This caused such a sufficient tension between them that a separation was suggested. Anne's chaplain negotiated with the King and Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII's mother, who went as far as to offer Anne and her daughters a position in her household.[4] (Margaret Beaufort was a daughter of Anne's grandmother Margaret Beauchamp by her marriage to John Beaufort.) However, the crisis passed and they stayed together until she died between 12 May 1506 and 11 July 1511. She was buried in the church of Skipton-in-Craven, Yorkshire, England.[1]
Upon the accession of King Henry VII, Henry Clifford received a summons to parliament from 15 Sep 1485 to 16 Jan 1497. The attainder was lifted by Parliament, he became Lord Clifford, and his estates were restored. He was knighted on 9 Nov 1485 [12][14] The lifting of the attainder also made him hereditary Sheriff of Westmorland,[12] a position he held from 1485 to his death.[15]
Lord Clifford soon became one of King Henry VII's most trusted men in the north. Lord Clifford was allowed to inherit the estates of his maternal grandfather, Sir Harry (Bromflete), Lord Vescy, who had died in 1469, although not in his Clifford patrimony. During the time of 1486-1493, Henry, "Lord Clifford, son of Margaret", sued Robert Clifford, executor of his mother, in Chancery regarding the detention of deeds relating to the manors of Weigthton, Weaverthorpe, Londesborough, Aton, Hotton, Langton, Wellom, Winteringham and Brompton, Yorkshire which made up a third of his inheritance and his mother's dower. They would remain out of his control until her death on 12 Apr 1493. In February 1491 he laid claim to the Durham manors of Hert and Hertlepool.[14]
Henry was in London on 30 Oct 1494, when Prince Henry, afterwards Henry VIII, was knighted.[12] On 5 Apr 1495, as "Lord Clyfford, Westmorland and Vescy, knight," he cancelled a grant of 600 marks (roughly 400 pounds sterling) made to him by Sir Thomas Darcy, Knt., contained in a deed dated 4 Apr 1495.[1]
A major eclipse crossed England in October 1502 and it is speculated that this was what sparked Clifford's interest in astronomy. He used the upper dining room at Barden Tower as an astronomical observatory, known locally as the 'Stargazers Room'.[16] Barden is where he devoted his energies to astronomy and astrology,[17] becoming somewhat of a recluse obsessed with the night skies.
Henry, "Lord Clifford" was made a Knight of the Bath on 23 June 1509 at the coronation of Henry VIII,[12][18] an honour conferred at this date only on major royal occasions.[19]
Henry married second, before 11 July 1511, Florence (Pudsey) Talbot, widow of Sir Thomas Talbot of Bashall in Craven, Yorkshire. She was the daughter of Henry Pudsey esq, of Bolton-by-Bolland and Margaret Conyers. Florence was considerably younger than Henry and they had three children:[1]
Henry and Florence became estranged. He refused to let her live and sleep with him at Barden and, in 1521, she sued him for restitution of conjugal rights. He in turn publicly accused Florence of having an affair with one of his household servants Roger Wharton.[11] who confessed that "I will never denye ffor a man may be in bedd wth a woman and yett do noo hurte". Wharton also accused Clifford of having an extra-marital relationship with one Jane Browne.[4]
Henry had a number of illegitimate children through his various mistresses but one specifically was called out by Richardson:[1]
Henry was appointed to a principal command over the army which fought against the Scots at the Battle of Flodden on 9 Sep 1513. He mounted three pieces of James IV's famous ordnance (cannons), 'the seven sisters', to grace his castle at Skipton,[8] but resided chiefly at Barden Tower. In 1515 he spent a large sum on a new chapel, which was deliberately intended to be as extravagant as possible. Clifford's success at improving his finances put him in the top third of the English nobility.[4]
Henry died 23 Apr 1523. His death place is uncertain. In his will he left orders for his burial at Shap if he died in Westmoreland or at Bolton in Craven if he died in Yorkshire.[8] Some say he was buried in Bolton Abbey[11] and others say he was buried at Shap Abbey.[20][21]
His widow, Florence, married Sir Richard Grey, younger son of the 1st Marquess of Dorset.[12]
Sir Henry Clifford restored his family name, his estate and honors during the years of Henry VII, repairing several of the family Castles, which had gone to decay during the troubles of his father. Following his death his annual income was assessed at £1332 2s. 4d. Clifford's success at improving his finances put him in the top third of the English nobility. This elevation of the Clifford family to the upper peerage lead to the title of Earl of Cumberland being created for his son, Henry, in 1525.[6]
Sir Henry Cillford, the "Shepard Lord" was also immortalized as the hero in one of William Wordsworth's happiest poems Song at the Feast of Brougham Castle.
Through his father:
Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor[22] - 23th great grandfather.
William I, "The Conqueror", King of England[23] - 13th great grandfather.
Henry II, King of England[24] - 10th great grandfather.
Philippe IV, King of France [25] - 7th great grandfather.
Edward I, "Longshanks", King of England[26] - 7th great grandfather.
Edward III, King of England[17] - 5th great grandfather.
After Henry Clifford had his estates and titles restored, he re-established his principal family seat at Skipton Castle. However, he favored a more remote location and accordingly commenced construction of Barden Tower to replace Skipton Castle as his family seat. Barden Tower is a medieval fortified manor house located near the River Wharfe on the eastern fringes of the Yorkshire Dales. The Tower itself was a three store rectangular structure. Originally it was the center of a much larger estate which would have included landscaped grounds as well as domestic and service buildings. A Chapel and Priest House also formed part of the site which, along with the Tower, were enclosed within a curtain wall.[27]
Clifford probably never thought the Tower would be subject to a serious assault. After the Wars of the Roses, the need for castles as defensive strongholds was lessened and most houses were built with comfort as much as defense in mind.[16] Although fortified, the Tower's defenses were not substantial and proved insufficient in 1536 when Barden was captured by rebels during the Pilgrimage of Grace, a futile attempt to overturn Henry VIII's reforms of the English church. Barden was repaired but the heirs of Henry Clifford increasingly preferred other residences and use of the site reduced significantly.[27]
In 1589 Margaret, Countess of Cumberland stayed here while pregnant with her daughter, the formidable Lady Anne Clifford.[16] After an extended battle of 30 years to secure her inheritance, Lady Anne Clifford acquired Barden Tower in 1649 along with numerous other sites previously owned by the Clifford family. Although her main seat was at Appleby Castle, she restored Barden back into a functional residence including adding a new L-shaped tower to the structure. When she died in 1676, the site passed into the hands of the Earls of Cork who allowed the Tower to lapse once again, though it was used briefly to store weapons for the local militia during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. By the late eighteenth century it had been abandoned as a residence and was allowed to drift into ruin.[27]
Today access the Tower interior is not allowed since it is unsafe due to the risk of falling masonry but it is easy to walk around the exterior and get a very good look into the building interior from several large ground-level windows and see several restored fireplaces and chimney stacks. The Tower stands in green fields with only a few old buildings nearby.[16] The Priests House was converted in 2016 into a restaurant and it is believed that the pikes and halberds still hanging from the beams in the Priest's House dining area were used at the Battle of Flodden.[7] The Old Chapel is a wedding venue.
The original church was laid out on a cross-shaped plan in the 13th century. The east end of the building, separated from the nave by a screen, was the presbytery. During the 15th century the presbytery was lengthened and a tower begun over the crossing. The additional weight, however, caused structural problems, so a tower was built at the west end of the building instead in about 1500.[29] The tower was probably instigated by Richard Redman (d. 1505), one of the most influential abbots at Shap. Redman was the son of a local landowner, who entered holy orders and was selected as abbot of Shap in 1458. In a remarkably long career, he rose to become the head of the Premonstratensian order in England, and was eventually appointed Bishop of Ely.[30]
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