The new calendar of the inquisitions post mortem of Richard III Richard III was a feudal king. He was the apex of the Digital Humanities, King’s College, London and is feudal system that had embraced all the principal funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. landholders (tenants‐in‐chief and sub‐tenants) of all the Dr Matthew Holford and Dr Matthew Tompkins are the lands in England and Wales since the Norman Conquest. full‐time researchers: Dr James Ross has recently joined The king had the right to the custody of the estates and the project. For more details see our website at: bodies of under‐age heirs and the right to marry them to www.MappingtheMedievalCountryside.org whomever he chose. To keep track of these profitable These IPMs will be accessible free of charge to rights, previous monarchs had developed the anyone with internet access anywhere. Henceforth inquisitions post mortem (IPMs), which recorded the IPMs will be – as they ought to be – the principal source deaths of all such tenants, their estates and the identity for local historians and genealogists before parish and ages of the heirs. Before parish registers and income registration commenced in 1538. taxes, IPMs are standard sources for the lives and wealth The Mapping project is what we propose for Richard of late medieval landholders, and, indeed for the III’s IPMs. Dr Gordon McKelvie is the researcher. It will economy (manors), topography (mills and fisheries), and take two years part‐time to calendar the IPMs and rural society of Richard’s world. Past researchers have perhaps another year to complete the volume, calendared (summarised) all the IPMs for 1236–1447 and publication being in 2017 or 2018. In time we hope to fill 1485–1509 in 29 huge calendars (CIPMs). A calendar is a the 1447–83 gap and to upgrade the volumes from 1485 shortened summary in English that preserves all the to the same standards. Also on our future agenda is essential information and cuts out the common forms. upgrading the IPMs for Henry VII, which includes such Those slain besides Richard at victims of Bosworth as Sir Richard Bosworth and many survivors are Ratcliffe and William Catesby. recorded in the early Tudor volumes. We do not yet have a full list of Richard III’s own reign falls into the those who feature in the IPMs of uncalendared gap. IPMs are technical Richard III. We have listed those in and often scarcely readable docu ‐ chancery, but not any extras in the ments. Nobody has delved deeply exchequer records. The first big into the 240 that survive for Richard’s names are Henry Bourchier, earl of reign, which can tell us about those Essex and Lord Treasurer, who died who died in his reign, who were his on 4 April 1483 – only five days wards, and what he did with them. before Edward IV – and his wife Henry V and Henry VII, we know, Isabel Plantagenet, who died 2 squeezed all the profit they could October 1484, the only sister of from the system: was Richard more or Richard III’s father Richard, duke of less grasping, or perhaps more York (d. 1460) and aunt of the whole lackadaisical? We shall soon be able to Above: Henry Bourchier, earl of Essex, blood of Edward IV and Richard III. know. KG, d. 1483, and his wife Isabel Octogenarians, both died naturally Plantagenet. Brass, Little Easton, Essex. The Richard III Society has Below: Sir Thomas St Leger, d. 1483, and and were buried under a splendid decided to fund the creation of a his wife Anne, duchess of Exeter, Richard brass at Beeleigh Abbey near Maldon calendar of inquisitions post mortem III’s sister. Brass in St George’s Chapel, (see picture). In contrast William, for Richard III: an obvious gap in Windsor. Lord Hastings, Edward IV’s what is known, but also an act of chamberlain and best friend, was munificence to the historical world beheaded at Richard’s command, just everywhere. Calendaring IPMs in 13 days before Richard’s own huge volumes that cover only five accession. Yet there appear to be no years each and cost £195 to buy is no IPMs for Anthony, earl Rivers, longer practical. The CIPMs Edward V’s half‐brother Sir Richard calendared most fully to modern Grey, and Thomas Vaughan, all standards (1399–1447) are being executed a fortnight afterwards at published as a freely‐accessible Pontefract. Also missing online database that can be searched, mysteriously – but we will find out interrogated, and connected to a why – are those two traitors Henry, mapping system (GIS). This is a duke of Buckingham and King collaboration between the University Richard’s brother‐in‐law Thomas St of Winchester (Professor Michael Leger, both executed for treason at Hicks) and the Department for Salisbury that November, and others 1 of Buckingham’s rebels. Richard seized their lands and them. The three sources dovetail and will help ensure bestowed them on his northerners who, notoriously, we interpret the IPMs correctly. colonised the south. Richard appears not to have What is an inquisition like? The photograph below is bothered with the proper procedures. We do possess the an example. Unfortunately the IPMs of Essex and IPM of another such traitor, Richard, Lord Dacre, once Hastings do not reproduce well. No doubt Gordon greatest about King Edward’s person. Some other McKelvie will have to spend a lot of time with the names are familiar too: Eleanor Poynings, the mother of ultraviolet light to decipher them! But twelve IPMs Henry Percy, fourth earl of Northumberland (d. 1489), survive for Ralph, 2nd earl of Westmorland (C 141/5/14), Richard’s retainer and perhaps betrayer at Bosworth, head of the senior house of Neville (Richard, duke of and Ralph, earl of Westmorland (d. 1484), whose heir, Gloucester, having married into the junior branch). Richard’s retainer Ralph, Lord Nevill, became the 3rd Ralph was earl for 61 years, until 3 November 1484, earl. If law is your subject, then there are IPMs of when he was aged 77 and 78. The indented IPM for Richard’s legal counsel Richard Pigot, the judge Sir London held on 2 December at the Guildhall in the William Nottingham, and Sir Richard Chok, chief baron parish of St Lawrence in Old Jewry by Mayor Thomas of the exchequer, who is splendidly interred at Abbot’s Hill reveals that at his death (impossibly dated 3 Leigh near Bristol. Already dead was the London December) the earl held only one messuage, worth alderman Sir Thomas Cook, notoriously victimised by nothing above expenses, in the parish of St Olave, the Woodvilles in 1468, but included is the IPM of his Silverstreet, in Faringdon ward. Predictably called widow Elizabeth Malpas. William Montagu was surely Neville’s Inn, it was held by free burgage, the heir being Clarence’s secretary and Robert Tanfield the retainer of his 28‐year‐old nephew Ralph, Lord Neville, the future Edmund, earl of Kent. Others will be identified. Just third earl. No surprises there. The IPM for about every county features, and every major town. We Northumberland convened by Robert Clavering esquire will find information on what each held, by what title, at Bywell [Castle?] on the Tyne on 24 February 1485 how much they were worth, when they died – some on found that Earl Ralph held nothing of the king at his significant dates – and who were their heirs, how old death. This was because on 15 March 1479 he had they were, and what Richard did with his wards. British already settled Bywell and Bolbeck jointly on his heir Sir Library Harleian MS 433 and the Logge Wills, both Ralph and his wife Isabel Bothe, niece of Archbishop published by the Richard III Society, treat many of Lawrence Bothe, who had married at least six years Exmple of an inquisition post mortem 2 earlier, and Ralph’s heirs. Bywell was held of the king in systems, collation and comparison with other published chief by quarter of a knight’s fee: £4 3s 4d was payable earlier and later IPMs. Both will be freely accessible and for castleguard at Newcastle Castle on the Sunday after free of charge to anyone in world. In due course we plan the feast of the Circumcision (1 January) and 25s. due in to complete the whole sequence from 1236 to 1509. the feast of St Cuthbert (1 September), Bywell being Third – and perhaps most important for Ricardians – we worth £4 3s. 4d. after reprises. Bolbeck, rated at only a will publish all Richard’s IPMs as a separate volume, to tenth of a knight’s fee, was worth only £1 5s. above costs. which we will add a new introduction and a Ralph, Lord Neville, the heir, had been retained by comprehensive index. Fourth, the records for Richard III Richard as duke, was addressee of one of the lord will be included in the featured IPMs and blogs on the protector’s two letters summoning troops on 10–11 June project website and our Twitter account. 1483, and was rewarded with some of Margaret The project will open up other opportunities to learn Beaufort’s lands for his good services against about Richard III and his reign. We can learn more Buckingham’s rebellion in 1483. His subsequent life was about Richard’s feudal policies and his dealings with his blighted by Henry VII’s distrust. He was succeeded in enemies. We should learn about retainers, trustees, and 1499 by a grandson (another Ralph) not yet a year old.