and other religious artefacts to Westminster Abbey. In addition, he wanted thirty paupers to be kept in food and clothing for a whole year after his death: they had to be men who were genuinely in need and they all had to pray to Almighty God every day for Henry’s soul. The king willed that another three thousand Masses should be sung in honour of the Holy Trinity for the benefit of his soul. And fifteen Masses should be sung every day of the year in honour of Christ’s wounds. Five thousand Masses were to be sung in honour of the five joys of the Virgin Mary. Nine more were to be performed in honour of the nine orders of angels, three hundred in honour of the three Patriarchs, twelve in honour of the twelve apostles, and 4,125 in honour of all the saints. And all of these Masses had to be celebrated as soon as possible after his death.
With regard to the individual beneficiaries, the first-named was the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, to whom Henry left precious stones to the value of 500 marks. The list of names that follow Sigismund’s is the clearest and fullest indication we have of Henry’s friends among the aristocracy and his servants in the year 1415:
The Holy Roman Emperor
John, duke of Bedford
Humphrey, duke of Gloucester
Henry Chichele, archbishop of Canterbury
Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchester, chancellor
Thomas Langley, bishop of Durham
Stephen Patrington, bishop of St David’s, Henry’s confessor
Joan Bohun, dowager countess of Hereford, Henry’s grandmother
Edmund Mortimer, earl of March
Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick
Thomas Beaufort, earl of Dorset
Thomas Fitzalan, earl of Arundel
Ralph Neville, earl of Westmorland
Joan of Navarre, queen of England, Henry’s stepmother
Edward Holland
Gilbert, Lord Talbot
Henry, Lord Fitzhugh, royal chamberlain
Sir Walter Hungerford, royal steward
Sir John Rothenhale
John Woodhouse
Sir Gilbert Umphraville
Sir John Gray
Roland Leinthal
William Porter
John Cheney
Roger Salvayn
John Steward
Lewis Robesart
John Waterton
William Bourchier
John Brown
Nicholas Merbury
John Botteler
John Stone, royal secretary
Stephen Payne, royal almoner
Nicholas Colnet, royal physician
John Wickham, royal chaplain
Henry Romworth, royal chaplain
Thomas Rodburne, royal chaplain
Richard Cassy, royal chaplain
Only after listing all these men by name, and many other servants by their offices, did Henry make a bequest ‘to our successor,’ meaning of course Thomas, duke of Clarence. This included his best two crowns, two pairs of astrological spheres, the sceptre of the kingdom, an ensign of Spain, a queen’s crown, and all his armour. 64
In many ways Henry’s will confirms all the things that we have known or suspected of him to date: extreme religiosity – excessive, even for the period – huge self-importance, a great favouritism for his uncles,no personal love for his brother Thomas, and no acknowledgement of any women except his grandmother and his stepmother. There was a single note of conscience in the will – he ordered that the 25,000 marks that he still owed to his fathers’ executors should be paid in full – but otherwise the document was a statement of Henry’s vision of his own importance and piety.
His choice of men to be executors was largely predictable: Bishop Beaufort, Bishop Langley, Bishop Courtenay, the earl of Westmorland, Lord Fitzhugh, Sir Walter Hungerford, Sir John Rothenhale, John Woodhouse and John Leventhorpe. Nevertheless, there are some surprising inclusions and omissions. It is interesting that Lord Scrope’s name does not appear – as he had been appointed a trustee of Henry’s Lancastrian inheritance as recently as 22 July and was to be re-appointed later this same month. Probably the most surprising beneficiary was the earl of March, who was also a witness to the sealing of the will.
Henry signed his will as follows: ‘This is my last Will subscribed with my own Hand. R[ex]. H[enricus]. Jesu Mercy and Gremercy Ladie Marie help.’
It
With regard to the individual beneficiaries, the first-named was the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, to whom Henry left precious stones to the value of 500 marks. The list of names that follow Sigismund’s is the clearest and fullest indication we have of Henry’s friends among the aristocracy and his servants in the year 1415:
The Holy Roman Emperor
John, duke of Bedford
Humphrey, duke of Gloucester
Henry Chichele, archbishop of Canterbury
Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchester, chancellor
Thomas Langley, bishop of Durham
Stephen Patrington, bishop of St David’s, Henry’s confessor
Joan Bohun, dowager countess of Hereford, Henry’s grandmother
Edmund Mortimer, earl of March
Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick
Thomas Beaufort, earl of Dorset
Thomas Fitzalan, earl of Arundel
Ralph Neville, earl of Westmorland
Joan of Navarre, queen of England, Henry’s stepmother
Edward Holland
Gilbert, Lord Talbot
Henry, Lord Fitzhugh, royal chamberlain
Sir Walter Hungerford, royal steward
Sir John Rothenhale
John Woodhouse
Sir Gilbert Umphraville
Sir John Gray
Roland Leinthal
William Porter
John Cheney
Roger Salvayn
John Steward
Lewis Robesart
John Waterton
William Bourchier
John Brown
Nicholas Merbury
John Botteler
John Stone, royal secretary
Stephen Payne, royal almoner
Nicholas Colnet, royal physician
John Wickham, royal chaplain
Henry Romworth, royal chaplain
Thomas Rodburne, royal chaplain
Richard Cassy, royal chaplain
Only after listing all these men by name, and many other servants by their offices, did Henry make a bequest ‘to our successor,’ meaning of course Thomas, duke of Clarence. This included his best two crowns, two pairs of astrological spheres, the sceptre of the kingdom, an ensign of Spain, a queen’s crown, and all his armour. 64
In many ways Henry’s will confirms all the things that we have known or suspected of him to date: extreme religiosity – excessive, even for the period – huge self-importance, a great favouritism for his uncles,no personal love for his brother Thomas, and no acknowledgement of any women except his grandmother and his stepmother. There was a single note of conscience in the will – he ordered that the 25,000 marks that he still owed to his fathers’ executors should be paid in full – but otherwise the document was a statement of Henry’s vision of his own importance and piety.
His choice of men to be executors was largely predictable: Bishop Beaufort, Bishop Langley, Bishop Courtenay, the earl of Westmorland, Lord Fitzhugh, Sir Walter Hungerford, Sir John Rothenhale, John Woodhouse and John Leventhorpe. Nevertheless, there are some surprising inclusions and omissions. It is interesting that Lord Scrope’s name does not appear – as he had been appointed a trustee of Henry’s Lancastrian inheritance as recently as 22 July and was to be re-appointed later this same month. Probably the most surprising beneficiary was the earl of March, who was also a witness to the sealing of the will.
Henry signed his will as follows: ‘This is my last Will subscribed with my own Hand. R[ex]. H[enricus]. Jesu Mercy and Gremercy Ladie Marie help.’
It
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