The reburial of Richard Duke of York 1476 - Funeral and Funeral Feast

 

Bishop Rotherham leads King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth and their court in prayer to the Holy Trinity 

From the frontispiece to the Luton Guild Book circa 1475

Image: Instagram - Natalie Grueninger

The funeral ceremonies were held on the Tuesday. 

Liturgically this began with three High Masses, those of Our Lady, of the Trinity,  and of Requiem. According to the herald’s description all three were offered by Bishop Rotherham, which seems unusual. It may mean that he presided in pontificals from the throne and that others actually offered the Mass. Bishop Rotherham also preached “a very noble” sermon. Meanwhile the service for Rutland was held in the Lady Chapel “as befitted his estate”.

At the offertory King offered the Mass penny for his father, making an obeisance as he passed the coffin. The Queen, not wearing a high headdress, offered next making “a great obeisance and reverence” and then similarly her two daughters. They were followed by the 

Countess of Richmond who had presumably joined her husband Lord Stanley from her castle at Bourne in Lincolnshire. It is tempting to speculate what she was thinking, other than as a pious woman fulfilling her Christian duty to pray for the dead.

The two French ambassadors, representing King Louis XI were escorted by two unnamed earls to make their offerings and two barons similarly escorted the two Danish ambassadors representing King Christian I. A single baron escorted the Portuguese ambassador representing King Afonso V to make his.

Following this Norroy King of Arms presented the Duke’s coat of arms which was received by an unnamed earl. March King of Arms presented the Duke’s shield, which was also received by an unnamed earl.Whether this was the same peer is not specified, nor the form of the arms, that is, whether they were his arms as Duke of York or the undifferentiated Royal arms as rightful king. Ireland King of Arms offered the sword and two heralds, Windsor and Snowdon, the helmet

Lord Ferrers presented the harness [the suit of armour] and the courser by riding it into the church escorted by barons, knights and two heralds. In his hand he carried a axe with the point downwards. The courser was black and richly trapped to the ground and was led to the gate of the choir where the animal was received by the deacon. After this the sermon was delivered and more cloths were laid on the coffin. According to one of the descriptions the King offered to the body and coffin seven pieces of cloth of gold five yards long, by the hand of his Chamberlain, Hastings, and the Queen through her Chamberlain six pieces five yards long. Each Duke offered five, each earl three, and each baron and  “the lowest esquire” one.

Following the funeral there was, as custom demanded, a feast. The surging accounts only really cover this aspect of the reburial - there is nothing to indicate the costs of  the cortège from Pontefract or of the alms distributed. However Chester Herald recorded that at the end of the ceremonies in addition to their robes, hoods, and expenses the Office of Arms received £20. What does survive, and it is detailed, is given in Hammond, Sutton and Visser-Fuchs’ study. 

Over the four days from July 28th to 31st something like two thousand people were fed each day. By contrast the population of Fotheringhay in the sixteenth century is estimated at about three hundred, and in the 2011 census was 119. 

The King’s pavilioner had been busy erecting ‘halls of canvas’ for mourners to rest, wheat and sleep as well as an open air cooking site set up with ‘rakkes’. Four crates were required for ‘tentes’. Carpenters were employed to make tables, forms and trestles in ‘hales’ and ‘tentes’ and other places in the castle. Linen for table cloths was bought.

Goods were brought from, and later returned to London. 31 tuns and 180 gallons of ale, 40 pipes of wine from the royal cellars, 2000 wooden bowls, 1088 clay pots, 49 beef cattle, 210 sheep, 90 calves, 200 pig, plus fish and poultry, and 182 quarters of charcoal were all purchased .

 

The fish included two fresh salmon and 100 salt fish. The poultry included capons, cygnets, hens, partridges, pheasants, herons, ‘wypes ’[ lapwings or peewits, known in eastern England as piewypes] coneys, ‘rabettes’, chicken, plus milk, ‘creme’, ‘butir’ and eggs. William Strode was paid for transporting the poultry for thirty one days with his five horses £10.6.8, including 6.8d as a reward.

Pewter vessels cost £6.18s, and ‘disces and plates’ of wood £7.19.4.

The spicery cost £8.15s, and 10.8d carriage from London. Mustard, vinegar and verjuice were also bought and a barrel of honey cost 26.8d and 14 gallons more was bought at 14d a gallon

Bread was brought from Stamford and carriage paid for it, which doubtless kept the bakers of the town very busy.

Though it is not recorded in the paymentsthere would also have been fodder for the animals that brought mourners and goods to Fotheringhay.

Such a funeral cost a great deal. That of the Earl of Northumberland, who had accompanied the body from the north band was at Fotheringhay, at Beverley in 1489 following his murder, cost over a thousand pounds. If the catering seems striking, it was as nothing compared with the late Archbishop George Neville’s gargantuan enthronement feast at Cawood in 1465. This was a time when prodigality was in indicator of status and grandeur.

It was also an opportunity to share with not only those attending but to also use why was left over for charitable gifts to the less well-off and the poor. They turned up to grand funerals to receive basic necessities and occasional treats in return for their prayers.

 

As Thomas Whiting, Chester herald recorded  “during Mass and afterwards all who came each had a penny and each woman with child two and on the said day up to five thousand people who came to receive alms were counted; and there were also tents and pavilions and halls of canvas where people could sit and rest and there were as many as 1500 places where they could sit and eat, beside other, reserved places and apart from the court of the King were counted as many as twenty thousand [sic] people; there was enough to drink and eat of wine and meat for everybody.”