1460 Act of Accord

An English Chronicle. [31st October 1460]. Then the seyde duk Richard, remembryng the grete and manyfolde wrongys, exylys, and vylonyes, that he had suffred and be put vnto by thys seyde kyng Harry, and by hys; and also how wrongfully and vniustly he had be, and was, dyspleased and dyseased of hys ryghte enheritaunce of the reaume and croune of Englond, by violent intrusyonne of kyng Harry the iiij^the, whyche vnryghtefully, wrongfully, and tyrannously vsurped the crowne after the dethe of kyng Rychard his cosyn, verray and ryghtfulle heyre therof, and so wrongfully holdyn from hymm, and occupyed and holde, by the sayde kyng Harry the iiij^the, the v^the, and kyng Harry the vj^the that now ys in to thys tyme; he as ryghte heyre by lynealle descens from the sayde kyng Richard, chalaunged and claymed the sayd reame and croune of Englond, purposyng withoute any more delay to haue be crouned onne Alle Halow day, thanne next folowyng: and heropon sent to the lordes and comones of the parlement in wrytyng, hys sayde clayme, tytle and pedegre, and nat wold come in to the parlement tylle he had aunswere therof. The whyche tytle, clayme and pedegre, after diligent inspeccione and wyse delyberacione of thaym had, dyscussed and approued, by alle the seyde parlement; peese, vnyte and concorde betwene the kyng and the sayde duk Richard, the Fryday in the vygylle of Alhalow was maad, stabylysshed and concluded, as yt appereth plenely, and ys conteyned in tharticles here next folowyng:— [folio 208a]

Blyssed be Jhesu, in Whos handes and bounte restethe and ys the pease and vnyte betwyxt princes, and the weele of euery reaume yknow, by Whos direccione aggreed hit ys, appoynted, and accorded as folowethe, betwyxt the moste Hyghe and most Myghty Prynce, Kyng Harry the vjth, kyng of Englond and of Fraunce and lorde of Yrelond, on that on party, and the ryghte Hyghe and Myghty Prynce Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, on that other party, uppon certayne matyers of variaunce meued betwyxt thayme; and in especyalle, uppon the clayme and tytle vn to the corones of Englond and of Fraunce, and royalle power, estate, and dygnyte apperteynyng to the same, and lordshyppe of Yrelond, opened, shewed, and declared by the sayde duk afore alle the lordes spyrytuelle and temporalle beyng in thys present parliament: The sayde aggrement, appoyntement and accord, to be auctorysed by the same parlement.

Furst, where the sayde Richard duk of York hathe declared and opened as aboue ys sayde tytle and clayme in the manner as folowethe:

That the ryghte noble and worthy prince Harry kyng of Englond the iijde had issew and lawfully gate Edward hys furst begoten sone, borne at Westmynstre the xv. kalendis of Juylle, in the vygyl of seynt Marc and Marcellyane, the yere of oure Lorde M¹.CC.xxxix.: and Edmonde his seconde goten sone whyche was in saynt Marcelle day, the yere of oure Lorde M¹.CC.: The whyche Edward, after the dethe of kyng Harry hys fader, entiteled and called kyng Edward the furst, had yssew Edwarde, hys furst begoten sone, entitled and called after the desese of the sayde furst Edwarde, hys fader, kyng Edward the [folio 208b] secunde: The whiche had yssew and lawfully gate the ryghte noble and honorable prince Edward the thryd, trew and vndowted kyng of Engelond and of Fraunce and lord of Yrelond: Whyche Edwarde the iijde trew and vndowted kyng of Engelond and of Fraunce and lord of Yrelond, had yssew and lawfully gate, Edward hys furst begotenne sone, prince of Wales; Wyllyam of Hatfyeld, secund begotenne; Leonel, thryd begoten, duke of Clarence; Johan of Gaunt, fourthe begotenne, duke of Lancastre; Edmond Langley, fyfth begoten, duk of York; Thomas Wodstoke, syxthe gotenne, duk of Gloucestre; and Wyllyam Wyndsore, the seuenthe goten. The sayde Edwarde, prince of Wales, whyche dyed in the lyf of the sayde Edward, kyng, had yssew and lawfully gat Richard, the whyche succeded the same Edward, kyng, hys grauntsyre, in royalle dygnyte, entyteled and called kyng Richard the secund, and deyed withoute yssew. Wyllyam Hatfeld the ijde goten sone of the seyde Edward, kyng, dyed withoute yssew. Leonelle, the iijde goten sone of the sayde Edward, kyng, duke of Clarence, had yssew and lawfully gat Phylyppa, his ownely doughtre and heyre, whyche by sacrament of matrymony cowpeled vnto Edmond Mortymer erle of Marche, had yssew and lawfully beere Roger Mortymer, erle of Marche, her sone and heyre. Whiche Roger erle of Marche had yssew and lawfully begate Edmund erle of Marche, Roger Mortymer, Anne and Alianore, whyche Edmund, Roger and Alyanore, dyed withoute yssew. And the sayde Anne vndre the sacrament of matrymony cowpeled vnto Richard erle of Cambrege, the sone of the sayde Edmond Langley, the fyfthe goten [folio 209a] sone of the sayde kyng Edward, as yt ys afore specyfyed, had yssew The sayde Johan of Gaunt the iiij^th goten sone of the seyde kyng Edward, and the yonger brother of the sayde Leonelle, had yssew and lawfully gat Harry Erle of Derby, whyche incontinent after the tyme that the seyde kyng Richard resygned the coroneȝ of the sayde reames and the sayde lordeshyppe of Yrlond, vnryghtewysly entred vpponne the same, then be alyue Edmond Mortymer erle of Marche, sone to Roger Mortymer erle of Marche, sone and heyre of the sayde Phylyppa, doughter and heyre of the sayde ser Leonelle, the iijde sone of the sayde kyng Edward the iijde, to the whyche Edmond the ryghte and title of the seyde corones and lordshyp by lawe and custom belonged. To the whyche Richard duk of York, as sone to Anne, doughter to Roger Mortymer erle of Marche, sone and heyre to the sayde Phylyppa, doughter and heyre of the sayde Leonelle, the iijde goten sone of the sayde kyng Edwarde the iijde, the ryghte, tytle, dygnyte royalle, and estate of the corones of the reames of Englond and Fraunce, and of the lordeshyppe and the londe of Yrelond, of the ryghte lawe and custume perteynethe and belongethe, afore any yssew of the sayde Johan of Gaunt the iiij^the goten sone of the same kyng Edwarde.

The sayde tytle natheles natwythestandyng, and withoute preiudice of the same, the sayde Richard duk of York, tendrely desyryng the weele, reste and prosperyte of thys lande, and to sette aparte alle [folio 209b] that that myghte be a trouble to the same; and consideryng the possessyone of the sayd kyng Harry the vjthe, and that he hathe for hys tyme be named, taken and reputed kyng of Engelond and of Fraunce and lorde of Yrlond; ys content, aggreed and consentethe that he be had, reputed and taken kyng of Englond and of Fraunce, with the royalle astate, dignyte and preemynence bylongyng therto, and lorde of Yrlond, duryng hys lyfe naturalle; and for that tyme the sayde duk, withoute hurte or preiudice of hys sayde ryghte and title, shalle take, worshyp and honoure hym for his souerayne lord.

Item, The sayde Rychard, duk of York, shalle promyt and bynde hym by hys solemne othe, in maner and forme as folowethe:

In the name of God, Amenne. I Rychard, duke of York, promytte and swere by the feythe and trowthe that I owe to Almyghty God, that I shalle neuer do, consent, procure or stere, directly or indirectly, in pryve or appert, neyther, asmoche as in me ys, shalle suffre to be do, consented, procured or stered, any thyng that may be or sowne to abrygement of the naturalle lyfe of kyng Harry vjth, or to hurte or amenusyng of hys regne or dygnyte royalle, by vyolence or any otherwyse ayens hym (sic) fredom or liberte: But yef any persone or persones wold do or presume any thyng to the contrary, I shalle with alle my myghte and power withstande hyt, and make yt to be wythstonde, as fer as my power wylle streche therevnto: so helpe me God, and His holy Euangelyes.

Item, Edward erle of Marche and Edmond erle of Rutlond, sones of the sayde Richard duk of York, shalle make lyke othe. [folio 210a]

Item, It ys accorded, appoynted, and aggreed, that the sayde Rychard duke of York shalle be called and reputed from hensfoorth verray and ryghtefulle heyre to the corounes, royalle astate, dygnyte and lordeshyp abouesayde: And after the decees of the sayde king Harry, or whenne he wolle laye from hym the sayde corounes, astate, dignite and lordshyppe, the sayde duke and hys heyres shalle immediately succede to the sayde corones, royalle astate, dygnyte and lordshyppe.

Item, The sayde Richard, duk of York, shalle haue by auctoryte of thys present parlement, castelles, maners, londes and tenementes, wythe the wardes, mariages, releues, seruices, fynes, amerciamentes, offyces, avousons, fees and other appurtenaunces to thaym belongyng what soeuer they be, to the yerely valew of x. M¹ marc. [10,000], ouer alle charges and repryses; whereof v. M¹ marc. [5,000] shalle be to his owen estate; iij. M¹ VC. marc. [1500] to Edwarde hys furst begoten sone, earle of Marche, for his astate; and M¹ li. [1000] to Edmond, erle of Rutlond, hys secund goten sone, for his yerly sustentacione, of suche consideraciones and suche entent as shal be declared by the lordes of the kynges counselle.

Item, Yef any persone, or persones, ymagyne or compasse the dethe of the sayde duk, and therof prouably be atteynt of open dede doone by folkes of other condicione, that yt be demed and adiuged hyghe tresone.

Item, For the more estabylysshyng of the sayde accord, it ys appoynted and consented, that the lordes spirituelle and temporalle beyng in thys present parliament, shalle make othys to accept, take, worshyppe and repute, the sayde Richard duk of York, and hys [folio 210b] sayde eyres, as aboue ys rehersed, and kepe and obserue and streynghte, in as moche as apparteynethe vn to thaym, alle the thynges abouesayde, and resyste to theyre power alle thaym that wold presume the contrary, accordyng to thayre astates and degrees.

Item, The sayde Richard duk of York, erles of Marche and Rutland, shalle promyt and make othe to helpe, ayde and defend the sayde lordes and euery of theyme, ayens alle tho that wolle quarelle or any thyng attempt ayenst the sayde lordes, or any of thaym, by occasyone of aggrement or consenttyng to the sayde accorde, or assystence yeuyng to the duk and erles or any of thaym.

Item, Hit ys aggreed and appoynted that thys accorde, and euery article therof, be opened and notyfyed by the kynges letters patentes, or otherwyse, at suche tymes and places and in manner as hit shal be thoughte expedyent to the sayde Richard duk of York, with thavyse of the lordes of the kynges counseylle.

The kyng vnderstandethe certaynly the sayde tytle of the sayde Richard duk of York, iust, lawfulle and sufficiant, by thauyse and assent of the lordes spiritualle and temporalle and commones, in this parliament assembled; and by auctoryte of the same parlement declarethe, approuethe, ratyfyethe, confermethe and acceptethe the sayde tytle, iust, good, lawfulle, and trew, and therevnto yeuethe his assent and aggrement of his fre wylle and liberte. And ouer that, by the sayde avyce and auctoryte, declarethe, entitlethe, callethe, stabylysshethe, affermethe and reputethe the sayde Richard duk of York, verray, trew and ryghtefulle heyre to the corones, royalle [folio 211a] astate and dygnyte, of the reames of Englond and of Fraunce and of the lordeshyppe of Yrlond aforesayde: and that accordyng to the worshyp and reuerence that therto belongethe, he be taken, accepted and reputed in worshyppe and reuerence, by alle the states of the sayd reame of Englond, and of alle hys subiectes therof; sauyng and ordeynyng, by the same auctoryte, the kyng to haue the sayde corones, reames, royalle estate, dignyte and preemynence of the same, and the sayde lordshyppe of Yrlond, duryng his lyf naturalle. And forthermore, by the same avyse and auctoryte, wylle, consentethe and aggreethe that after hys decease, or whan hit shalle please his hyghenesse to ley from hym the seyde corones, estat, dignyte and lordshyp, or therof ceasethe; The seyde Richard duke of York and his heyres shalle immediatly succede hym, in the seyde corones, royalle astate, dignyte and worshyppe, and thaym thanne haue and ioye, any acte of parlement, statute or ordenaunce or other thyng to the contrary maad, or interrupcion or dyscontynuance of possessyone natwythstandyng. And moreouer, by the sayde avyse and auctoryte, stabylysshethe, grauntethe, confermethe, approuethe, ratyfyethe and acceptethe the seyde accorde, and alle thyng therynne conteyned, and therevnto freely and absolutely assenteth and aggreeth.

And by the same avyse and auctoryte ordeynethe and estabylysshethe, that yef any persone or persones ymagyne or compasse the dethe of the sayde duk, and prouably be atteynt of open dede done by folkes of that condicions, that it demed and adiuged hygh treason.

And forthermore ordeyneth, puttethe and stabylysshethe, by the sayde avyse and auctoryte, that alle statutys, ordenaunces and actes of parlement, made in the tyme of the sayde kyng Harry the iiij^th, by the whiche he and the heyres of his body commyng of Harry late kyng of Englond the v^th, the sone and heyre of the sayde kyng Harry the iiij^th, and the heyres of the body of the same kyng Harry the v^th comyng, were or be enherytable to the sayde corones and reames, or to the herytage or enherytament of the same, be annulled, repeled, reuoked, dampned, cancelled, voyde, and of no force or effect. And ouer thus, the kyng by the sayde aduyse, assent and auctoryte, wylle, ordeynethe and stabylysshethe, that alle other actes and statutes, maade afore thys tyme by auctoryte of parlement, nat repeled or adnulled by lyk auctoryte, or otherwyse voyde, be in suche foorce, effect and vertew as thay were afore the makyng of these ordenaunces, and that no letters patentes royalx of record, nor actys iudycyalle, maade or done afore thys tyme, nat repeled, reuersed ne otherwyse voyde by the lawe, be preiudyced or hurt by thys present acte.