Richard Beauchamp, 2nd Baron Beauchamp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Richard Beauchamp, 2nd Baron Beauchamp of Powick, was born c. 1435.

He married on 27th January 1447 Elizabeth, d. of Humphrey Stafford of Grafton. They had Sir John, died young; Elizabeth (d.1503), married, Robert, 2nd. Lord Willoughby de Broke (d. 1521), Anne, married, Richard Lygon, of Madresfield, Worcs and Margaret, married, Richard Rede of Gloucester.

As Sir Richard Beauchamp, of Bodington, he threw aside his father's Lancastrian ties to hold the gates of Gloucester closed against Queen Margaret on the morning of Friday, 3 May 1471, so denying her army use of the Severn Bridge and an escape route into Wales. As she moved north he harried the Lancastrian rear and captured some guns on the road to Tewkesbury. He fought at the battle of Tewkesbury and was knighted. Soon after, his adulterous wife, Elizabeth, was accused of conspiring his death, with her relation and Beauchamp's litigatious neighbour, Thomas Burdet. John Stacey and Thomas Blake were also involved and all three were later accused of imagining the King's death. Burdet and Stacey were hanged at Tyburn. Blake was pardoned. Beauchamp died on 19 January 1502/1503, at Broomhill when the Barony expired. His three surviving daughters became his co-heirs.