Rous, Bray and sheep

Because John Rous changed his story about Richard we tend to think he became a 'Tudor' man.

During the early 1490s Reggie Bray and Empson (sometimes with the blessing of MB based at Collyweston) stormed through Northants making compulsory purchases of land and villages to put over to sheep. They flattened 90 dwellings at Edgcote and part of the village of Charwelton (where they introduced 2000 sheep). Their most outspoken critic was - Rous. Now this must have been quite brave. Charwelton was 'owned' by MB's cousins, the Andrews family, at Edgcote it had been the Clarells who also had an affinity to her through the Welles and Andrews family. At Aston le Walls it was the Butler Ormonds, her cousins also through the Welles family.

I've always had the suspicion that Rous was his own man and particularly his own Beauchamp man (his grandfather had been High Sheriff of Warks). Was his story about Richard altered in an attempt to recover Anne Beauchamp/Nevill's lands, not because he had an affinity to HT?

To run the wrath of MB and Bray and Empson must have taken some doing. Hilary

"Because John Rous changed his story about Richard we tend to think he became a 'Tudor' man.

During the early 1490s Reggie Bray and Empson (sometimes with the blessing of MB based at Collyweston) stormed through Northants making compulsory purchases of land and villages to put over to sheep. They flattened 90 dwellings at Edgcote and part of the village of Charwelton (where they introduced 2000 sheep). Their most outspoken critic was - Rous. Now this must have been quite brave. Charwelton was 'owned' by MB's cousins, the Andrews family, at Edgcote it had been the Clarells who also had an affinity to her through the Welles and Andrews family. At Aston le Walls it was the Butler Ormonds, her cousins also through the Welles family.

I've always had the suspicion that Rous was his own man and particularly his own Beauchamp man (his grandfather had been High Sheriff of Warks). Was his story about Richard altered in an attempt to recover Anne Beauchamp/Nevill's lands, not because he had an affinity to HT?

To run the wrath of MB and Bray and Empson must have taken some doing."

Doug here:

It looks to me, and apparently you, that Rous being considered a supporter of Henry Tudor was due less to Henry Tudor being Henry Tudor and more because Henry *wasn't* Richard, who had supported his brother's decision to split the Beachamp/Neville lands between himself and George. Thus the changes Rous made to his "Roll" would have been intended to place himself and, most inportantly Edward of Warwick, in the best possible light as a step to regaining at least some of that inheritance for Edward. The galling part is that this information has likely been available to any "historian" who cared to look for the "why" behind those changes! It's not as if HVII could toss 'em in the Tower for treason (although fellow "historians" *may* have sent them to "Onventry"...).

Doug

(Who admits to being a bit hesitant about some of your conclusions based on the inter-marrying of families, but thinks you're on to something here!)

I know that Rous wrote scathingly about enclosures, and listed the affected villages, but that was in his Historia, finished by the end of 1488. Also, Rous died in January 1491, or possibly 1492*, so although totally I agree that the explanation for his change of emphasis in his political works after Bosworth is complicated, and probably far more due to concerns for the countess and her grandson than to being a toady (and possibly also due to pressure from the new king, though this can't be proved), he can't have been standing up against enclosures any later than 1490/1. Do you have any more details on these enclosures, Hilary? I'm interested in Rous.

Marie

*Most sources say he died on 24 Jan 1491, but Leland has the same date 1492. Of course it might have been 1491 old style - ie our 1492 - but according to the CPR Rous' successor at Guy's Cliffe was appointed, owing to Rous' death, on 19 January 1492, and CPR corrects dates to modern usage.

Because John Rous changed his story about Richard we tend to think he became a 'Tudor' man.

During the early 1490s Reggie Bray and Empson (sometimes with the blessing of MB based at Collyweston) stormed through Northants making compulsory purchases of land and villages to put over to sheep. They flattened 90 dwellings at Edgcote and part of the village of Charwelton (where they introduced 2000 sheep). Their most outspoken critic was - Rous. Now this must have been quite brave. Charwelton was 'owned' by MB's cousins, the Andrews family, at Edgcote it had been the Clarells who also had an affinity to her through the Welles and Andrews family. At Aston le Walls it was the Butler Ormonds, her cousins also through the Welles family.

I've always had the suspicion that Rous was his own man and particularly his own Beauchamp man (his grandfather had been High Sheriff of Warks). Was his story about Richard altered in an attempt to recover Anne Beauchamp/Nevill's lands, not because he had an affinity to HT?

To run the wrath of MB and Bray and Empson must have taken some doing. Hilary

I think at least some of the relocations from Yorkshire to Warwickshire were of retainers of Richard Neville who simply went with him and then acquired land in Warwickshire. Sometimes by dubious means, as with the false genealogy created by the Shirwoods to lay claim to Alspath.

Marie