The Collingbourne revolt
Posted July 12th, 2012 at 01:54 PM by Crystal Rainbow
King Richard III
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Richard had been busy in York, when a seditious rhyme was found fastened to door of St Paul’s Cathedral on the 18th of July 1484.
The Cat, The Rat, and Lovell our dog
Rule all England under an Hog.
The authors of the rhyme were John Turburvyle, which little is known of him and more famously William Collingbourne. There are some different versions of what was written what happened behind the story about that Rhyme.
Collingbourne was born in 1435 and his family had come from a village called Colynborn in Wiltshire. He was a landowner who had married Margaret, daughter and heiress of John Norwood and widow to Sir James Pykering. She was a wealthy widow and she had elevated his status and he had two daughters from this marriage. Collingbourne had gained land in the north east of Wiltshire from this marriage and he had also acquired property in London. He was a man that was quite ambitious and he was being to have friends in high places. During the 1470s, he became a commissioner in the enquiry of farms for land grants and money in Wiltshire. As time went on he became involved in actions against trespasses and debts. It seemed that he had acquired property in Kent as he had power from defendants in Kent. Collingbourne had begun to receive a reputation for being a brutal landowner that extracted money and food from the people that lived on his land.
His power was increased, as he served as a sheriff in Wiltshire, 1474 and he became as Commissioner of Peace in 1475 and 1478-1481. He had close ties with Anthony Woodville, he owed his position in 1475, when he was named as someone that could ‘enquire into certain treason’s, Lloardries, heresies and errors’. He was involved in the case the Duke of Clarence and had set up the charge of treason against him. After the execution of Clarence in 1478, Collingbourne was amongst those who had gained more land in Wiltshire and Southampton. During the first few days after the death of Edward IV, he was appointed to a Commission ‘to assess certain subsidies granted the late King by the commons of the realm’.
Richard had become King in June 1483, and the Woodville clan had lost their influence in the realm and Collingbourne had lost his influence and had been affected by the new laws that Richard had installed. It was not long when Collingbourne positioned himself in opposition of the new king that was determined to get rid of the old ways of running a country. Richard was a King that had wanted justice for all, rich and the poor. He was and fair and just King and Collingbourne, did not have the power that he once enjoyed when the Woodvilles ruled had the roost. He was very disgruntled about the new laws and had begun to spread his growing resentment against Richard and his advisors. He had the ear of the nobles that had also had their power curtailed by his new laws. One of the laws that had affected the Sheriffs, was the Presumption of Innocence, its purpose was to protect the innocent. Before Richard had come to the throne, bail was available when someone was convicted of a crime. They would be assessed on the crime and they would be released when the accused had paid the fine they were released. Sometimes these innocent people were unable to pay their fines and never had any trial and faced indefinite imprisonment. This was a lucrative racket that had stopped people like Collingboure from extracting money in such a way. Collingbourne was also an unscrupulous seller of land that had been sold before and often multiple times to innocent buyers. Richard had given people the protection of ‘Clear Title’. Collingbourne was outraged, he had written to the nobles and wealthy landowners complaining about the new laws. He also had voice his opinion about Richard’s councillors and his advisers were of the Kings choosing and the old favourites were out of favour. He found the earliest opportunity in October to be involved in the Duke of Buckingham’s rebellion, along side Walter Hungerford and John Cheyne as some of the main leaders of the revolt. Collingbourne had been a steward of Richard’s mother, Cecily Neville; Duchess of York as a piece of evidence had been recorded Richard had written to his mother on 3rd of tune 1484. ‘My lord Chamberlain…be your officer in Wiltshire in such as Colyngbourne had’. Collingbourne lands were taken off him due that both his correspondence and his lampoon were written in response to having lost his position in Wiltshire during his involvement in the Buckingham Rebellion. Collingbourne resentment towards Richard’s closest friends was made worst when he had his power and lands taken of him and his post was taken by the Lord Chamberlain, Franis Viscount Lovell. When he had seen that Buckingham was on the losing side he cut his loses and had rethought what to do next. He kept a low profile and was kept informed of movements of Henry Tudor. There was much talk about a new leader on the Lancasterian cause, and Collingbourne was willing to be of service to Henry Tudors Cause. He had heard that Henry Tudor had escaped from Brittany after Richard had made an alliance with the Duke in 1484 and was in the Court of France. He had seen that there was an opportunity to stir some trouble, Collingbourne had asked a certain Thomas Yate and offered him £8 contact Henry Tudor, the Marquess of Dorset and other enemies of Richard. He urged Henry Tudor to land in the south of England in the fall and advised Henry Tudor tell the French court that the English King would only trifle with their envoys since he meant to make war on France. Collingbourne had known that Richard had been away in the North for a while and he continued to write his lampoons and stir trouble during the summer of 1484.
In late October Collingbourne and ship owner called John Turburvyle were arrested at Poole when they were planing to bring Henry Tudor over to the southern coast to invade England. Someone had heard Collingbourne’s plans and had brought to the attention of the authorities. Collingbourne had made a lot of enemies during his time as Sheriff and was well known. He was charged with treason and was put before a commission of oyer and terminer. Which had included the Dukes of Suffolk, Norfolk, the Earls of Surrey and Nottingham, Viscount Lovell and Lisle, Lord High Constable Thomas Stanley and five justices of the Kings bench and the chief justice William Hussey. The Trail had began in early December at Guilhall; Collingbourne was found guilty of high treason and had been sentenced to death. Turburvyle was sentenced to prison on a lesser charge, may be something on the lines of abetting with Collingbourne in supplying ships to Collingbourne.
Collingbourne had been publicly executed at Tower Hill, by being hung drawn and quartering. After the battle of Bosworth, much had mentioned in Henry Tudor reign that Collingbourne was executed for merely ‘for making a small rhyme’ which had been cited by author Edward Hall.
X
Richard had been busy in York, when a seditious rhyme was found fastened to door of St Paul’s Cathedral on the 18th of July 1484.
The Cat, The Rat, and Lovell our dog
Rule all England under an Hog.
The authors of the rhyme were John Turburvyle, which little is known of him and more famously William Collingbourne. There are some different versions of what was written what happened behind the story about that Rhyme.
Collingbourne was born in 1435 and his family had come from a village called Colynborn in Wiltshire. He was a landowner who had married Margaret, daughter and heiress of John Norwood and widow to Sir James Pykering. She was a wealthy widow and she had elevated his status and he had two daughters from this marriage. Collingbourne had gained land in the north east of Wiltshire from this marriage and he had also acquired property in London. He was a man that was quite ambitious and he was being to have friends in high places. During the 1470s, he became a commissioner in the enquiry of farms for land grants and money in Wiltshire. As time went on he became involved in actions against trespasses and debts. It seemed that he had acquired property in Kent as he had power from defendants in Kent. Collingbourne had begun to receive a reputation for being a brutal landowner that extracted money and food from the people that lived on his land.
His power was increased, as he served as a sheriff in Wiltshire, 1474 and he became as Commissioner of Peace in 1475 and 1478-1481. He had close ties with Anthony Woodville, he owed his position in 1475, when he was named as someone that could ‘enquire into certain treason’s, Lloardries, heresies and errors’. He was involved in the case the Duke of Clarence and had set up the charge of treason against him. After the execution of Clarence in 1478, Collingbourne was amongst those who had gained more land in Wiltshire and Southampton. During the first few days after the death of Edward IV, he was appointed to a Commission ‘to assess certain subsidies granted the late King by the commons of the realm’.
Richard had become King in June 1483, and the Woodville clan had lost their influence in the realm and Collingbourne had lost his influence and had been affected by the new laws that Richard had installed. It was not long when Collingbourne positioned himself in opposition of the new king that was determined to get rid of the old ways of running a country. Richard was a King that had wanted justice for all, rich and the poor. He was and fair and just King and Collingbourne, did not have the power that he once enjoyed when the Woodvilles ruled had the roost. He was very disgruntled about the new laws and had begun to spread his growing resentment against Richard and his advisors. He had the ear of the nobles that had also had their power curtailed by his new laws. One of the laws that had affected the Sheriffs, was the Presumption of Innocence, its purpose was to protect the innocent. Before Richard had come to the throne, bail was available when someone was convicted of a crime. They would be assessed on the crime and they would be released when the accused had paid the fine they were released. Sometimes these innocent people were unable to pay their fines and never had any trial and faced indefinite imprisonment. This was a lucrative racket that had stopped people like Collingboure from extracting money in such a way. Collingbourne was also an unscrupulous seller of land that had been sold before and often multiple times to innocent buyers. Richard had given people the protection of ‘Clear Title’. Collingbourne was outraged, he had written to the nobles and wealthy landowners complaining about the new laws. He also had voice his opinion about Richard’s councillors and his advisers were of the Kings choosing and the old favourites were out of favour. He found the earliest opportunity in October to be involved in the Duke of Buckingham’s rebellion, along side Walter Hungerford and John Cheyne as some of the main leaders of the revolt. Collingbourne had been a steward of Richard’s mother, Cecily Neville; Duchess of York as a piece of evidence had been recorded Richard had written to his mother on 3rd of tune 1484. ‘My lord Chamberlain…be your officer in Wiltshire in such as Colyngbourne had’. Collingbourne lands were taken off him due that both his correspondence and his lampoon were written in response to having lost his position in Wiltshire during his involvement in the Buckingham Rebellion. Collingbourne resentment towards Richard’s closest friends was made worst when he had his power and lands taken of him and his post was taken by the Lord Chamberlain, Franis Viscount Lovell. When he had seen that Buckingham was on the losing side he cut his loses and had rethought what to do next. He kept a low profile and was kept informed of movements of Henry Tudor. There was much talk about a new leader on the Lancasterian cause, and Collingbourne was willing to be of service to Henry Tudors Cause. He had heard that Henry Tudor had escaped from Brittany after Richard had made an alliance with the Duke in 1484 and was in the Court of France. He had seen that there was an opportunity to stir some trouble, Collingbourne had asked a certain Thomas Yate and offered him £8 contact Henry Tudor, the Marquess of Dorset and other enemies of Richard. He urged Henry Tudor to land in the south of England in the fall and advised Henry Tudor tell the French court that the English King would only trifle with their envoys since he meant to make war on France. Collingbourne had known that Richard had been away in the North for a while and he continued to write his lampoons and stir trouble during the summer of 1484.
In late October Collingbourne and ship owner called John Turburvyle were arrested at Poole when they were planing to bring Henry Tudor over to the southern coast to invade England. Someone had heard Collingbourne’s plans and had brought to the attention of the authorities. Collingbourne had made a lot of enemies during his time as Sheriff and was well known. He was charged with treason and was put before a commission of oyer and terminer. Which had included the Dukes of Suffolk, Norfolk, the Earls of Surrey and Nottingham, Viscount Lovell and Lisle, Lord High Constable Thomas Stanley and five justices of the Kings bench and the chief justice William Hussey. The Trail had began in early December at Guilhall; Collingbourne was found guilty of high treason and had been sentenced to death. Turburvyle was sentenced to prison on a lesser charge, may be something on the lines of abetting with Collingbourne in supplying ships to Collingbourne.
Collingbourne had been publicly executed at Tower Hill, by being hung drawn and quartering. After the battle of Bosworth, much had mentioned in Henry Tudor reign that Collingbourne was executed for merely ‘for making a small rhyme’ which had been cited by author Edward Hall.
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