Murder In The LibraryWe went to Baddesley Clinton on a very wet Thursday so enjoying the gardens was out of the question, though we braved the book shop. After a delicious bowl of soup and homemade bread in the restaurant, we took our time looking round the house and talking to the room guides. It was nice to see other people braving the weather in this school holiday week. All the children wore wellies - very sensible.
John Brome bought Baddesley Clinton in 1438. He was the Under Treasurer of England but a Lancastrian, and when Henry VI was deposed in 1461 by Edward IV, Brome lost all of his court appointments.
He later quarrelled with John Herthill, Steward to the Earl of Warwick, and Herthill murdered him on 9th November 1468 in the porch of the Whitefriars’ Church in London. Brome's second son, Nicholas, who inherited the estate in 1483, eventually avenged his father's murder by killing Herthill in 1471, at Longbridge on the road from Warwick to Barford.
Nicholas later killed the local priest who he found in his parlour (now the library) “chockinge his wife under ye chinne”. After being pardoned, Nicholas made many improvements to Saint Michael’s Church and is buried just inside the doorway. He also made improvements to St Giles’ Church Packwood.
On previous visits I had seen miniatures of English monarchs, including Richard III, and members of the Ferrers family, long associated with Baddesley Clinton, but these have been moved.
Sir Edward Ferrers married Nicholas’ daughter Constance. But it’s two members of the Ferrers family who died fighting for Richard III at Bosworth who are of interest. Miniatures of Walter Devereux, 7th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, and Sir John Ferrers, an in-law, used to be in the display.
Walter was born in Weobley in Herefordshire. When thirteen, he married Anne Ferrers, 7th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley. They had at least five children. In 1461 and 1469, Walter was commissioner of array for Herefordshire. Shropshire and Gloucestershire, as well as Worcestershire in 1469. He also served as joint commissioner of array in 1470 and 1471 for Herefordshire, and then again in 1474 for Herefordshire and Shropshire. Walter fought at Towton in 1461 and was made a Knight of the Garter. He later fought at Barnet and Tewkesbury, before being killed in the vanguard at Bosworth under John Howard, Duke of Norfolk.
Sir John Ferrers is interesting as his mother Ann Hastings was William Hastings’ sister. She married Sir Thomas Ferrers in 1440 and John was born in 1442. The family lived at Tamworth Castle and were staunch Yorkists. Sir Thomas was knighted in 1461 and his son John and his brother Henry were knighted after Tewkesbury.
Bosworth is twelve miles from Tamworth and both Sir Thomas and his son fought for Richard III, but John was killed in action. Sir Thomas died exactly thirteen years later on 22 August 1498.