Middleham Castle

Middleham Castle, used by Richard III to engage in military activity and as a means of expressing his power in the north.
© Patrick Gibbs

Associated people

• Anne Idley
• Anne Neville
• Edward earl of Warwick
• Edward of Middleham
• Henry VI
• Isabel Burgh
• Richard III
• Richard Tunstall

• Robert Clifford
• Robert Wycliffe
• Roland Pudsay
• Sir John Conyers
• Thomas Clifford
• Thomas Markenfield
• Thomas Tunstall
• William Burgh

Associated places

• Barnard Castle
• Middleham
• Middleham Castle
• Penrith

• Sheriff Hutton
• Thurland Castle
• York Minster

Associated institutions

• Middleham College
• York Minster College

Description

During his time spent in the north, both as duke of Gloucester and as king, Richard gained and embellished many residences, including Sandal, Scarborough and Sheriff Hutton. One of the most well-known of these residences is Middleham Castle.

When Richard spent time in the household of the earl of Warwick between 1465 and 1468/9, it is likely that he would have spent some of this time at Middleham Castle, which was owned by Warwick at the time. However, it is important to remember that he would have moved around frequently and stayed at Warwick’s other residences, such as Penrith in Cumberland and Sheriff Hutton in Yorkshire. Richard made Middleham Castle his primary residence in the late 1470s, and his son, Edward of Middleham was born there and had his household established there in 1476. Richard showed his favour for the town by establishing an annual fair there. Edward’s earliest years were spent entirely at Middleham and Isabel Burgh was employed to nurse him and Anne Idley was appointed as ‘Mistress of the Nursery’. Edward died in April 1484 and Richard and Anne came to his possible site of burial, York Minster, before moving on to visit Middleham and the rest of the north.

Middleham was a lordship of 25 properties including manors, parks and forests across Richmondshire. It yielded £936 13s 6d, of which fees and wages to senior servants, foresters, auditors and other officials took up £75 14s and 2d and annuities to 22 local worthies who were retained for life took up £175 6s and 8d. Sir John Conyers was retained for £20 along with extra for his stewardship and service as constable of the castle, and brought his son Richard, brothers Richard and Roger, brother-in-law William Burgh, sons-in-law Thomas Markenfield, Roland Pudsay and Robert Wycliffe and his wife’s half-brother, Thomas Tunstall, with him into Richard’s service. Tunstall, who received the largest retainer (£33 6s 8d), had supported Henry VI’s restoration with his brother Richard Tunstall of Thurland Castle, Lancashire, as had Robert Clifford’s father Thomas, who died fighting for Henry at the first battle of St Albans. Richard retained Thomas and Robert as he needed their support as much as he needed their patronage.

Richard planned to found three colleges in the north, at York Minster, Barnard Castle and Middleham. On 21st February, 1478, Richard obtained a royal licence for the colleges he wished to establish at Barnard Castle and Middleham, but only the Middleham establishment came into being. Middleham College was founded in 1478, through the conversion of the old church of Middleham. Middleham College consisted of a dean, six chaplains, five clerks and six choristers whose main responsibility was to pray for the king and queen, Richard’s parents, brothers and sisters, and Richard’s wife and son. Richard was very interested in the project and was probably responsible for dictating the statutes governing its constitution and organisation. The college always struggled financially, which in part could be due to Richard developing a plan to establish a greater foundation of 100 priests in York Minster after his coronation, as his attention moved away.