Richard Boyville

Richard Boyville was a landowner who was closely associated with members of the House of York in the latter part of the 15th century.

Background and family

Richard Boyville (Bovile, Boyvile, Boyvill, Boyvyle) was a son of Hugh Boyville of Ridlington, who served as Sheriff and a Member of Parliament for Rutland.^[1] The name of Richard’s mother is not recorded but she was probably Alice Christian, who is the only wife identified for Hugh.

Richard’s wife was Griselda; there does not appear to be a record of her maiden name. The Boyville brass in Burton Latimer church (see below) features a man and a woman along with nine sons and nine daughters. However, in 1510/11, Richard named only these six children in his will:

• George – “my son and heir”
• Richard
• Grysyll – “Grysyll Blakwall”
• Margaret – “Margaret Gage”; married Henry Gage
• Cecily
• Agnes

As surnames were not stated for Cecily and Agnes in the will, it is probable that they were unmarried at that stage.

Career and property

References to Richard’s career are limited, but it is clear that he was a long-standing and trusted courtier in the service of the House of York. In 1468, he accompanied Margaret of York to Burgundy for her marriage to Charles the Bold.^[2] Twelve years later, Margaret’s brother Edward IV, granted an annuity of £20 per year to Richard and his wife Griselda for attending Margaret on her visit to England.^[3] In October 1484, Richard III, who was also Margaret’s brother, confirmed that payments of this annuity and arrears on it should be funded from the revenues and profits of the demesnes of Preston and Uppingham that were then held by the Crown.^[4]

Richard’s service was recognised in the will of Margaret’s mother, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, which was made on 1 April 1495. Cecily’s bequests to “Richard Boyvile and Gresild his wife” included her chariot and horses, various items of clothing made of satin and damask and several elaborate pieces of gold and jewellery.^[5]

Richard was also a landowner. In the seventh year of the reign of Edward IV (i.e. 1467-8), he received the Manor of Little Oxendon from his father Hugh Boyvile of Ridlington, Rutland.^[6] By the time he made his will, Richard also owned property at Burton Latimer.

Will and monument

Brass showing the arms of the Boyville family; it is set into the floor of Burton Latimer church.

In the 16th century details from Richard’s will were copied into the Cartulary of Edward Griffin.^[7] The will was made on 20 January 1510/11 and proved on 23 May 1511. Richard, who was described as of Burton Latimer, left the manor of Little Oxendon to his wife Gresyll for life with remainder to his son George and set out detailed provisions for distributing the rest of his estate.

Richard asked to be buried “afore the channcell dore in the paryshe churche of our lady seynt mary of Burton [Latymer] besides my wyffes sete”. He and his family are almost certainly the group commemorated by brasses set into a large stone in the floor of Burton Latimer church, at the east end of the south aisle just south of the chancel arch.^[8] Not all of the brasses survive but those that do or have been recorded show a man and a woman accompanied by nine boys and nine girls. In each corner of the stone base is an indented space for a heraldic shield. Only the one at the bottom left corner still contains its brass, showing in uncoloured form the arms bourn by Richard’s branch of the Boyville family, which were recorded at the Visitation of Northamptonshire in 1618-19 as “Gules, a fess Or between three saltires Argent“.^[9]

References