Isabel Neville - the forgotten pawn in the wars of the roses

A stained glass memorial of the Duchess of Clarence at Cardiff Castle

Isabel Neville was born on September 5th, 1451 at Warwick Castle to Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick. Her father was known as ‘Warwick the Kingmaker.’ She had a younger sister Anne. Isabel and Anne’s paternal great-grandmother was Joan Beaufort and their maternal great-grandmother was Constance of York (daughter of Edmund of Langley).

Isabel’s mother may have been given a religious icon, a cross or amulet to hold during her labour. It was estimated that one in every forty women died in childbirth during the medieval period. For her father Warwick, the birth of a daughter was likely considered to be a disappointment. It is likely that Isabel spent her infancy in a nursery at Warwick Castle.

After Isabel’s birth Countess Anne’s health was poor. She was twenty-five when she gave birth to Isabel, which was old for a first-time mother. Countess Anne had applied for papal dispensation to eat eggs and meat during lent in 1453 due to her frail physical state. There are no records of her being pregnant between Isabel and her sister Anne.

Baptism should have taken place within the first eight days of birth but most families opted to baptize as soon as possible. If a child died before baptism, they were destined to spend eternity in limbo without being able to enter Heaven. If a child was thought to die soon after birth, they would be baptized immediately to ensure their place in Heaven. A mother if she could afford it would not attend the baptism as she would remain in her chambers recovering.

Little is known about the childhood and education of Isabel and Anne. Both girls would have been in the care of a wet nurse soon after birth. It was believed that a mother nursing her own child would leave her unable to become pregnant again. The wet nurse would be a woman known to the family who had recently given birth herself. They would have had a rocker who would rock the cradle and sing lullabies. Countess Anne would have taken responsibility for her daughter's education from infancy to early childhood but their day-to-day care would be in the hands of a governess.

Isabel and her sister were not able to serve a queen before their own marriages due to the Wars of the Roses. They remained in their mother’s household until they each married. Countess Anne was a much larger presence in her daughters lives than their father.

The type of education aristocratic girls received varied. They would have been expected to oversee their households as well as their estates. Countess Anne would have required her daughters to be trained in herbalism. Aristocratic women were expected to oversee the care of their servants. Isabel would have been taught how to use a book of hours when learning about the four humours.

Practical skills would have been sewing and embroidery. These skills were to prevent well-born women from sitting idly. Isabel would have been able to read some Latin. Writing was a less valuable skill than reading. She would have also known the basics of French, as it was the language of the aristocracy. She would have known proper table manners and how to conduct herself appropriately. All children would have been raised to respect their parents. Devout women commissioned and received extravagant books of hours.

Isabel and Anne were destined to be co-heiresses to their mother’s patrimony. Warwick’s own Neville estates would be inherited by his brother John or his nephew George. Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville surprised his council and the court. It has been argued that Edward’s marriage embarrassed Warwick who was negotiating a French marriage for Edward with Bona of Savoy.

Isabel and Anne were beautiful girls for fifteenth century standards. They had an impressive lineage and their wealth as co-heiresses would be substantial. The availability of eligible grooms dwindled during the eighteen months after Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth. The marriage market had become saturated with Elizabeth’s sisters. Five Woodville women were married into the nobility by the end of 1466.

Warwick had turned to Edward’s own brothers as potential spouses for his daughters. Edward’s brother George had been created Duke of Clarence in 1461. George was also at Elizabeth Woodville’s coronation in 1464 in the role of Stewart of England. It had been suggested that Clarence marry Mary of Burgundy, but the proposal was soon dropped. Edward IV rejected the idea of a marriage between his brother George and Isabel. He was aware of Warwick’s power and influence. George remained Edward’s heir presumptive until he had a son by Elizabeth Woodville.

Warwick needed to apply to Pope Paul II for a dispensation permitting the marriage of Clarence to Isabel as they were related too closely to be permitted by the Church since they were both descendants of Joan Beaufort. Clarence defied his brother Edward IV and married Isabel Neville on either July 9th or 11th, 1469 at Calais. Their marriage took place in the presence of lords, knights, and gentry. It was recorded in The Great Chronicle of London. The ceremony was performed either in the castle’s chapel or one of the town’s medieval churches. It has been suggested that Duchess Cecily, Isabel’s godmother as well as her mother-in-law attended although there is no evidence.

There are no records of what Isabel thought of her husband. They were eighteen and nineteenth when they married. There are no records of what Clarence thought of his wife either. He was loyal to her, having no recorded illegitimate children and was devastated by her death. Their wedding was followed by five days of celebrations.

Isabel’s ladies included a baroness and five gentlewomen. She was served by a chamberer, five female servants, a chamberlain, an almoner, a chaplain, and a clerk to care for her jewellery and plate. Her duty was to be a housewife as well as provide her husband with heirs. Medieval medicine devised diets to rebalance the humours of pregnant women experiencing morning sickness or unusual cravings. Women were advised to avoid excessively sweet or savoury food. Poultry, bread, and fragrant wine was recommended.

Isabel was carefully looked after during her second pregnancy unlike the dangerous circumstances of her first. A small window was kept open in her chambers for ventilation. Whoever acted as Isabel’s midwife would have been a respectable woman with children of her own. It may have been arranged for Isabel to borrow a holy relic, often a girdle. If a relic was not available, Isabel’s women may have provided amulets that would have been tied to her. Some midwives made their patients sneeze believing it aided the birthing process progress.

Isabel and Clarence’s first child was a baby born outside Calais who died at sea c. April 1470. Their first surviving child was Lady Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury born in 1473. Margaret, cursed by her lineage, was seen as a threat even in her old age and executed on order of Henry VIII. Their next child was a son, Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick born in 1475. Warwick, also seen as a threat, was imprisoned in the Tower of London at a very young age. He was later executed, also on order of Henry VIII, for his escape attempt. Their fourth child, Richard of Clarence, died at only a few months old. Isabel had died when he was two months old.Isabel’s ladies included a baroness and five gentlewomen. She was served by a chamberer, five female servants, a chamberlain, an almoner, a chaplain, and a clerk to care for her jewellery and plate. Her duty was to be a housewife as well as provide her husband with heirs. Medieval medicine devised diets to rebalance the humours of pregnant women experiencing morning sickness or unusual cravings. Women were advised to avoid excessively sweet or savoury food. Poultry, bread, and fragrant wine was recommended.

Isabel was carefully looked after during her second pregnancy unlike the dangerous circumstances of her first. A small window was kept open in her chambers for ventilation. Whoever acted as Isabel’s midwife would have been a respectable woman with children of her own. It may have been arranged for Isabel to borrow a holy relic, often a girdle. If a relic was not available, Isabel’s women may have provided amulets that would have been tied to her. Some midwives made their patients sneeze believing it aided the birthing process progress.

Isabel and Clarence’s first child was a baby born outside Calais who died at sea c. April 1470. Their first surviving child was Lady Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury born in 1473. Margaret, cursed by her lineage, was seen as a threat even in her old age and executed on order of Henry VIII. Their next child was a son, Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick born in 1475. Warwick, also seen as a threat, was imprisoned in the Tower of London at a very young age. He was later executed, also on order of Henry VIII, for his escape attempt. Their fourth child, Richard of Clarence, died at only a few months old. Isabel had died when he was two months old.

Margaret was washed and cleaned before being swaddled and given to a wet nurse while Isabel delivered afterbirth. A woman was appointed to oversee Margaret’s staff which included servants. Isabel’s ladies cooked for her and celebrated the birth of a healthy baby. She was not present at Margaret’s baptism as she was required to stay in her chambers and recover.

Eighteen months later Isabel gave birth to Edward. Margaret shared the nursery with Edward although the staff would have expanded with the birth of a boy. It would have been overseen by a governess and directed by Isabel.

Isabel was pregnant again in early 1476. She was not at Warwick Castle when she went into labour with her fourth child. Medieval women gave birth at home so it was highly unusual that Isabel was at a hospital, especially given her status. It is possible that the child was premature or that Isabel was unwell. In October of 1476 Isabel gave birth to her second son, named Richard. There are no records of who assisted Isabel during birth or who cared for the infant. He was baptized the following day.

Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence passed away on December 22nd, 1476. The Croyland Chronicle blamed childbed fever. This would have been caused by an infection during childbirth. It is suggested that Isabel’s surroundings were unhygienic given she was in a hospital and not at home. Complications from childbirth were numerous including: infection, haemorrhage, sepsis, obstetric complications, or a ruptured uterus. Isabel may have died from other causes, possibly tuberculosis. The infant Richard tragically did not live much longer than his mother. He passed away in January of 1477. He may have suffered an infection due to lack of hygiene or injury during birth.

Clarence was absolutely devastated. He came to believe that both Isabel and Richard were poisoned. Isabel’s body was brought to Tewkesbury Abbey on January 4th, 1477. There were three masses celebrated for her soul. Clarence was convinced that the servant Ankarette Twynho had poisoned both Isabel and the baby. Twynho was found guilty and hanged.

Resources:

1. Kingmaker’s Women: Anne Beauchamp and her daughters, Isabel and Anne Neville by Julia A Hickey.

2. https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_90.html