Gloucester, Thomas of Woodstock, duke of
Gloucester, Thomas of Woodstock, duke of,
1355–97, English nobleman; youngest son of Edward IIIEdward III,1312–77, king of England (1327–77), son of Edward II and Isabella. Early Life
He was made earl of Chester in 1320 and duke of Aquitaine in 1325 and accompanied his mother to France in 1325.
..... Click the link for more information. . He was betrothed (1374) to Eleanor, heiress of Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, and became earl of Buckingham at the coronation of Richard IIRichard II,
1367–1400, king of England (1377–99), son of Edward the Black Prince. Early Life
After his father's death (1376) he was created prince of Wales and succeeded his grandfather, Edward III, to the throne.
..... Click the link for more information. (1377). He was the king's lieutenant in France (1380), but returned to England after the failure of his siege of Nantes.
In 1385 he was created duke of Gloucester and soon emerged as the head of the baronial party, which in 1386 forced Richard to dismiss Michael de la Pole, 1st earl of Suffolk (see under PolePole,
English noble family. The first member of importance was William de la Pole, d. 1366, a rich merchant who became the first mayor of Hull (1332) and a baron of the exchequer (1339).
..... Click the link for more information. , family), as chancellor. In 1388, Gloucester was one of the five "lords appellant" who secured conviction of the king's counselors for treason in the Merciless Parliament. When Richard regained power in 1389, Gloucester made his peace with him and accompanied the king to Ireland in 1394. In 1397, Gloucester was suddenly arrested and imprisoned at Calais. He was probably murdered there a few days before he was "appealed" and condemned for treason by the same procedure as that used in 1388.