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 Born  28 Jan 1457   Born At  Pembroke Castle
 Died  21 Apr 1509   Buried At  Westminster Abbey
 Royal House  Tudor
 
Titles Include: King of England from 1485

Henry Tudor

enry Tudor, the future Henry VII king of England, was born at Pembroke Castle in January 1457. He was the son of Edmund Tudor the Earl of Richmond and Lady Margaret Beaufort. Edmund Tudor was the son of Catherine of France who had been married to Henry V, King of England. Edmund Tudor's father was not Henry V, but Owen Tudor who Catherine married after Henry V's death. Henry Tudor's claim to the English throne was on his mother's side, Lady Margaret of Beaufort, who was directly descended from Edward III's son John of Gaunt through his marriage to Catherine Swynford. This simplified family tree shows the link from Lady Margaret back to King Edward III.

                  
 
 
 
EDWARD (III, King of England 1327-1377)
b.1312
d.1377
   Philippa (of Hainault)
d.1369
 
  
  
 
   
 
John (of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster)
d.1399
   Swynford, Catherine 
  
  
 
   
 
Beaufort, John (1st Earl of Somerset)
d.1410
   Holland, Margaret 
  
  
 
   
 
Beaufort, John (1st Duke of Somerset)
d.1444
   Beauchamp, Margaret (of Bletsoe) 
  
  
 
   
 
Beaufort, Lady Margaret
b.1443
d.1509
   Tudor, Edmund (Earl of Richmond)
d.1456
 
  
  
 
   
 
Henry (VII, King of England 1485-1509)
b.1457
d.1509
 
 
 
 

Edmund Tudor had married Lady Margaret in 1455 when she was only twelve years old. When Edmund died in captivity a year later, Lady Margaret was expecting their first child, Henry. Henry's early years were spent with his uncle Jasper Tudor the Earl of Pembroke. In 1471, after Henry VI and the Prince of Wales were killed and the Lancastrians were defeated, Henry Tudor found himself head of the Lancastrian family. As it was unsafe for him to remain in England, Henry and Jasper Tudor fled to Brittany to wait for a chance of claiming the English throne.

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Preceded by
Richard (III, King of England 1483-1485)
Succeeded by
HENRY (VIII, King of England 1509-1547)

Family Tree Details
Father:  Tudor, Edmund (Earl of Richmond) ( - d.1456)
Mother:  Beaufort, Lady Margaret (b.1443 - d.1509)
Henry (VII, King of England 1485-1509) (b.1457 - d.1509)
+Elizabeth (of York) ( - d.1503) =Arthur (Son of Henry VII) (b.1486 - d.1502) | +Catherine (of Aragon) (b.1485 - d.1536) =Margaret (Tudor, Daughter of Henry VII) (b.1489 - d.1541) | +James (IV King of Scotland 1488-1513) (b.1473 - d.1513) | | =James (V, King of Scotland 1513-1542) (b.1512 - d.1542) | | +Mary (of Guise) ( - d.1560) | | | =Mary (Stuart, Queen of Scotland) (b.1542 - d.1587) | | | +Francis (II, King of France 1559-1560) (b.1544 - d.1560) | | | +Henry (Lord Darnley) (b.1546 - d.1567) | | | =James (VI of Scotland, 1567-1625, from 1603 James I of England) (b.1566 - d.1625) | | +Erskine, Margaret (Lady) | | =Stewart, James (1st Earl of Moray) (b.1531 - d.1570) | +Douglas, Archibald (Earl of Angus) ( - d.1557) | =Douglas, Margaret ( - d.1578) | +Stewart, Matthew (Earl of Lennox) ( - d.1571) | =Henry (Lord Darnley) (b.1546 - d.1567) | | +Mary (Stuart, Queen of Scotland) (b.1542 - d.1587) | | =James (VI of Scotland, 1567-1625, from 1603 James I of England) (b.1566 - d.1625) | =Stewart, Charles (Earl of Lennox) ( - d.1576) =HENRY (VIII, King of England 1509-1547) (b.1491 - d.1547) | +Catherine (of Aragon) (b.1485 - d.1536) | | =Mary (I, Queen of England 1553-1558, Bloody Mary) (b.1516 - d.1558) | | +Philip (II, King of Spain) (b.1527 - d.1598) | +Boleyn, Anne ( - d.1536) | | =Elizabeth (I, Queen of England 1558-1603) (b.1533 - d.1603) | +Seymour, Jane ( - d.1537) | | =Edward (VI, King of England 1547-1553) (b.1537 - d.1553) | +Anne (of Cleves) (b.1515 - d.1557) | +Howard, Catherine | +Parr, Catherine =Mary (Daughter of Henry VII) (b.1495 - d.1533) +Louis (XII, King of France) ( - d.1515) +Brandon, Charles (Duke of Suffolk) (b.1485 - d.1545) =Frances (Lady) | +Grey, Henry (Duke of Suffolk) ( - d.1554) | =Grey, Jane (Lady) (b.1537 - d.1554) | =Grey, Catherine (Lady) =Clifford, Eleanor (Lady) ( - d.1547)
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Mini Timeline (Ages are approximate)

1444  Apr  Treaty of Tours
   A peace treaty signed between Henry VI of England and Charles VII of France. The treaty resulted in five years of peace between the two countries and included the arrangement of marriage between Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou.1 
1455    Edmund Tudor marries Margaret Beaufort
   Edmund Tudor married Margaret Beaufort, the heiress of the Duke of Somerset. Margaret was only twelve years old.2 
1456  Nov  Edmund Tudor dies
   Edmund the Earl of Richmond died in captivity in Carmarthen Castle. His thirteen year old bride Margaret was expecting their child who would become the future King Henry VII. 
  Dec  Margaret Beaufort moved to Pembroke
   After the death of Edmund Tudor his brother Jasper Tudor Earl of Pembroke moved Margaret Beaufort to Pembroke Castle. Margaret was the wife of Edmund and expecting their first child.3 
1457  Jan 28  Henry (VII) is born
   The future king of England, Henry VII, was born at Pembroke Castle. His father was Edmund Tudor who had died a couple of months before the birth and his mother was Margaret Beaufort who was directly descended from Edward III. 
1461  Sep  Pembroke Castle captured Age: 4
   Pembroke Castle was captured by William Herbert. The young Henry Tudor was found in the castle where he had been hiding.4 
  Nov  Pembroke Castle in Yorkist hands
   William Herbert was given the castle at Pembroke in recognition of his assistance to Edward IV. Herbert was made the guardian of the future Henry VII who was living at the castle. 
1485  Aug 7  Henry arrives in England Age: 28
   Henry Tudor landed at Milford Haven and made his way north.5 
  Aug 22  Battle of Bosworth
   Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King of England.6 
  Sep  Earl of Warwick arrested
   The 10 year old Earl of Warwick was arrested and sent to the Tower of London. His claim to the English throne was strong and Henry VII wanted him out of the way. 
  Oct 30  Henry is crowned.
   Henry Tudor is crowned Henry VII at Westminster Abbey.6 
1486  Jan 18  Henry VII married Elizabeth Age: 29
   Henry married Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV, at Westminster Abbey. 
  Sep  Birth of Arthur
   Arthur was born several weeks early. 
1487  Jun 16  Battle of Stoke Age: 30
   Henry VII fought the Earl of Lincoln and Lambert Simnel at Stoke. The English throne was at stake. Simnel was captured and Lincoln was killed. This battle ended the War of the Roses.3 
1489  Nov  Birth of Margaret Age: 32
   Henry VII's and Elizabeth's second child was born.7 
1491  Jun 28  Henry (VIII) born Age: 34
   The future king of England Henry VIII was born at Greenwich Palace. He was the third child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. 
1496  Mar 5  Henry VII and John Cabot Age: 39
   Henry VII granted John Cabot, his sons and heirs the power to explore unknown areas under the English flag. They were allowed to conquer these new lands. Although the Cabots had to fund the explorations themselves they only had to pay the Crown only one fifth of the money they made by selling the goods they found. 
1497    Perkin Warbeck captured at Beaulieu Age: 40
   Perkin Warbeck was hiding in Beaulieu Abbey where he was found by Henry VII's army and captured.
5 
  May 2  John Cabot sets sail for Asia
   Under the English flag, John Cabot left Bristol on his voyage of exploration across the Atlantic to find a route to Asia and to open new trade routes. 
  Jun  Cabot discovers Newfoundland
   Expecting to find the east coast of Asia Cabot and his fleet of explorers landed on what we now know as Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. 
  Aug 6  Cabot returns from voyage
   John Cabot returned to Bristol after his voyage of discovery. 
  Dec  Sheen Palace burns down
   Henry VII had plans to spend Christmas at his royal palace of Sheen but it was destroyed by fire. Alternative date of 1498. Henry had the palace rebuilt and renamed the building Richmond Palace in honour of the Earl of Richmond title that he held.8 
Early Modern Period (1500-1800) - Under Construction
1501    Tournament at the Tower of London Age: 44
   Henry VII held a tournament at the Tower of London.9 
1503  Feb  Elizabeth of York dies Age: 46
   Elizabeth, Henry VII's wife died in childbirth. 
  Jun  Henry VII escorts Margaret to Scotland
   Henry VII and his eldest daughter started their journey to Scotland where the arranged marriage between Margaret and the Scottish King James IV would take place. Margaret was only fourteen years old. 
  Aug 8  Marriage of James IV and Margaret
   The marriage of the 30 year old Scottish king to the 14 year old daughter of Henry VI, Margaret took place at Holyrood house in Edinburgh. 
1505    Papal dispensation Age: 48
   Pope Julius II gave permission for the marriage between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. The legality of the marriage was in question because Catherine had been married to Henry's elder brother Arthur. 
1507    Thomas Wolsey becomes royal chaplain Age: 50
   Thomas Wolsey was given the position of royal chaplain to Henry VII. 
1509  Apr 21  Death of Henry VII Age: 52
   Henry fell in and within just over a day he died of the illness. His body was first moved to St. Paul's and then to Westminster Abbey where he was buried next to his wife.10 
1514  Feb 6  Wolsey become Bishop of Lincoln
   Thomas Wolsey was rewarded with the Bishopric of Lincoln. 
1536  May 2  Anne Boleyn arrested
   Anne Boleyn was arrested at Greenwich after the May-Day jousting tournament on the order of Henry VIII. 
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Selection of references used:

1. J R Lander, The War of the Roses, 0-75090-018-0
2. Byran Bevan, Henry VII: The First Tudor King
3. Neville Williams, Henry VII
4. Paul Murray Kendall, Richard The Third, ISBN 0 04 942048 8
5. Peter Potter, Data Donation
6. Jasper Ridley, The History of England, 1981, 0-7100-0794-9
7. Alison Plowden, The House of Tudor, 1976, 0 7509 1890 X
8. Neville Williams, The life and time of Henry VII
9. Derek Wilson, The Tower (1078 - 1978)
10. S.B.Chrimes, Henry VII, 1972, 0 413 38400 4

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