Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Does the 15th century Nobleman Deserve his Woeful Reputation?
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset is often remembered in history as one of the first casualties of what would become the Wars of the Roses, a conflict he had played a large part in igniting, as his fierce and bitter rivalry with the often ambitious and hard headed, Richard, 3rd Duke of York tore the country apart. Though it is arguable that both men should at least take equal blame in sowing the seeds of this brutal and bloody civil war, the history books have not been kind specifically to Edmund.
Alongside his deadly rivalry with York, Somerset is further remembered for the capitulation of the strategically important city of Rouen, ultimately resulting in the loss of the entire area of Normandy, land that had been fought over since it’s initial loss in the first half of the 13th century under the watch of the duke’s feckless ancestor, king John. As their rivalry reached fever pitch, York made great political capital from his enemies failure to hold onto the French lands, promoting the idea that Somerset was politically and militarily incompetent, not fit to stand at the king’s side as one of his right hand men.
This image of an all round inept Somerset driving king Henry’s poor decision making during the late 1440s and 1450s is still prevalent today in many popular books, documentaries and tv shows with little being done to remove the stain of incompetency from Somerset’s image apart from an odd book or two.
However today I want to take a look at a different side of the duke, a side that was a renowned war hero, a man who led daring raids into French territory and a man that withstood an army looking to take control of the important town of Calais. I’ll take a deeper dive into the rivalry that would ultimately see him assassinated and resulted in one of the Bloodiest civil wars England has ever seen and try to discern if his infamous loss of Rouen and Normandy was truly inevitable.
Edmund, Count of Mortain: A War Hero
The future duke of Somerset was born sometime in 1406 to the highly influential Beaufort family. The first generation of Beaufort’s had been the bastard children of the most powerful nobleman in the realm at the time, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third surviving son of the infamous warrior king Edward III. However in 1397, Edmund’s father John, the eldest of the children as well as his siblings were legitimised by act of parliament and by the church in Rome making them a serious force to be reckoned with.
Edmund’s father , John had carved out a good career for himself, being created the Earl of Somerset in 1397 by his tyrannical cousin, Richard II. However had benefited under the reign of his half brother, Henry IV upon his usurpation two years later in 1399. The Earl had made a impressive political alliance by marrying into the wealthy and influential Holland family. Edmund, born in the early and unstable years of his uncle’s reign was the fourth son of the couple, ulitmatley he had very little prospects with his three older brother’s likely to inherit titles as well as being appointed to the key offices before him.
However in the following years, tragedy would strike this branch of the family as the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict started by their notable ancestor, king Edward III reignited under the reign of their cousin, the increasingly fierce, Henry V. The oldest, Henry Beaufort who became the second earl of Somerset after his father’s death in 1410 would die fighting for his royal cousin at the Siege of Rouen in 1418 whose land and title would pass onto his successor, John, the future 1st Duke of Somerset, who he himself would only be captured two years later after the English army was crushed at the Battle of Bauge, a battle that would see John’s cousin and father in law and most importantly brother to the war waging king Henry V, Thomas, Duke of Clarence slain in the action. The young John was captured alongside his brother Thomas (Medieval names trying to confuse matters) and the pair would face years of imprisonment, waiting to be released with a hefty ransom.
With one brother killed, and the two others incarcerated, maintaining the interests of the Beaufort’s at home and abroad fell heavily on the shoulders of Edmund as well as his influential uncle, Henry, Cardinal Beaufort.
The aging Cardinal soon took Edmund under his wing, the former’s influence at court was great especially as the king he now served was but a baby, Henry VI and in 1327, his nephew was granted the title, Count of Mortain, he would go onto play a pivotal role in the closing stages of the Hundred Years’ War. As the years progressed, another of the Count’s brothers, Thomas would die as result of this ensuing conflict meanwhile his eldest brother, John still remained in poverty stricken imprisonment until his ransom could be paid.
In the years after the death’s of Henry V and his determined sibling, John, Duke of Bedford, the lands that English armies had both fought and died for soon began receding to the French, at an alarming rate, with large amounts of land lost throughout Normandy including Dieppe, Fecamp, Tancarville and most importantly Harfleur, which had been the first conquest on the infamous Agincourt campaign. Concerned with the territory won back by the king of France, Charles VII, a crack team was assembled under the young and eager, Richard, 3rd Duke of York which included his future rival, Edmund Count of Mortain who was ordered to defend the old Plantagenet heartlands of Maine and Anjou.
The Count’s army was the first to leave the country heading for the important port town of Calais, its foreboding walls being conquered nearly 90 years earlier however now being threatened by a significant Burgundian army, the kingdom of France’s newest allies. Edmund, not one to rest on his morals executed several successful lighting raids on nearby Flemish territory held by the duke of Burgundy, fighting in hand to hand combat in skirmishes with the local population suffering very few casualties. These efforts made the rather politically and militarily unknown Mortain renowned as somewhat of a war hero, even being inducted into the prestigious Order of the Garter in 1436 whilst he was away in France.
However as Edmund and his men sure up the defences of this seemingly impenetrable town, a large Burgundian army arrived outside the strong Calais walls. Though the size of the army was significant it was fractured by inter - feuding, an element that had been prevalent in French armies throughout the last decade. Sensing the unrest in the opposing army, Edmund at the head of small force charged out of the gate at his enemy with a great ferocity resulting in their quick retreat, cutting down those who remained, a decisive action taken by a nobleman who was going from strength to strength.
Nathen Amin, a biographer of the Beaufort family notes that Ballads were even written and sang in the Count’s honour, praising his ‘valour’ and ‘prowess’. Amin goes onto further note “the events of the summer of 1436 firmly established the count of Mortain as one of the leading English commanders of his generation.” This reputation however would not last.
By the 1440s, as count of Mortain, a member of the order of the garter and the hero of Calais, Edmund’s reputation had enhanced and he alongside his recently released brother, John soon to be created Duke of Somerset was amongst an army that retook the great city of Harfleur, further increasing his prestige amongst peers as well as the soldiery and even touted as a famed war hero. Edmund even started to receive higher offices, including captainships “in recognition of his good service in the wars of France” His troubled brother, John, 1st Duke of Somerset however would suffer successive defeats and would soon die in 1443, likely committing suicide as a result of his perceived disgrace. The heavy and rewarding title of Duke fell to his honoured brother, Edmund five years later, however it was to be a poisoned chalice, pushed into the limelight of English governance, Edmund’s earlier reputation would ultimately be destroyed by his erstwhile enemy, Richard, Duke of York.
Wikipedia image, Edmund Beaufort negotiating with envoys at Rouen
Edmund, Duke of Somerset: The Man Who Lost Normandy?
By the time the Duke of Somerset was appointed the Lieutenant of France in 1446, the political landscape in England had changed drastically and became riveted with factions. This fracturing of the court had started with the deadly rivalry between the Duke’s uncle, Cardinal Beaufort and his cousin the headstrong and power hungry, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester with both men taking proteges. To no surprise, Edmund sided with his uncle, whilst Gloucester took on one of the greatest magnates of the realm, the Duke of York as his ally.
These two leading bastions of the increasingly weak and ineffectual Henry VI’s reign, died within weeks of each other, Gloucester under mysterious circumstances after being imprisoned by his nephew, suspected of harbouring ambitions for the throne and his fierce enemy, Cardinal Beaufort of natural causes, dying knowing that he had finally defeated his rival. Upon the deaths of these two influential nobleman, Somerset and York quickly filled their void.
Both men held very different views on how the floundering war in France should be dealt with, Somerset guided by his uncle’s policy looked for a peaceful resolution with the country England had very nearly conquered whereas the Duke of York, though he himself had been apart of recent peace negotiations looked to continue this seemingly endless war to gain a better advantage for England. Tensions had worsened in recent years however as the largely ineffectual king Henry VI continued to look to end this unnecessary bloodshed by any means possible and had even agreed to seed the old Plantagenet heartlands of Maine and Anjou to the French in return for a bride, Margaret of Anjou. This deal had mostly been headed by the increasingly unpopular William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, right hand man to the king, as well as court favourite of the new queen and had been enacted by the eventual Duke of Somerset on royal orders.
English held lands began to become few and far between when the duke of Somerset was appointed lieutenant in 1448, replacing his court rival, York in the role, only deepening the animosity felt between the two men. Though Somerset’s appointment made sense militarily, he had after all seen a good amount of action in the last two decades in France as well being noted for his stern defence of Calais and his daring recapture of Harfleur he however much like York would be plagued with insufficient funds to pay his men and would be all but isolated from the mainland.
In following years, York would advertise Somerset’s appointment as lieutenant only as a result of his budding and close relationship with the king, however as we have seen, Edmund was a war veteran of the highest calibre.
The situation that Somerset entered in France was dire, though York had done well trying to sure up English possessions, the fall of Normandy seemed all but inevitable as the French king conquered town after town and city after city, soon aiming for the important Norman capital of Rouen. It is this period in the duke’s life that would be his lasting legacy, the man who lost the historically and politically important city of Rouen, a city governed by his revered ancestor, William the Conqueror and ultimately led to the entire capitulation of Normandy itself.
However, Somerset’s predicament is never really deeply assessed.
After war re - erupted between the two ancient enemies in 1449, the determined French king, Charles VII set about recapturing Normandy at a lighting and concerning speed.
Somerset along with his family which included his wife and their eight young children, ranging from the ages of 18 - 6 had established their home and headquarters within the walls of the Norman capital, directly in Charles’s war path. A large army surrounded Rouen, headed by and including significant numbers of the French nobility, skirmishing had broke out, the ‘English Achilles’, John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury fought back bravely along with his men inflicting a number of casualties on the French.
Once again, historian, Nathen Amin notes that the inhabitants of the city soon became worried by the lack of food and resources stored, with weeks passing since their last shipment. The duke’s position was further worsened by the fact that he only had a small number of soldiers at his side as the local population became increasingly vocal that Somerset reach a truce with the imposing French army standing outside the city’s walls. The situation soon became uneasy, even as the duke looked to reach an agreement with the French king, the Rouennais population however turned against their occupiers, lynching a few of the English army, early in the next morning and opened the gates to the large French forces.
From the relative protection of his castle, Somerset watched as chaos ensued and the marauding French army charged through the gates of the city, soon occupying the streets, making their presence very clear to all. With his life and importantly the lives of his family at stake, Amin rightly points out that Somerset “had little alternative.” The following negotiations between the duke and the French king were tense to say the least, as a fierce army including archers and canons surrounded Rouen’s castle, the building that his family currently called home.
After much debate, Charles adamant that all his requests should be fulfilled, it was agreed by the two men that Somerset would relinquish Rouen itself as well as Honfleur, Tancarville, Montevilliers, Arques and other townships as well as pay the king a substantial fee for his safety and that of his family. Notable members of the garrison such as the courageous Earl of Shrewsbury were kept as hostages whilst Somerset was permitted to leave Rouen for the safety of near - by Caen, burial place of his ancestor, William I ‘the Conqueror’.
The loss of Rouen as well as a large amount of French lands did serious and unpreparable damage to the duke’s reputation back home and would often be used as a stick for him to be beaten with especially by York.
As whole swathes of Normandy came under the control of the French, Somerset and his family established themselves in the city of Caen, however it would not be for long, as Charles tore through the countryside, determined to completely extinguish any English ambitions of clinging onto his territories.
The often times indecisive English king, Henry VI sent over a large force to help repel the French invasion however this substantial army would be completely crushed at the Battle of Formigny, yet another embarrassment for those back home, the country’s reputation alongside that of the duke’s suffering further. Building on from the amounting successes, Charles soon took back Bayeux and other towns in the surrounding area before finally turning his fall intentions on Caen.
However by the time that four French armies arrived at the doors of Caen the prospect of a continued English prescience in and let alone control Normandy seemed bleak, a truly unsalvageable position. Somerset looking to defend Caen better than he had Rouen tried to undergo a siege, though the safety of his family once again came under a threat, cannon fire very nearly striking his wife and children. Implored by his spouse to lay down his arms to the French and surrender the town lead to Caen’s capitulation on the 1st July 1450, with the last of English held Normandy falling after the important town of Cherbourg was relinquished to the French invaders.
These subsequent loses of town and cities fought for and died for with English blood, greatly angered those back home as well those that had lived in the areas captured, having to leave their homes and return back to England, only raising tensions back on the mainland.
Politically, Somerset’s career came under great scrutiny, his enemy York would gain large amounts of support by displaying his rival as incompetent, the man who lost Normandy and a enemy of English interests. The climate that the duke and his family returned to would be volatile, rebellion soon breaking out against the king’s councillors, led by the mysterious Jack Cade. However, earlier in the year, the now hated William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, the man blamed with causing the country’s woes was murdered in cold blood on his way to exile on the orders of his king, whose hand was forced by popular opinion. It would be a toxic political landscape that would wrap the duke up and sallow him whole.
Wikipedia image, Edmund surrenders Rouen to the French king
Road to St Albans: The Assassination of a Duke
The next five years of the duke’s life would be dominated with court faction, imprisonment, threats on his life and a deadly intense rivalry with York that only worsened after both men returned home (York spent a term in Ireland as lieutenant), Somerset soon being appointed captain of the realm, in charge of dealing with the country’s many problems, a role that York believed he deserved. Upon Suffolk’s death, Somerset filled the role of king’s right hand man, and garnered a close relationship with the queen, leading many to speculate and believe that the two were having an extra - marital affair and the king’s much desired son, Edward of Westminster born in 1453, was a result of this liaison.
Henry’s reliance on Somerset only made the duke further hated and would have spells of imprisonment throughout the 1450s both for his own safety after nearly being murdered by a London mob as well as on the orders of York when the Duke eventually came into power as Lord Protector, 1453, the mentally fragile king Henry falling into a catatonic stupor upon hearing the news of the disastrous Battle of Castillon which sealed the French victory in the Hundred Years’ War as well as seeing the toehold of Calais remain as the only land held in France by the English.
Upon the king returning to full health on Christmas day, 1454 having spent nearly 17 months a coma, Somerset was released from his equally long imprisonment in the Tower of London and sought revenge. York himself and his allies where stripped of the titles they had received during the king’s incapacity, and this ultimately set the kingdom on the road to a collision course to St Albans.
As a Great Council meeting was called to be held at Leicester, in the old Lancastrian heartlands in May, York and his allies knew that they would face severe punishment, primarily for their actions taken against Somerset during the months of the king’s illness. As a result, the duke along with his allies, the Earl’s of Warwick and Salisbury raised their men and bypassed Leicester on their way towards St Albans.
Though it is often noted that York sought a peaceful resolution with the king on his way towards the ancient city, he was adamant that the king hand over his fierce rival, Somerset, the man that stood in his way as right hand to Henry, and ultimately the most powerful nobleman in the realm. The battle that commenced at St Albans on the 22 May 1455, was not a battle or even a skirmish, it was in fact an assassination on the duke’s and his allies enemy’s. Somerset’s main crime being that he was favoured by the king, and for that fact he was murdered in what would be the first conflict of the Wars of the Roses, a conflict that would ultimately also see York dead only five years later.
Conclusion
It is often quoted that history is written by the victors, and a similar situation has befallen Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, often touted as the man who lost Normandy. However as we have seen today, the duke was far from incompetent in military matters having led very successful raids on French territory, bravely defended Calais and most importantly playing a large part in the re - capture of Harfleur, by the 1440s the duke would have been a noted war hero.
However in the parliament that followed his assassination in May 1455, Somerset was pinned as the villain by his enemies, blamed for the conflict that initially arose between the Houses of Beaufort and York and later Lancaster as well as deemed as the man that steered English governance in the wrong direction and the man that ultimately lost Normandy. Though the fall of Normandy was in actuality all but inevitable and there would have been little York or the rest of the English nobility could have done to salvage the position.
Throughout his lieutenancy the duke was plagued by a lack of troops, funds, resources and food, something that turned the Rouennais population against him to his detriment. Again this had been seen under York’s tenure however he had been released of his duties before the city of duchy could capitulate.
This piece is not to say that Somerset is guilt free from helping ignite one of the deadliest civil wars in British history, his volatile relationship with York ultimately resulted in the Wars of the Roses and for this both men should take at least equal responsibility. However the duke that had a stellar military career up until his fateful appointment to the lieutenancy of France in the late 1440s, should not be mistaken for as the inept and unqualified fool he is usually depicted as. And should be relegated to the history books solely as the man who lost Normandy through lack of responsibility or skill.
If you enjoyed reading this I have a piece on both the rivalry between Somerset and York as well as one on the First Battle of St Albans on Substack, further covering in my opinion the most interesting period in British history.
Sources/ Further Reading
Nathen Amin, The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line that Captured the Crown. pp. 178,195, 213,214, 215, 216 and 217 - key to looking at Edmund Beaufort’s career and the loss of Normandy. All round brilliant account of this often overlooked family.
https://luminarium.org/encyclopedia/edmundbeaufort.htm#:~:text=EDMUND%20BEAUFORT,%202ND%20DUKE%20OF%20SOMERSET,%20stat
Matt Lewis, Richard, Duke of York: King by Right
Dan Jones, The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors
Alisson Weir, Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses