In his book on “The Notices of the Family of Uvedale of Titsey, Surrey and Wickham, Hampshire, Granville Leveson Gower mentions Thomas, Sir William, and Reginald, the three sons of Sir Thomas Uvedale, Kt. and his first wife Agnes Paulet, but little else is said of “Sir William”.

However, the history of the Order of the Garter reports that Sir William Uvedale was nominated for the Order of the Garter by the 3^rd Duke of York in 1460 and that this “shewed who were deemed the most eminent amongst the Yorkist party, and consequently to whom King Edward the 4^th was mainly indebted for the Throne.”

Those nominated were Sir Richard Neville Earl of Warwick (“the King Maker”), William Lord Bonville, Sir Thomas Kyriell, Sir John Wenlock, the Earl of Oxford, Lord Grey of Ruthyn, Lord Stourton, Lord Fitzwarine, Lord Hungerford, Lord Grey of Richmond, Lord Montagu, Sir Gaillard Duras, Sir John and Sir Thomas Neville, sons of the Earl of Salisbury, Sir Thomas Haryngton, Sir William Uvedale and Sir John Shotesbroke. The first four persons were elected to the Order. Even to be recognized and honoured with a nomination at such a time must have been highly significant.

There is some question as to the timing of the list being brought forward either in 1460 or 1461, however it must have been before the Duke of York was killed in December of 1460 at the battle of Wakefield. Sir William Uvedale would have been about 43 years of age at the time and would have likely played a key role in some of the battles in the War of the Roses which were well underway. Unfortunately other than this nomination there is currently no record of this involvement.

There is plenty of opportunity for confusion about various persons named William Uvedale who lived in this time frame. I believe there is little doubt that this Sir William Uvedale, Kt. is the second son of Sir Thomas Uvedale, Kt. and Agnes Paulet.  His father had a younger brother, William Uvedale who was born in 1396 and died in 1454. His wife's name was Everhilda and he was park keeper of Waltham for life. In addition he had a great-uncle William Uvedale, son of Sir John Uvedale, Kt. and Sibilla de Scures, born in 1379 and died in 1449. His wife was Joan Lufwyke. In addition, Sir William Uvedale had a younger brother William son of Sir Thomas Uvedale, Kt. and Margaret Kingeston his third wife. This William went on to be knighted and was also made a knight of the Bath in 1489. He would have been about 5 when his older brother was nominated to the Order of the Garter. Finally Sir Thomas and his fourth wife Elizabeth Norbury had two sons Robert and William. Sir Thomas’s second wife Elizabeth Foxley had a son Henry and two daughters Elizabeth and Agnes. It would appear that all his sons by this first two wives died before he did. Sir William Uvedale, KB born in 1455 was Sir Thomas’s heir upon his death in 1474.

There is some history of the Uvedale family supporting the house of Lancaster, Sir William Uvedale’s great-great-great-grandfather, Sir John de Uvedale, Knight Bannaret,  had his lands taken into King Edward II hand’s when the Earl of Hereford, Thomas of Lancaster, and others rebelled against the king in 1322. Sir John de Uvedale’s son Peter de Uvedale, Baron was a retainer of the Earl of Hereford, however he was given back the lands after the Battle of Boroughbridge, his father being dead and he providing his fealty to the king. There is record of the “great sums for services rendered and money lent” owed by Henry of Grosmont, Earl of Lancaster to William’s great-great-grandfather, Sir Thomas Uvedale Kt., during the hundred years war. In addition William’s great-grandfather Sir John Uvedale, Kt., went along with John of Gaunt, the Earl of Lancasters expedition to France in 1369. Finally after the Battle of Tewkesbury, some 11 years after William was nominated to the Order of the Garter, his father Sir Thomas Uvedale is recorded as the Chamberlain to Lancastrian Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England. Finally William’s younger brother, Sir William Uvedale KB, was the heir of his father and was attainted in 1483 by King Richard III. His attainder was overturned and he was eventually the Controller of Prince Arthur Tudor’s household at Ludlow Castle and was created a knight of the Bath in 1489. So the family managed to survive the turmoil of the hundred years war, the War of the Roses and the transition from Plantagenet to Tudor rule.

It is interesting to review the 1460 list of nominees listed above and to understand their fate:

• Sir Richard Neville “the King Maker”  Died at Battle of Wafield Dec. 1460
• William Lord Bonville                          Died at Battle of Wakefield Dec. 1460
• Sir Thomas Kyriell                               Executed after 2^nd Battle of St Albans Feb 1461
• Sir John Wenlock                                Executed by his commander at Tewkesbury 1471
• John Neville Lord Montagu                 Died at Battle of Barnett 12 Apr. 1471
• Sons of Salisbury Thomas Neville       Died at Battle of Wakefield Dec. 1460
• Sons of Salisbury John Neville            Died 1471
• Sir Thomas Harington                         Died at Battle of Wakefield Dec. 1460
• Sir William Uvedale                            ???

Sources suggest there was between 2200 and 2500 Yorkists killed at the battle of Wakefield. It was only three months later that King Edward IV took over the throne of England after the Battle of Towton. Both Sir Thomas Uvedale and his son Sir William Uvedale are recorded at the Battle of Towton in March 1461 on the side of thw Yorkists. It has been reported that 20,000 Lancastrians and 8,000 Yorkists killed during this battle. Is this were Sir William Uvedale died? His father survived until 1474.

 It is interesting to note that Sir Thomas Uvedale’s last father-in-law, Sir Henry Norbury, Kt., fought as a retainer of Sir John Talbot in at least five of the battles during the War of the Roses, including Northampton, Wakefield and Towton on the Lancastrian side. Thomas married Elizabeth Norbury in about 1467, some 4 years before Tewkesbury. Maybe Henry or his daughter Elizabeth was an influence on Thomas and his change of loyalties?

It would be interesting to find out more about Sir William Uvedale, Kt. born about 1417 and nominated to the Order of the Garter in 1460. This does illustrate how easy it is for persons who played a significant role in events in medieval times to be forgotten because of the lack of records.

 Article copyright is held by G.W. Udell