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 | Warwickshire History | | |
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Middle Ages Warwickshire | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
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The Normans were responsible for extending much of Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle following their invasion in 1066. Many of the main settlements of Warwickshire were also established as market towns, including Birmingham, Bedworth, Nuneaton, Rugby and Stratford-Upon-Avon.
The earldom, to which considerable power was attached, passed through the hands of a number of important families, including the Beauchamps, the Mauduits, and the Nevilles.
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick from 1449 to 1470 who supported the Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses became known as “Warwick the Kingmaker”. |
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Neville helped depose Henry from the throne of England and proclaim the Yorkist Edward IV king in 1461. Warwick then virtually ruled the kingdom until 1464 when, increasingly at odds with Edward, he fled to France. That same year Warwick invaded England as a Lancastrian and defeated Edward IV, released Henry from imprisonment and restored him back to the throne. When Edward IV returned and the Yorkists rallied to his banner, Warwick was outmanoeuvred and slain in the Battle of Barnet. |
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The county throughout the medieval period was dominated by Coventry which had become an important centre for the wool and textile trades. It was one of the most important cities in England at this point, and on several occasions Coventry briefly served as the second capital of England.
In 1400 the city walls were completed. These surrounded the city providing a safe enclave 2 ½ miles (4km) across and consisted of two red sandstone walls in-filled with rubble 9 feet (3 metres) thick. Five main gatehouses served the roads that entered the city. With its impressive walls Coventry was described as being the best defended city in England outside of London. | |
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Due to its importance, in 1345 Coventry was granted a city charter by King Edward III, and later in 1451, King Henry VI granted Coventry a full charter which made Coventry a county in itself. This status was retained until 1842 when it reverted back to being a part of Warwickshire.
In 1562 Elizabeth I gave Warwick Castle to her favourite, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and on his death it was returned to royal possession. |
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It was also around this time that William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. Born in 1564 the bard wrote or collaborated on 38 plays during his life and established himself as the foremost literary talent of his own Elizabethan Age. Since his death he is now regarded as a genius whose creative achievement has never been surpassed in any age.
1605 also saw the failings of the Gunpowder Plot, an event that is closely tied to Warwickshire. Many of powerful Catholic families associated with the plot lived in grand stately homes within the county and preperations for the Midlands uprising were gathering pace with a small army gathered on Dunsmore Heath a short distance from Coombe Abbey where the daughter of King James I was residing. |
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