Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick

Arms of Thomas de Beauchamp: Gules, a fesse between six crosses crosslet or

Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, KG (16 March 1338 – 8 Aug 1401) was an English medieval nobleman, and one of the primary opponents of Richard II.

Birth and Marriage

Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel; Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester; Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham; Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick; and Henry, Earl of Derby (later Henry IV), throw down their gauntlets and demand Richard II to let them prove by arms the justice for their rebellion

He was the son of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick and Katherine Mortimer, a daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, and succeeded his father in 1369. He married Margaret Ferrers, daughter of Sir William Ferrers, 3rd Baron Ferrers of Groby and Margaret d'Ufford, daughter of Robert d'Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk.

Royal Service

Seal of Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick

The Earl accompanied John of Gaunt in campaigns in France in 1373, and around that time was made a Knight of the Garter. In the parliaments of 1376 and 1377 he was one of those appointed to supervise reform of King Richard II's government. When these were not as effective as hoped, Beauchamp was made Governor over the King. He brought a large contingent of soldiers and archers to King Richard's Scottish campaign of 1385.

Conflict with King Richard II

In 1387 he was one of the Lords Appellant, who endeavored to separate Richard from his favorites. After Richard regained power, Beauchamp retired to his estates, but was charged with high treason in 1397, supposedly as a part of the Earl of Arundel's alleged conspiracy. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London (in what is now known as the "Beauchamp Tower"), pleaded guilty and threw himself on the mercy of the king. He forfeited his estates and titles, and was sentenced to life imprisonment on the Isle of Man. The next year, however, he was moved back to the Tower, until he was released in August 1399 after Henry Bolingbroke's initial victories over King Richard II.

Restored by Bolingbroke

After Bolingbroke deposed Richard and became king as Henry IV, Beauchamp was restored to his titles and estates. He was one of those who urged the new King to execute Richard, and accompanied King Henry against the rebellion of 1400.

Death

Monumental effigies of Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick and his wife

Beauchamp died in 1401 (sources differ as to whether on 8 April or 8 August).

Succession

He was succeeded by his son Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick.

References

•  Round, J. H. (1885). "Beauchamp, Thomas de". In Leslie Stephen. Dictionary of National Biography 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 

External links

• thePeerage.com on the "junior" Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick

Peerage of England
Preceded by Thomas de Beauchamp	Earl of Warwick 1369–1401	Succeeded by Richard de Beauchamp