Maude Roll: Lancastrian King Henry V

This extract from the Handbook to the Maude Roll is regarding the Yorkist overthrow of the last Lancastrian King. The Canterbury roll, henceforth referred to as the Roll, is written between 1429 and 1433. This is during the reign of the Lancastrian King Henry V. A Yorkist scribe writes our extract at a later date. Shirota identifies this later date as sometime after 1460, but most likely after 1461 because Richard III is identified as Duke of Gloucester. Our extract fits in to the wider context of the Roll in a many ways. Our extract is the justification for the deposition of Henry VI by Edward IV, and is one of many depositions featured throughout the Roll. One of the earliest depositions featured in detail is that of Archigallus, a British King, who is deposed for his violent tyrannical ways. Archigallus is eventually restored for changing his ways and becomes a just king. We can pare our extract with another section of the Roll. There is an earlier extract that talks of Henry Iv, when he was still Henry of Darby, imprisoning Richard II and how he became
Legitimacy is the key to a successful kingship. If you can be perceived as an effective and legitimate ruler by the nobility, you will remain in power. This was especially important in the early period of the reign of Edward IV because the son of Henry VI, Edward of Westminster, was still alive until he was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4th May 1471. If Edward IV not establish the legitimacy in the minds of the nobles, then they could easily justify overthrowing the usurper because the son of the rightful king, Edward of Westminster, was still alive. Our extract shows us this attempt to legitimise Edward IV by delegitimising the overthrow of Richard II by saying that Henry IV took the throne through illegal