Jasper Tudor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jasper Tudor Duke of Bedford, Earl of Pembroke
Jasper Tudor and his wife Catherine Woodville
Born	c. November 1431 Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Died	21 December 1495 (age 64) Thornbury Castle, Gloucestershire
Buried	Keynsham Abbey, Somerset, England
Noble family	Tudor
Spouse(s)	Catherine Woodville (m. 1485)
Issue	Helen Tudor (illegitimate)
Parents	Owen Tudor Catherine of Valois

Coat of arms of Jasper Tudor

Jasper Tudor (born around November 1431, died 21 December 1495) was an important nobleman from Wales and England. He was the uncle of King Henry VII of England. Jasper played a huge part in helping his nephew become King of England in 1485. He came from the powerful Tudor family in North Wales.

Jasper Tudor was given his own special design, called a coat of arms, by his half-brother, King Henry VI. This coat of arms showed symbols of both France and England. It also had a blue border with golden birds called martlets.

Jasper Tudor's Family and Early Life

Jasper was the second son of Sir Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois. Catherine was once the Queen of England and the wife of King Henry V of England. This meant Jasper was the half-brother of King Henry VI. Through his father, Jasper was connected to a very old and respected Welsh family. His mother was also the daughter of King Charles VI of France.

Jasper was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, in 1431. After his mother died in 1437, his father, Owen Tudor, was arrested. Jasper and his brother Edmund were looked after by a nun named Katherine de la Pole. She made sure they had food, clothes, and a place to stay. They even had servants because they were the King's half-brothers.

In 1442, King Henry VI started to take a personal interest in their lives. He brought Jasper and Edmund to live at his royal court. The King made sure they received the best education and military training. Jasper became the Earl of Pembroke in 1452. This was a very important title.

Becoming a Leader and Royal Supporter

Jasper's father, Owen Tudor, was released from prison. This was likely thanks to King Henry VI. Henry VI made sure his half-brothers were well cared for and gave them important titles. Jasper and Edmund promised to be loyal to Henry VI and his family forever. They fought hard to protect the Lancastrian family's interests.

Even though there were questions about his parents' marriage, Jasper was treated like a true prince. He was given many special honors, like becoming a Knight of the Garter. Later in life, he proudly called himself "Prince Jasper, brother and uncle of Kings." Jasper tried to help stop the fighting between noble families. After his older brother Edmund died, Jasper took on the job of keeping the Lancastrian family strong in Wales. He also looked after his sister-in-law and his baby nephew, Henry Tudor.

When the Yorkist King Edward IV took the throne in 1461, Jasper was declared a traitor. This was because he supported his half-brother, the deposed King Henry VI. Jasper was very loyal to Henry VI and his wife, Margaret of Anjou. He also helped his other sister-in-law, Lady Margaret Beaufort, and her son Henry Tudor. Jasper helped Henry Tudor become King Henry VII in 1485.

In 1485, Jasper helped pay for the rebuilding of a tower at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. This tower is now called the Jasper Tower in his honor.

The Wars of the Roses and Exile

Jasper Tudor was a skilled military leader. He gained experience during the early parts of the Wars of the Roses. This was a series of wars fought between two powerful families, the House of Lancaster and the House of York, who both wanted to rule England. Jasper fought for the Lancastrian side.

One important battle he fought was the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461. He lost this battle to the future King Edward IV. His father, Owen Tudor, was captured and executed. Jasper held important castles in Wales, but he lost them to his enemies. He stayed in touch with Margaret of Anjou, King Henry VI's wife.

Jasper also helped raise his nephew, Henry Tudor. Henry's father, Edmund Tudor, had died before Henry was born. Jasper and Henry had to leave England for a while. They were welcomed by King Louis XI of France in 1462. Jasper stayed in France for six years before returning to Wales.

When King Edward IV returned to power in 1471, Jasper had to flee England again. He traveled around Europe, trying to get support for the Lancastrian cause. While escaping from Wales with his nephew Henry, a storm forced their ship to land in Brittany, France. They found safety with Francis II, Duke of Brittany. The Duke protected them from King Edward IV, who wanted them captured. For 11 years, Jasper and Henry lived safely in Brittany.

In 1483, Jasper and Henry tried to invade England from Brittany, but it failed. Later, a treasurer in Brittany tried to hand them over to the new English King, Richard III of England. But Jasper and Henry were warned and managed to escape into France. King Charles VIII of France welcomed them and gave them help.

When Henry Tudor finally became King Henry VII in 1485, Jasper Tudor was given back all his titles. He became a Knight of the Garter again and was made the Duke of Bedford. In 1488, he took control of Cardiff Castle.

English royal families in the Wars of the Roses

Dukes (except Aquitaine) and Princes of Wales are noted, as are the monarchs' reigns. Individuals with red dashed borders are Lancastrians and blue dotted borders are Yorkists. Some changed sides and are represented with a solid thin purple border. Monarchs have a rounded-corner border. Henry of Grosmont Duke of Lancaster Edward III King of England r. 1327 – 1377 Edward of Woodstock "The Black Prince" Prince of Wales Lionel of Antwerp Duke of Clarence Blanche of Lancaster John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Katherine Swynford Edmund of Langley Duke of York Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Gloucester Richard II Prince of Wales, King of England r. 1377 – 1399 Philippa of Clarence Henry IV Duke of Lancaster, King of England r. 1399 – 1413 John Beaufort Thomas Beaufort Duke of Exeter Joan Beaufort Ralph Neville Henry Percy (Hotspur) Elizabeth Mortimer Roger Mortimer Owen Tudor Catherine of Valois Henry V Duke of Lancaster, Prince of Wales, King of England r. 1413 – 1422 Humphrey Duke of Gloucester Edward of Norwich Duke of York Richard of Conisburgh Anne de Mortimer John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset Margaret of Anjou Henry VI King of England r. 1422 – 1461, r. 1470 – 1471 Edmund Beaufort 2nd Duke of Somerset   †1st St Albans William Neville Eleanor Neville Henry Percy   †1st St Albans Anne Neville Duchess of Buckingham Richard Neville  Wakefield Cecily Neville Richard Plantagenet Duke of York, Prince of Wales   †Wakefield Henry Beaufort 3rd Duke of Somerset  Hexham Richard Woodville  Edgecote Margaret Beaufort Edmund Beaufort 4th Duke of Somerset  Tewkesbury Henry Percy   †Towton Humphrey Stafford John Neville   †Barnet Richard Neville "Kingmaker"   †Barnet Margaret Beaufort Edmund Tudor Jasper Tudor Duke of Bedford Catherine Woodville Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham   Elizabeth Woodville Edward IV Duke of York, King of England r. 1461 – 1470, r. 1471 – 1483 George Plantagenet Duke of Clarence  Tower Edward of Westminster Prince of Wales   †Tewkesbury Anne Neville Richard III Duke of Gloucester, King of England r. 1483 – 1485   †Bosworth Field Henry VII King of England r. 1485 – 1509 Elizabeth of York Edward V Prince of Wales, King of England r.  Tower Richard of Shrewsbury Duke of York  Tower

Marriage and Family

Jasper Tudor married Catherine Woodville on 7 November 1485. Catherine was the sister of King Edward IV's queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Catherine had been married before, but her first husband had died. Jasper and Catherine did not have any children together.

Children

Some historical records mention that Jasper Tudor had an illegitimate daughter named Helen (or Ellen). She was said to have married a man named William Gardener. However, there is not much clear information about this, and some later stories about his family have been found to be incorrect.

Death and Burial

Jasper Tudor died at Thornbury Castle on 21 December 1495. He was buried at Keynsham Abbey in Somerset, England.