The Mortimer Kidnapping

Young Edmund Mortimer, who was the heir-presumptive of Richard II with the strongest claim to the throne of England, was being raised by the usurper Henry Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV. Edmund's uncle, Sir Edmund Mortimer, in 1402 declared that young Edmund was the rightful heir to the throne, putting him publicly opposed to Henry's reign.

Sir Edmund's sister Elizabeth was married to Henry "Hotspur" Percy. Sir Edmund made an arrangement with the Percy family of northern England and Owain Glendower of Wales (now Sir Edmund's father-in-law) called the Tripartite Indenture, by which they would overthrow Henry and divide Great Britain among themselves. Their first attempt to overthrow Henry IV resulted in the death of Hotspur.

They did not give up. One step toward success was gaining control of the "captive" Edmund. Henry was raising Edmund and his brother Roger with Henry's own younger children at Windsor Castle.

For the rescue they turned to Constance of York, whose husband had been executed after a plot to assassinate Henry IV. In February 1405, Constance and her brother, Edward of Norwich Duke of York, managed to get to Edmund and Roger and kidnap them. They were overtaken in Cheltenham, 3/4 of the way to Wales.

Constance and Edward of Norwich were imprisoned. Many monarchs would have killed the buy in order to prevent him from being the focal point for a rebellion. Henry IV was kinder than that, as well as confident of his military superiority that could put down any rebellion.

Edmund and Roger were returned to Windsor, but ultimately kept in the Tower of London. Sir Edmund was kept in check and died in 1409. With the chief rebel gone, Henry IV handed custody of young Edmund to the Prince of Wales, Henry (later King Henry V), who was 22, five years older than Edmund.

While Henry IV lived, he would not allow Edmund or Roger to go free. They were now old enough and savvy enough to understand that they might someday become king of England with the right backing, and there were still people in England who would support them. Tomorrow I'll explain their fate after Henry IV died. You might be surprised.

The Mortimer Rebellion

Although Edmund Mortimer was only seven years old when Henry Bolingbroke usurped the throne from Richard II, he was a potential political threat. He was Richard's heir-presumptive, and his lineage gave him a greater right to the throne of England through the laws of primogeniture than Henry had.

Henry treated the boy well, putting him (and his brother, Roger) in the care of a trusted retainer and raising him with Henry's own youngest children. Edmund had two sisters, but they lived quietly with their mother, who had remarried. A few years later, however, events took a turn that made the young Edmund more of a threat without the boy even lifting a finger.

Edmund's uncle, Sir Edmund Mortimer, was captured in June 1402 in Wales by Owain Glendower, a rebel leader. Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV, thought that Sir Edmund had actually chosen to defect and join the Welsh rebellion. Henry refused to pay ransom for Sir Edmund and confiscated his lands. Sir Edmund reinforced the suspicion of defection by marrying Glendower's daughter, Catrin. On 13 December 1402 he declared publicly that Edmund was the rightful heir to Richard II.

Sir Edmund's sister, Lady Elizabeth Mortimer, was married to Henry Percy, the 1st Earl of Northumberland. The Percy family was notable for helping keep control of the north of England against the Scots and the northern seas. Henry Percy and his son, also named Henry but nicknamed "Hotspur," rebelled against King Henry in collusion with Sir Edmund. The Percys felt that they were not appreciated enough by Henry IV for what they provided. The initial rebellion failed, and Hotspur was killed (see illustration).

In 1405, Sir Edmund, Henry Percy, and Glendower made an agreement called the Tripartite Indenture, in which they would depose Henry IV and divide the kingdom into three parts. They rebelled against Henry IV in a plot designed to free the young Edmund and make him king (after which, no doubt, Sir Edmund would be a chief advisor).

There was a plan to abduct young Edmund and his brother. It worked, but the consequences were grave. I'll tell you more tomorrow.