Third and youngest child of Edmund Duke of York and his first wife
Isabel of Castilla: born at Conisborough Castle, Yorkshire, whence,
according to the custom of his time, he was usually known as Richard of
Conisborough. The only record extant of his father's visiting the
castle is a charter dated thence, September 11th, 1376. (_Rot. Pat_.
50 E. III, Part 2.) This is probably therefore about the time of
Richard's birth. He was left in England with his sister during the
eighteen months (May, 1381, to October, 1382) which his parents spent in
Portugal. His mother, dying in 1393, bequeathed him to the care of King
Richard the Second, who had been his godfather, though the King was only
nine years older than his godson and namesake; and she constituted his
Majesty her residuary legatee in trust for her son, desiring that he
would allow him 500 marks annually for life. This sum would be
equivalent now to about 6,500 pounds per annum. So long as King Richard
was in power, the money was paid faithfully, 100 from the issues of the
County of York, and 233 pounds 6 shillings 8 pence from the Exchequer.
(Lansd. _Ms_. 860, A, folio 274; Nicolas' _Test. Vet_, i. 134; _Rot.
Pat_. 16 R. II, Part 3.) During the sanguinary struggles between King
Richard and his cousin Henry the Fourth, nothing is seen of Richard of
Conisborough. He was not with the King in Ireland nor at Conway,
neither does he appear in Henry's suite. He probably kept himself very
quiet. When his brother and sister were imprisoned in 1405 for the
attempted rescue of the Mortimers, no suspicion fell on Richard.
Whether he was really concerned in the plot can only be guessed. In
1406 he was chosen to escort the Princess Philippa to Denmark, and on
account of his poverty a grant was made to cover his expenses. The
poverty was no great wonder, for though a show of confirming his royal
godfather's grant had been made, yet practically poor Richard's income
was reduced to 40 pounds per annum. (_Rot. Pat_. 1 H. IV, Part 3;
_Rot. Ex, Pose_, 3 H. V.) He was probably created, or allowed to
assume the title of, Earl of Cambridge, which really appertained to his
brother, only a short time before his death; for up to December 5th,
1414, he is styled in the state papers Richard of York. The accusations
brought against him, by which he was done to death, were so absurdly
improbable as to be incredible. It was asserted that Charles the Sixth
of France had sent over "a hundred thousand in gold," (which probably
means crowns) to Richard Earl of Cambridge, Henry Lord Scrope of Upsal,
and Sir Thomas Grey de Wark, urging them to betray Henry the Fifth into
his hands, or murder him before he should arrive in Normandy; that
thereupon the trio conspired to lead March into Wales (a simple
repetition of Constance's defeated attempt), and to proclaim him King,
if King Richard were dead--which Henry the Fifth perfectly well knew he
was, and so did the accused trio; that they carried into Wales the
banner and crown of Spain, for the purpose of crowning March, the said
articles being pawned to the Earl of Cambridge--which crown had in
reality been bequeathed by the Infanta Isabel to her son Edward, and in
default of his issue to Richard, and had never been in possession of the
House of Lancaster at all; that they had sent to Scotland for two
personators of King Richard, Trumpington and another (probably John
Maudeleyn) whom they intended to pass off to the people as King
Richard--which is in itself a contradiction to the charge of setting up
March as King. Cambridge and Scrope pleaded their peerage. A
commission was issued, August 5th, 1415, by which their judges were
appointed--Thomas Duke of Clarence, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester
(brothers of the King), Thomas Earl of Dorset (the King's half-brother),
who sat as proxy of Edward Duke of York; Edmund Earl of March, the very
man whom they were accused of making King; and fourteen other peers.
Neither Cambridge nor Scrope was allowed to speak in his own defence.
Sentence was passed at once, and they were beheaded the day following on
Southampton Green. There is no evidence that Richard had conspired for
any purpose; the whole affair was apparently a mere pretext to be rid of
him. In character, Richard seems to have been noble and honourable,
with a slight taint of his father's indecision: there is no portrait of
him known. The traces of Lollardism are very slight, but I think they
may be fairly considered "proven;" and if this be the case, it fully
accounts for the acrimony with which he was hunted to death. His age
when he died was about 39. Richard of Conisborough was twice married;
his wives were--1. Anne, eldest child of Roger Mortimer, fifth Earl of
March, and his wife Alianora de Holand; born about 1390; very likely
imprisoned in Windsor Castle with her brothers on the usurpation of
Henry the Fourth, 1400; released, if so, with her sister Alianora, and
both provided for by the King (being described as "_omnibus suis
parentibus et amicis destitutis_"), and all fiefs of their mother
granted to them, May 13th, 1406 (_Rot. Pat_. 7 H. IV, Part 2);
married, probably, 1408; most likely died in childbed, September
1410-11, aged about 20 years. 2. Maude, only daughter of Thomas, Lord
Clifford of Cumberland (one of the two most uncompromisingly Lollard
houses in the kingdom) and his wife Elizabeth de Ros of Hamlake; born
probably about 1390, married, 1412-15; married, secondly, John Neville,
sixth and last Lord Latimer of Danby; died without issue, August 26,
1446 (_Inq. Post Mortem_ 25 H. VI, 21), aged about 56. The children
of Richard of Conisborough (both by Anne Mortimer) were:--1. Isabel,
born about 1409, married (1) to Thomas Grey de Wark (son of the man
condemned with her father), before February 18, 1412 (_Rot. Pat_. 13 H.
IV, Part 2); (2) her second cousin, Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex and
Count of Eu; died (leaving issue by second marriage) October 2nd, 1484,
aged about 75. (_Inq. Post Mortem_ 2 R. III, 53.) 2. Richard, Duke
of York and Albemarle, Earl of Cambridge, Lord of Teviotdale and
Holderness: born September 21st, 1410 or 1411 (more likely the earlier
year. (_Inq. Post Mortem_ 11 H. VI, 39, _Anna Comitissa Marchia_; 3
H. VI, 32, _Edmundi Comitis Marchice_; 3 H. V, 45, _Edmundi Duds
Ebor_; 12 H. VI, 43, _Johanna Ducissa Ebor_.) He afterwards set up his
claims against the House of Lancaster, which were brought to a
successful issue by his sons, though he himself never was King. Married
about 1438, Cicely Neville, daughter of Ralph, first Earl of
Westmoreland and his wife Joan Beaufort; called the Rose of Raby.
Beheaded after the battle of Wakefield, December 30th, 1460 (_Inq. Post
Mortem_ 18 E. IV, 60), aged 50; buried at Pomfret, 1466; Fotheringay,
1476.