POLITICAL HISTORY on his way to Ludlow, which he reached on the 20th.^*' He rewarded Sir William Herbert for his support by creating him a baron on 26 July, and making him numerous grants in the southern marches, including the castle of Goodrich and the lordship of Archenfield,"" which however afterwards reverted to the Talbots. The final phase of the war affected Herefordshire but httle, although several of her gentry took part in it. After the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 Richard Croft of Croft Castle, formerly the king's tutor, and at that time sheriff of the county, captured Prince Edward of Lancaster,"^ and was knighted on the field.'" In 1473, owing to the disturbed state of the Marches, Queen Elizabeth and the prince of Wales, then in his third year, were sent early in the spring to Hereford to hold an assize. The grand jury, probably influenced by the rapid political changes of the preceding years, were unwilling to present ' unless they received special pledges ' of the Kyng's good grace, and assistance of the Lordes there present.' They also demanded that if they did present, the persons presented should not be ' Hghtly . . . delyvered withoute due examination.' ^" The period has now been reached at which Herefordshire came under the influence of that body which afterwards became the Council in the Marches of Wales."* This body developed from the personal council of the prince of Wales, which was first nominated for Edward IV 's son on 8 July, 1471."^ Although Herefordshire and the English counties were not specifically placed under its jurisdiction, yet the constant intercourse between Wales and these counties rendered some measure of co-administration imperative. This was gained at first chiefly by issuing special commissions to officials and members of the council, or by appointing commissioners to act under the supervision of the Council in the Marches. Thus in 1474 a commission was issued to Earl Rivers and ten other persons, including the sheriff of Herefordshire, to array the king's lieges against some Welsh rebels and to assist the prince against them when required by him and his council."^ On 2 January, 1475—6, a general commission of oyer and terminer was granted to the prince of Wales within the counties of Salop, Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester, and the Marches of Wales adjacent, and Wales, with power to array men-at-arms, archers and others, if necessary."^ The death of Edward IV was followed by the overthrow of the queen's kinsmen, the Greys and Woodvilles, by the duke of Gloucester. Gloucester triumphed by the aid of the older nobility, jealous of the new magnates created by Edward IV, and he was obliged to repay them by humouring their territorial ambitions. His two chief supporters were Buckingham and Howard, who had married the daughter of the last Mowbray duke of Norfolk. Buckingham was rewarded on 15 May by being made Justiciar and Chamberlain of North and South Wales, and constable of all royal castles within the PrincipaUty and in the counties of Salop, Hereford, Somerset, '«' Ramsay, Lancaster and York, ii, 277. "» Cal. R. Pat. 146 1-7, p. 114. "' Hall's Chrm. (1809), 301 ; Retrospective Review (Ser. 2), i, 472-3. "' Paston Letters (1900), iii, 9. 2" Rot. Pari, vi, 160. "' See Miss Skeel's Council in the Marches of tV ales (1904). '" Cal. Pat. R. 1467-77, p. 283. "* Ibid. p. 429. Rivers was a member of the prince's council. '" Ibid. p. 574 ; see also p. 605 ; and Cal. Pat. R. 1476-85, p. ;. 375
