The New Murrey and Blue blog

Wandering around the internet, as usual, I came upon this link , from which I have taken the following extract:

“Perkin Warbeck was tried for treason on November 16 and executed on November 23, 1499. His head joined the lineup of traitors spanning the London Bridge. Warbeck’s wife had been living in Westminster for so long that Henry had become fond of her. Listed as the White Rose in the Privy Council’s purse ledger. Henry’s treasurer gave her a yearly stipend and paid many of her expenses until she married a knight, Sir Edward [sic] Craddock. The White Rose is buried with Sir Craddock [sic] in St. Mary’s Church, Swansea.[1]….”

“….[1]: Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Edited by Rev. Charles Rogers, LL.D., historiographer to the Royal Historical Society; Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; and corresponding member of the Historical and Genealogical Society of New England. Vol. I, Second Edition, Printed by McFarlane and Erskine, for the Society, St. James Square, London, 1875….”

I think Katherine had four husbands all told, and Craddock was the third. Perkin Warbeck and James Strangeways preceded him, and Christopher Ashton came after him. She was apparently buried with her last husband, Ashton, in Fyfield., Oxfordshire. Craddock had been buried in Swansea.

But her marital history is not relevant here, it’s the name by which she was apparently known at the English court that interests me. Was she known as the White Rose? Did Henry VII refer to her by this name? Does anyone else know? I certainly hadn’t heard it before.

By the way, her third husband was Sir Matthew Craddock, not Edward. Nor was he Sir Craddock! I hadn’t even noticed these bloopers until a friend pointed them out!

As to the real identity of Perkin Warbeck….I wonder if we’ll ever know for certain?