When anyone hears the name ‘Margaret Beaufort’, they always think instantly of the mother of Henry Tudor. However, there was another Margaret Beaufort, who also had a famous son called Henry, whose mother also bore the surname Beauchamp, who married one of the Staffords, and who was widowed young and remarried—although there her life diversifies from her more famous relative, and she falls into obscurity….and even mystery.
‘Our’ Margaret was the daughter of Edmund Beaufort, arch-enemy of Richard, Duke of York. Yes, the same Edmund who was involved with the widowed Catherine of Valois, resulting in her leaving court and ending up with Owen Tudor. (it has also been rumoured her eldest son was Edmund Beaufort’s rather than Owen’s—the child even being named ‘Edmund’, an uncommon in either France or Wales.) Edmund was also rumoured to be the father of Margaret of Anjou’s son, Edward of Westminster. If he was fathering all these children, Edmund was certainly busy.
Anyway, Edmund Beaufort had a pack of his own legitimate children with his wife, Eleanor Beauchamp. Margaret appears to be the second or third daughter, but made the ‘best’ first marriage, to Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Stafford—the heir of Humphrey Duke of Buckingham by his wife, Anne Neville, sister to Cecily Neville.
Humphrey fought at the First Battle of St Alban’s with his father, and both were injured, Humphrey possibly seriously. Some bios of him claim he died at St Alban’s, but he appears to have died of illness several years later. In the same year as the battle, Margaret gave birth to little Henry on September 4. A year or so later, she had another son, Humphrey, who is also often omitted from bios of his brother, who is frequently described as an ‘only child.’ Humphrey definitely exists for he appears briefly in records when both boys were given into wardship of Elizabeth Woodville after Edward IV took the throne. Beyond that, there is no mention, so presumably he died young while in Elizabeth’s household.
Margaret then went on to marry a knight called Sir Richard Darrell or Dayrell and seems to have gone to live in Wiltshire (Richard became Sheriff there); they probably lived at the family manor of Littlecote, near Ramsbury, which had come to the family through Richard’s mother, Elizabeth Calston.
And here things get a little murky. The year of Margaret’s second marriage is uncertain, but most likely was a year or two after the Battle of Northampton in 1460, where the Duke of Buckingham is killed. Within a brief time, she gives birth to a daughter, also called Margaret. However, some strange documents exist in which Richard Dayrell’s mother Elizabeth claims for expenses for caring for Margaret. Some historians think this his could have been owing to her pregnancy but it is uncertain. Even more curious is that Richard Dayrell seemed reluctant to pay his mother the money owed ,and after she died, his brother Alexander brought a lawsuit to claim the funds. (Richard also appears to have been left out of Elizabeth Calston’s will.) The implication was that Margaret was, as has been suggested, ‘an embecile’ and ‘non compos mentis.’
Margaret died in between 1474-76, long before her son Henry Stafford became a notorious rebel and possible killer of the Princes in the Tower—and before he lost his head in Salisbury. Her daughter Margaret, Buckingham’s half-sister, went on to marry James Tuchet, 7th Lord Audley. They had one son, James.
Margaret Beaufort’s burial place is unknown but may be in Ramsbury Church, which has a chantry chapel dedicated to the family, complete with some large chest tombs.
The novel THE OTHER MARGARET BEAUFORT is biographical fiction chronicling Margaret’s life, as much as is possible, and contrasting it with that of her cousin. It also deals with Margaret’s possible mental illness and perhaps less-than-happy second marriage.
THE OTHER MARGARET BEAUFORT by J.P. Reedman, kindle & print:
Littlecote House, and the Darrell Chantry in Ramsbury
The New Murrey and Blue blog 
Leave a comment