The New Murrey and Blue blog

Who was Ankarette Twynho?

It takes a lot of working out, as there is only limited information available and there are quite a lot of Twynhos, most of whom have some sort of official link to the court or to parliament.

Ankarette herself was born a Hawkston or Hawkstone, sometime around 1412. Sadly, we do not know who her parents were, their condition in life, or where they were from. It is likely, however, that they were relatively well-off, given Ankarette’s marriage.

(It is a strange truth, but not necessarily relevant, that the Red Castle, once owned by the Lord Audley of Blore Heath fame lies within a property known as Hawkstone Park. Hawkstone Hall, now a luxury hotel, was in the possession of the Hill family for many generations. Is it possible that Ankarette’s birth family came from this area?)

‘Ankarette’ is an Anglicised version of the Welsh name Angharad. Again, this may suggest an origin from somewhere in the Marches, where intermarriage between Welsh and English families was so commonplace that it was entirely unremarkable. However, there can be no certainty that this was the case.

In any event, Ankarette married William Twynho of Keyford, near Frome, Somerset. Twynho was a landed gentleman. He was the son of one John Twynho and brother of another. This younger John, if we may trust Wikipedia, was a wealthy wool merchant, lawyer, Recorder of Bristol and a member of Parliament. (He does not yet feature in the online History of Parliament, but his constituency was Bristol.) In 1478 he became Attorney General to the Prince of Wales. This and other later acts of patronage may be significant.

Ankarette and her husband had at least three children, perhaps four.

Edith married Thomas de la Lynde.

John married (unknown).

William married Catherine Solers

Elizabeth married William Lovell (But not named in some sources.)

As is well known, Ankarette, by this time a grandmother, served Isabelle, Duchess of Clarence as an attendant. (Given her age she may have been in charge of the younger ladies or damsels.) After Isabel’s death, George had her arrested and carried off to Warwick. She was charged with poisoning Isabel and her baby, tried and sentenced to be hanged.

Whether George had any reason to think Ankarette was guilty is not known, but dragging an old woman from her home and hanging her on a random basis does seem odd. Although George was charged with all manner of wickedness at his trial, the episode with Ankarette was not one of them. It may have been high-handed and rough justice – the 15th century was not noted for the equity and fairness of its criminal law – but it was not necessarily illegal.

Two days after George’s execution, Ankarette’s grandson, Roger Twynho obtained a posthumous pardon for her.

“That whereas the said Ankarette on Saturday, 12th of April 17 Edward IV (1477), was in her manor at Cayford (i.e. Keyford, Somerset) and Richard Hyde late of Warwick, gentleman and Roger Strugg late of Bekehampton, co Somerset, towker, with diverse riotous persons to number of fourscore by the command of George, duke of Clarence, came to Cayford about two of the clock after noon and entered her house and carried her off the same day to bath and from thence on the Sunday following to Circeter (Cirencester) co. Gloucester, and from thence to Warwick, whither they brought her on the Monday following about eight of the clock in the after noon, which town of Warwick is distant from Cayforde seventy miles, and then and there took from her all her jewels, money and goods and also in the said dukes behalf, as though he had used King’s power, Commanded Thomas Delalynde, esquire, and Edith his wife, daughter of the said Ankarette, and their servants to avoid from the town of Warwick and lodged them at Stattforde upon Aven that night, six miles from thence and the said duke kept Ankarette imprison unto the hour of nine before noon on the morrow, to wit the Tuesday after the closing of Pasche (ie Easter) and caused her to be brought to the Guildhall at Warwick before divers of Justices of the peace in the County then sitting in sessions and caused her to be indicted by the name of Ankarette Twynyho, late of Warwick, widow, late servant of the duke and Isabel his wife, of having at on 10 October, 16 Edward IV, given to the said Isabel a venomous drink of ale mixed with poison, of which the latter sickened until the Sunday before Christmas, on which day she died, and the justices arraigned the said Ankarette and a jury appeared and found her guilty and it was considered that she should be led from the bar there to the gaol of Warwick and thence should be drawn through the town to the gallows of Myton and hanged till she was dead, and the Sheriff was commanded to do execution and so he did, which indictment, trail and judgement were done and given within three hours of said Tuesday, and juror for fear gave the Sheriff was verdict contrary to their conscience, in proof where of divers of them came to said Ankarette in remorse and asked her forgiveness, in consideration of the imaginations of and her good disposition, the King should ordain that the record, process, verdict and judgement should be void and of no effect, but that as the premises were done by the command of the said duke, the said justices and Sheriff and the under-Sheriff and their ministers should not be vexed, The answer of the king. So it fait come il est desire (Let it be done as the petitioner).”

Another grandson, George, married Anne Audley, the granddaughter of James, Lord Audley. This Anne was, of course, a descendant of Edmund of Langley and their children, therefore, had both the blood of York and of the unfortunate Ankarette.