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Apr 216 min read

John The Butcher Clifford

Updated: Apr 22

John The Butcher 9th Baron Clifford Sir 15th great grand uncle. John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford, also 9th Lord of Skipton (1435 – 28 March 1461) was a Lancastrian military leader during the Wars of the Roses. For a period, he was the right-hand man of Margaret of Anjou.

John 9th Baron Clifford Sir

He was the son of Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford and Joanna or Joan de Dacre, John Clifford married Margaret Blomflete (1436 – 12 April 1493) and had one son, Henry. He inherited the barony and the family seat at Skipton Castle on his father's death at the First Battle of St Albans in 1455. Possibly motivated by a desire to avenge Thomas, John Clifford came to the forefront of the Lancastrian cause.


Clifford led the Lancastrian right wing at the Battle of Wakefield in December 1460, a surprise attack on the Yorkist stronghold of Sandal Castle. The battle was a complete Lancastrian victory in which the Yorkist army was destroyed, their leader the Duke of York, was killed and his son Edmund and brother-in-law the Earl of Salisbury were captured.


Clifford is perhaps most famous for the killing of Edmund following the battle, an act contemporary chroniclers agreed he committed himself rather than ordering done. The killing went against tradition as captured sons of nobles were usually ransomed.


Because Edmund was 17, the second (of four) sons rather than a leader or heir apparent, militarily inexperienced (Wakefield is the only known battle he fought in), and was wounded and defenceless when he was killed, his death was viewed as murder by the Yorkist faction and looked upon with disfavour by his fellow Lancastrian leaders, though Clifford defended the killing as a just execution no different than the beheading of Edmund's uncle the Earl of Salisbury following the battle (though Salisbury was elderly and had participated in numerous battles against the Lancastrians).

The act earned no formal disapproval from Queen Margaret, regent for her son Prince Edward during the mental illness of her husband King Henry VI, thus Clifford suffered no repercussion, though it infuriated Edmund's older brother Edward (who was in Wales at the time of the battle) who vowed vengeance and may have given Clifford his nickname "the Butcher". ( later Clifford was also referred to as "Black-faced Clifford".)


Clifford was killed at the Battle of Ferrybridge the following year, struck by an arrow in the throat after having carelessly removed his gorget.

The Battle of Ferrybrridge is noted as the bloodiest battle ever on English soil.

When Edward Duke of York became King Edward IV the widowed Lady Clifford, fearing her son Henry would be killed as retaliation for the new king's brother, sent him into hiding.


Skipton Castle

The youth was placed under attainder and the family estates were confiscated. The attainder was lifted and Skipton Castle was restored to him following the accession to the throne of Lancastrian claimant

Henry Tudor in 1485 whose victory over Richard III and marriage to Elizabeth of York effectively ended the Wars of the Roses.

Clifford is a major character in William Shakespeare's play, Henry VI, Part 3, in which he is portrayed as thirsty for revenge following his father's death, and personally responsible for the death of Edmund, Earl of Rutland.

Modern works in which he is depicted include Sharon Kay Penman's novel The Sunne in Splendour.

Below I have given details of my family connections to: John The Butcher 9th Baron Clifford Sir, Margaret Anjou, Henry VI De Lancaster King and Edward IV of England Plantagenet King.

We as family researchers are confronted with the complex unravelling of generations back through our family history.

As complex as it may seem to most of us, following historical records, articles and publications diligently will result in success in most cases.







Copyright © Noel Bond. Researched and written by Noel Bond, No written part of this Blog may be reproduced in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.

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