Synthesized answer
The passages reveal that Edward of Norwich’s birth year is uncertain: he was “probably born in 1373” but his age at his father’s death “would place his birth two or three years later” [1]. Similarly, his betrothal to Beatrice of Portugal was performed in 1381, but the marriage was soon undone when King Ferdinand “made peace with Castille” and remarried her to another [2]. These conflicting details illustrate the inherent challenge of reconstructing historical narratives, as even for a notable figure like a duke, primary sources (e.g., Escheat Rolls, chronicles) can disagree on basic facts, and political events can abruptly alter personal arrangements.
Historians might navigate such discrepancies by comparing multiple sources and noting their reliability. For example, the passage cites Dugdale from the Escheat Rolls for one birth date, while other chronicles suggest 1373 [1]. They also weigh the trustworthiness of accounts: the “Chronique de la Traïson” is described as “untrustworthy and prejudiced” [5], whereas English authorities written near the time are given more credence [5]. By cross-referencing official records, chronicles, and later peerage works, historians can identify…
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
← Plantagenet, Arthur Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 , Volume 45 'Plantagenet,' Edward by James Tait Plantagenet, George → 1169005 Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 , Volume 45 — 'Plantagenet,' Edward 1896 James Tait ‘ PLANTAGENET ,’ EDWARD, more correctly Edward of Norwich , second Duke of York (1373?–1415), was the eldest child of Edmund de Langley, earl of Cambridge, and afterwards duke of York [see Langley ]. His father was the fifth son of Edward III, and his mother was Isabella of Castille, second daughter of Pedro the Cruel. Edward of Norwich was probably born…
155; Chron. du Religieux de St. Denys , ii. 356). He was knighted by Richard II at his coronation ( Fœdera , vii. 157). Betrothed to Beatrice, daughter of Ferdinand, king of Portugal, by the treaty of Estremoz (1380), as a condition of assistance against Henry of Castille, he was taken to Portugal by his father in July 1381, and the marriage was performed shortly after their arrival in Lisbon ( ib . vii. 264; Walsingham , i. 313). But Ferdinand making peace with Castille, Cambridge returned to England in 1382, taking with him his son, whom the king, it is said, wished to retain; Ferdinand…
ichard II; Wylie's Henry IV; Ramsay's Lancaster and York; Dugdale's Monasticon Anglicanum (ed. 1817) and Baronage; G. E. C[okayne]'s Complete Peerage; Beltz's Memorials of the Order of the Garter.] J. T-t.
eoff Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchester, and others, with a large part of his estates as security for a loan ( ib . p. 1413). But the reconstruction of the church does not seem to have been begun until 1434. [Rotuli Parliamentorum; Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council (ed. Nicolas); Rymer's Fœdera, original edit.; Annales Ricardi II et Henrici IV (with Trokelowe), Walsingham's Historia Anglicana, and the Eulogium Historiarum (all in Rolls Ser.); Adam of Usk, ed. Maunde Thompson; Chron. of the Monk of Evesham, ed. Hearne; Chronique de la Traïson et Mort du Roy Richart II, ed.…
f Gloucester's attainder had revived the rights of his heirs to the reversion ( Assoc. Archit. Soc. Reports , xiv. 109). This latter fact in itself throws the gravest doubt on the story of his complicity in the conspiracy of Christmas 1399, at least in the form to which Shakespeare has given such wide currency. The dramatic episode of York's accidental discovery of his son's treason, and the hasty ride to Windsor, by which Albemarle anticipated his father in disclosing the plot to the king, was taken by the Tudor historians from the contemporary but untrustworthy and prejudiced ‘Chronique de…
More questions about this book
- How does the description of the "Dictionary of National Biography" (DNB) and its ongoing digital project (transcription, proofreading, scanned images) inform our understanding of what makes a historical source "standard" and trustworthy in both its original and modern forms?
- If you were explaining the political dynamics behind Edward of Norwich's broken betrothal to someone unfamiliar with medieval history, what key concepts (e.g., strategic marriages, shifting alliances) would you need to simplify and highlight based *only* on the provided text?
- How does the excerpt about Edward of Norwich demonstrate the specific utility of a biographical dictionary like the DNB for understanding the complex lineage, political pressures, and personal trajectories of historical figures?
- The text mentions the DNB being in the "public domain in the United States" due to its publication date. How does the concept of public domain, particularly for a work like the DNB, influence the accessibility, usage, and preservation of historical knowledge today?