David Grummitt - Henry VI

First published 2015
by Routledge
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2015 David Grummitt

The right of David Grummitt to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Grummitt, David, 1971

Henry VI / David Grummitt.

pages cm. (Routledge historical biographies)

Includes index.

1. Henry VI, King of England, 14211471. 2. Great Britain

Kings and rulersBiography. 3. Great BritainHistoryHenry VI,
14221461. I. Title.

DA257.G78 2015
942.043092dc23
[B]
2014043552

ISBN: 978-0-415-63992-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-63993-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-70835-5 (ebk)

Typeset in Garamond
by Apex CoVantage, LLC

Medieval kings are elusive subjects for biographers and none more so perhaps than Henry VI. In this book I have tried to avoid taking sides in the perennial debate over whether Henry was a good or bad king. Instead, I have attempted to understand his kingship within the context of a distinctive Lancastrian identity. This identity, which I have labelled as Lancastrianism, was both political and cultural and it operated at both the national and international levels. Its tenets were also at times contradictory and its meaning almost always contested between the Lancastrian earl, later duke and finally king, and his servants and subjects. I believe it provides a context to explain the actions of Henry VI and the contemporary reactions to his idiosyncratic style of rule. The writing of a book like this has invariably incurred a number of debts, some academic and some personal. The work and encouragement of many scholars have proved invaluable and particular gratitude is due to Jim Bolton, Linda Clark, Sean Cunningham, Anne Curry, Michael Hicks, Chris Given-Wilson, Ralph Griffiths, Michael K. Jones, Hannes Kleineke, Malcolm Mercer, Charles Moreton, Ian Mortimer, Jenni Nuttall, Simon Payling, Ryan Perry, Carole Rawcliffe, James Ross, David Rundle, John Watts, and the wider community of fifteenth-century scholars at the annual Fifteenth Century Conference and the Institute of Historical Researchs Late Medieval Seminar. Individually and as a scholarly community they have contributed to my understanding of late medieval England. The support of my family, especially my wife, Hil, and Gwen, my mother-in-law (who once again painstakingly read the manuscript from start to finish), has been invaluable, as has been the assistance of the professional staff at Taylor & Francis, particularly Catherine Aitken. A special note of thanks is also due to Robert Pearce, the series editor, whose encouragement and generous academic support has made the process of writing a thoroughly enjoyable one. During that process we also had an addition to the family, Lawrence, and it is to him and his sister Cecily that this book is dedicated.