Humphrey Stafford Lynched

On 17 August 1469, Humphrey Stafford Earl of Devon was lynched in Bridgewater by the citizens on their own initiative.

Humphrey Stafford came from a cadet branch of the Stafford family. He was distantly related to the Earl of Wiltshire and the Dukes of Buckingham, one of whom he shares the same forename.

Humphrey Stafford had inherited a substantial amount of land from his father, which was added to through inheritances from his mother’s family. It made him the largest landholder in the South West. His power in the region was to grow to unprecedented heights because of the Wars of the Roses.

Having fought at Mortimer’s Cross and Towton, he was awarded the Duchy of Cornwall’s stewardship, became constable of Bristol, and was granted much of the land forfeited by Thomas Courtenay’s attainder.

Stafford then played a role in the trial for treason of another Courtenay, Henry. This proved unpopular in some parts of the South West. In 1469 Stafford and the Earl of Pembroke were called upon to march north to aid in crushing the Robin of Redesdale rebellion. Stafford survived the battle.

On his way back to his lands, a mob identified him in Bridgwater. The crowd summarily executed Stafford.

It remains unclear what the motive was, but it seems most likely that they were either supporters of the Earl of Warwick or angry at the treason trial of Henry Courtenay.