Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers

Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers born Richard Wydeville in 1412 at Maidstone, Kent, England was an English nobleman, best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV.

He was the son of another Sir Richard Wydevill, chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford. After the duke died the younger Richard married the widowed duchess, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, 1416-1472.

He was created Baron Rivers by Henry VI on May 9, 1448. Initially he was on the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses, but he later switched and became a Yorkist, once he was convinced that the Lancaster cause was lost and reconciled himself to the new king. After the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth, widow of Sir John Grey of Gorby, to Edward IV on May 1, 1464, he was created Earl Rivers (1466) and appointed Lord Treasurer by his new son-in-law.

The power of this new family was very distasteful to the old baronial party, and especially so to the Earl of Warwick. Early in 1468, the Riverss estates were plundered by Warwicks partisans, and the open war of the following year was aimed to destroy the Woodvilles. After the kings defeat after the Battle of Edgecote Moor on 26 July 1469, Rivers and his second son, John, were taken prisoners at Chepstow. After a hasty trial, they were beheaded at Kenilworth on August 12, 1469. His eldest son, Anthony succeeded him as earl.

Rivers had a large family. His third son, Lionel, (d. 1484), became the Bishop of Salisbury. All his daughters made great marriages: Katherine, the sixth, was wife of Henry Stafford, 2nd duke of Buckingham.

Preceded by: The Duke of Buckingham	Lord High Treasurer 1459–1460	Succeeded by: The Earl of Warwick
Preceded by: The Lord Mountjoy	Lord High Treasurer 1466–1469	Succeeded by: Sir John Langstrother

Preceded by: New Creation

Earl Rivers

Succeeded by: Anthony Woodville