The Savoy was thus called for his original owner, Peter of Savoy, earl of Richmond. Even if London has a myriad palaces, inns, manors and various noble residences within it's walls, few are in the Strand, on the way from the heart of the city to Westminster itself. Looking at the river Thames, and free of the stink, smoke, and tumults of the populous quarters downstream and generally downwind to the east, and its constant threat of fires. John of Gaunt inherited the place from his father-in-law and turned the building into the grandest nobleman's townhouse. Sadly, it was ransacked and burned in 1387, left in state of disrepair for generations, as Gaunt's heirs had become kings and possessed greater lodgings at the Tower and Westminster. Recently, Anthony Woodville offered to purchase the ruins, but he was graciously gifted the Savoy by King Edward. He plans to restore the building, making it grander than any other palace in the city, including Coldharbor or Lord Suffolk's home at Lombard Street, the finest palaces in all London. With the works already underaway, Lord Rivers resides at his sister's palace, Baynard's Castle.
WOODVILLES
FAMILY TREE
FAMILY TREE:
Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers (1405-1467), married Jacquetta of Luxembourg (1415):
-Elizabeth Woodville (1437), married Sir John Grey (1) and Edward IV (2):
1) Thomas Grey, Marquess of Winchester, Earl of Salisbury, Lord of Glamorgan, Baron Monthermer, Baron Astley (1453). Married Lady Anne Neville (1456):
Edward Grey (1469).
Eleanor Grey (1471-1473).
Elizabeth Grey (1473).
1) Richard Grey (1457), married Lady Cecily Bonville, Baroness Harington and Baroness Bonville (1460).
2) Elizabeth of York (1465).
2) Edward of Grafton, Prince of Wales, Duke of Grafton, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester, Earl of March (1467).
2) Richard of Westminster, Duke of York (1470).
2) Bridget of York (1472).
2) Edmund of York (1473).
-Lewis Woodwille, died in childhood.
-Anne Woodville (1439). Married Roger Kyriell, Earl of Monmouth (1443):
Elizabeth Kyriell (1470).
Celily Kyriell (1472).
Catherine Kyriell (1473).
-Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (1440), married Elizabeth Courtenay (1449).
Anne Woodville (1472).
Anthony Woodville (1473).
Lionel Woodville (1474).
-Mary Woodville (1443), married Sir Thomas Bourchier, 1st Baron Conington (1442).
Richard Bourchier (1471-73).
Edward Bourchier (1473).
-Jacquetta Woodville (1444), married Sir Edward Courtenay (1447).
-John Woodville (1445), married Katherine Neville, duchess dowager of Norfolk (1400).
-Lionel Woodville (1447).
-Eleanor Woodville (1452), married Sir Thomas Stanley, Earl of Wiltshire, Lord of Mann, Baron Stanley (1437).
Edmund Stanley (1471).
Jacquetta Stanley (1472).
-Richard Woodville (1453), betrothed to Elizabeth Grey.
-Edward Woodville (1454).
-Margaret Woodville (1454), married Sir Thomas Howard (1443).
-Catherine Woodville (1457), married Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1454).
INCOME
Average Income - 30,000 Crowns +5,000 Crowns (Wight)
+20,000 Crowns (High Treasurer)
+7,500 Crowns (Powis, wardship)
----------------------
62,500 Crowns.
MANPOWER
Average Militia - 1000 men. +500 men (Wight)
+500 men (Powis)
Last edited by Oznerol; December 20, 2016 at 06:41 PM.
Antony Woodville summoned his ward to the solar. The works on the palace were going steadly: in merely half a year a whole wing was almost ready. The Earl Rivers could now live in the palace, leaving Baynard's for his nephew Richard, the Duke of York.
Powis attends as summoned, arriving in a timely and ordered fashion. The young baron was a very punctual & organized sort, never being tardy and expressing genuine dislike of messiness and sloth.
Said Woodville. A man, well-dressed but clearly being part of the common folk, stood next to Earl Rivers.
"John, let me introduce you to William Caxton"
The fifty-so years old man bows slightly. He had a rather long beard and graying hair, an amiable face and a warm smile.
"The pleasure is mine, Mister Caxton." Powis answered politely. The man was a commoner, most likely - he'd never heard of a 'House of Caxton' - but he was well-dressed for the occasion, making Powis think that he was a merchant or scholar of some sort. "So, what is he here for?" John didn't think his guardian was the sort of man to invite random commoners to the partially rebuilt Savoy just for a pleasant chat, after all.
"Caxton here is the governor of the Company of Merchants Adventurers of London"
"Indeed, sire"
"He has travelled far and wide through the continent and he witnessed something incredible in Cologne: a printing press. You may have heard about it, I believe, but it's a gift from God himself to spread His word with ease... Sometime later, he set up a printing press in Bruges, in the lands of our noble brother Charles of Burgundy"
"Aye. We already published this"
Caxton hands Powis a book, bound in letter.
"The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye. A work by the late good duke Philippe's chaplain that I translated myself"
John did as he was bid, opening the book. "Impressive work, Lord Rivers, Mister Caxton." Powis had heard of the printing press indeed, a continental invention that came about nearly 40 years ago and had since steadily spread like wildfire. As far as he was concerned, as a budding scholar, it was a truly Godsent development. "But you mentioned the printing press was in Bruges...was this book printed there, then?" He was starting to get an idea of what was going on. Were Caxton & Rivers planning to import the printing press into England, and publish the first book printed on English soil?
"We plan to set a printing press in Westminster. I will personally fund the project and Caxton has already given the last touches to the first book that shall be edited there"
"Aye, the Tales of Canterbury"
Woodville nodded.
"We believe His Grace, the Duke of Suffolk, as Chaucer's great-grandson, might be willing to partly fund the expenses"
"And, secondly, we're going to publish my own translation of the Sayings, which is almost ready. Followed by some works of Pizan, God bless her, and some of my own, including a number of my balades to the glory of Our Mother, the Virgin Mary"
If fireworks were known to Europe at this time, then surely many had gone off in Powis' head at the thought of printing and mass-publishing a translated work of his own. "I...I would be honored," he said, awed. He already had a candidate in mind for translation and publication: Sophocles' tragedy Antigone, after which his grandmother had been named. He decided that no matter how hard it may be, or what obstacles life might throw into his path, he would make a publicly-available English translation of that play a reality. But first, of course, there were the Canterbury Tales and his guardian's own work to print. "In due time, of course. First I've to actually translate the work I have in mind." he added hastily as sense reasserted itself.
Last edited by Barry Goldwater; December 24, 2016 at 10:44 PM.
Savoy Palace
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