William Bagot Brass - Baginton, Warwickshire.

walwyn Sun, 03/14/2010 - 10:40
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Brass to William Bagot

 

Brass to William Bagot (1407), and his wife Margaret. The figures in this monument are 4ft 9.5 inches high, and shows both William and Margaret wearing the Collar of Esses of the Lancastrians.1 William Bagot was one of the first people to receive this decoration, which as considered second only to to the Garter.2 This brass was most likely made in the short lived London workshop of John Mapilton.3

 

William Bagot was the younger son of Ralph Bagot of Bagot's Bromley in Staffordshire. Both William and his elder brother John were part of John of Gaunt's 1386 expedition to claim the throne of Castile.

 

Under the patronage of the Earl of Warwick, William Bagot was a member of Parliament for many years. An intimate associate of Richard II he was, with Sir John Bussy and Sir Henry Green, one of Richard's three continual councilors.4 When Richard left for Ireland at the end of May 1399 Bagot, Bussy, Green, and the Treasurer William le Scrope were left in charge of the Kingdom.5 In July Henry Bollingbroke (later Henry IV) landed at Ravenspur on the Humber Estuary.3 Bagot and the others moved to Bristol Castle which was thought to be impregnable. However, Henry amassed a large army of some 60,000 men and besieged Bristol Castle which soon fell. William Bagot managed to escape, and joined Richard in Ireland. Bussy, Green, and Scrope were captured and executed by Henry.6

 

When Richard returned to England and surrendered to Henry in the August, William fled to Cheshire where he was arrested,7 confined to the Tower of London, and his lands confiscated. However, being popular with the Commons, the Parliament of 1400 petitioned for his release and restoration of his lands, which Henry IV agreed to, and gave him a pension of £100 per year.8 William died in 1407, his brother John fought alongside Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

 

Upper detail of William Bagot brass

 

Lower detail of William Bagot brass