Bonville–Courtenay Feud Flashcards
(8 cards)
Who were the Bonville family?
Rising local gentry with Yorkist leanings.
Who were the Courtenays?
Earls of Devon, traditional rulers in the southwest, strong Lancastrians.
What was the reason for the power struggle in Devon and Cornwall?
Over legal control, land, and local loyalty.
What was the relationship between the Courtenays and the Bonvilles?
Courtenays were bitter rivals of the Bonvilles and resented York’s attempts at arbitration.
What key event occurred in 1455 involving the Courtenays?
Courtenay men murdered Nicholas Radford, a senior Bonville supporter.
What happened in December 1455 between the two families?
Both families fought a private battle at Clyst — Bonville lost; Courtenay arrested afterward by York as Protector.
What was the impact of the conflict between the Courtenays and Bonvilles?
Demonstrated the collapse of law and order in the provinces.
How did the local battles affect the national war?
These local battles blurred into the national war, especially as Courtenay and Bonville each aligned with Lancastrians and Yorkists respectively.
