ABSTRACT
John Morton of Ely ended his career as archbishop of Canterbury and a cardinal, and Peter Courtenay of Exeter was promoted from that see to the much wealthier one of Winchester. Bishop Woodville’s part in the rebellion was a relatively minor one: almost certainly he was not one of its initiators, but was drawn into it by more active conspirators, his sister the widowed queen, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Buckingham, and his fellow bishop John Morton. It has generally been assumed that after the failure of the rebellion Woodville fled with other survivors to Henry Tudor in Brittany and died there, although he is not mentioned among the fugitives by Polydore Vergil, who is generally well informed about the revolt. Bishop Woodville died obscurely, and indeed much of his career is little less obscure. Possibly the evidence is more illuminating for Richard’s attitudes.
