ABSTRACT
On 3 April 1461, Thomas, the sixth Courtenay earl of Devon, was executed, having been captured after Edward IV’s victory at Towton. Later he was attainted. The family falls into two main divisions, both descending from Hugh, the second earl, who died in 1377. The family falls into two main divisions, both descending from Hugh, the second earl, who died in 1377. The history of the Courtenays during these years throws light on broader questions of politics and government as well as illustrating how one family was affected by the struggle of Lancaster and York. K. B. McFarlane stated that opportunism rather than loyalty prevailed among those with most to lose, the heads of the great landed families. The decline in the political solidarity of the family, which had been manifest in 1470, after Clarence’s death may be seen as a loosening of ties after the bond with their patron had been broken.
