Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon

Thomas Courtenay was a scion of powerful noble families of England. His father was Thomas Courtenay, 4th Earl of Devon, and his mother was Anne, daughter of Richard, Lord Talbot, and sister of the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

Thomas succeeded his father as the premier nobleman of the West Country at the age of only eight, and at the age of twelve was knighted by King Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471). His life was marked by dispute with Sir William Bonville over dominant position in Devon & Cornwall. In 1441, Thomas received the lucrative stewardship of the Duchy of Cornwall, despite the office already having been conferred on Bonville four years earlier. Two of them engaged in violent clashes and were put under large bonds to ensure good behavior. Thomas received the Cornish stewardship in 1444, but in 1450 Bonville strengthen his position at Court by aligning himself with the Royal favorite, James Butler, the Earl of Wiltshire. Thomas reacted by allying himself to Richard, Duke of York, the rival for Henry VI’s Crown. In the political turmoil between the Duke of York and Henry VI, Thomas was on Duke’s side until 1455, and from then on he was a firm Royalist.

Thomas Courtenay died in 1558 while accompanying Queen Margaret on peace talks at the great Abbey at Abingdon. It was rumored he died from poisoning.