Title:

Knight

First Name:

William

Last Name:

Newburgh

Memorial Type:

Burial site

Does the monument still exist?

No

Installation Date:

Not applicable

Allegiance:

Lancastrian

Memorial Notes:

The grave is recorded in the Founders Book of Tewkesbury Abbey. The original book is now located in the Bodlian Library in Oxford (Bodleian Library MS Top. Glouc, d. 2. See also The Founder's Book: A Medieval History of Tewkesbury Abbey, ed. Julian Luxford (Donington, 2021)

Sir William was born in 1435 in East Lulworth, and became their member of Parliament for Dorset in 1467 and became Keeper of Corfe Castle in 1470 under the Readaptation government of King Henry.

He joined Queen Margaret when she landed at Weymouth in mid-March 1471 and accompanied her firstly to Exeter and then assisted with the recruiting campaign that whipped the area into ferment during the latter days of that month. He then accompanied the Lancastrian army on its march eventually ending at Tewkesbury on the 3rd May.

Sometime during the battle itself, Sir William was captured. He was charged with Treason and appeared before Richard Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Norfolk. Found guilty he was beheaded in the mist of the town and his body was returned to the Abbey for burial.
He is recorded that he was buried beside the font on the South side of the Abbey. We believe that the font was located further east than can be found today.