Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers

Also known as: Anthonie erle Riuers / Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers / Anthony Woodville, Baron Scales / Anthony Woodville, Lord Rivers / Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales / hir brother / sir Anthonie Wooduile / sir Anthonie Wooduile lord Riuers · Family: House of Lancaster · Role: son of Richard Rivers · First appears: Henry VI 56

Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers was the son of Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, who was created Earl Rivers; his sister was Elizabeth Woodville, and Margaret of Anjou is also identified as his sister. In c. 1459, while associated with Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, he was captured with his father at Sandwich by John Dinham, who entered the town and took them in their beds. He was an enemy of Edward IV and Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

As Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales, he was married to the sole heir of Thomas, Lord Scales, and became a rival and enemy of Anthony, Bastard of Burgundy, accepting his challenge to fight on horseback and on foot. In c. 1470, he travelled with Edward IV, Richard III, and William Hastings, Baron Hastings when they departed England by ship amid the rebellion against the king. Elizabeth Woodville also sought the preferment of her brother Anthony with Mary of Burgundy.

In c. 1483, Anthony was appointed to govern and order Edward V at Ludlow. He was described as “a right honourable man, as valiant of hand as politike in counsell,” but his position beside the young prince placed him among the people whose destruction Richard III pursued. At another time, he accused William Hastings, Baron Hastings before Edward IV, after which Hastings temporarily fell into the king’s indignation and feared for himself.