Edmund, Earl of Rutland

Edmund, Earl of Rutland, the second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, was born on 17 May 1443 in Rouen, the capital of English-occupied France. His father was the Lieutenant of France at the time. Edmund’s older brother was Edward, Earl of March, who would later become King Edward IV. Edmund’s life was cut short when he was killed at the age of 17, around the time of the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses.

Before turning 11, Edmund was created Earl of Rutland by King Henry VI, though no record of the creation survives. In 1451, while still a minor, he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland by his father, who was the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Edmund’s duties were carried out by Deputy Chancellors, including Edmund Oldhall and John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury. His tenure saw the Parliament of Ireland assert its independence, declaring that Irish subjects were only subject to laws accepted in their own Parliaments.