Sir Matthew Gough (died 5 July 1450) was a Welsh

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...

who served in the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

Biography

Gough was a son of Owen Gough and Hawys Hanmer. He is known to have taken part in the battles of Cravant (1423) and Verneuil (1424). He was subsequently in command of various towns and fortresses, including Laval, Saint Denis,

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

Bellême Bellême () is a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France. It is classed as a Petites Cités de Caractère. The musicologist Guillaume André Villoteau (1759–1839) was born in Bellême, as was Aristide Boucicaut (1810–1877), ...

, and

Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...

. In 1432 he was taken prisoner at Saint Denis. Matthew as Captain of Bayeux, reinforced an English army in Normandy, under the command of

Thomas Kyriell Sir Thomas Kyriell (1396 – 18 February 1461) was an English soldier of the Hundred Years' War and the opening of the Wars of the Roses. He was executed after the Second Battle of St. Albans. Background The de Criol, Kyriel or Kyriell famil ...

in 1450. A French army under the command of Jean de Bourbon, together with a force of Breton cavalry, under

Arthur de Richemont Arthur III (), more commonly known as Arthur de Richemont (24 August 139326 December 1458), was briefly Duke of Brittany from 1457 until his death. He is noted primarily, however, for his role as a leading military commander during the Hundred ...

, defeated the English army at the

Battle of Formigny The Battle of Formigny, fought on 15 April 1450, took place towards the end of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. It was a decisive French victory that destroyed the last significant English field army in Normandy, and paved th ...

, with the remnants of Gough's force able to flee the battlefield. Returning to England, Gough was placed in joint command of the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

. Whilst defending the city against Jack Cade's rebels, he was killed upon

London Bridge The name "London Bridge" refers to several historic crossings that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark in central London since Roman Britain, Roman times. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 197 ...

on 5 July 1450. He was buried in the choir of St. Mary's of the Carmelite Friars in London.

Marriage and issue

He married Margaret, daughter of Rhys Moythe and Margaret Harley, they are known to have had the following known issue: * Geoffrey Gough * Mathew Gough * David Gough * Margaret Gough

Citations

References

*Evans, H. T., (1959). GOUGH (GOCH), MATHEW (MATHAU) (c. 1390 - died 1450), soldier. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gough, Matthew Year of birth unknown 1450 deaths 15th-century Welsh military personnel Welsh knights