Sir Thomas Kyriell (1396 – 18 February 1461) was an English soldier of 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 ...

and the opening of the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...

. He was executed after the

Second Battle of St. Albans The Second Battle of St Albans was fought on 17 February 1461 during the Wars of the Roses in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England (the First Battle of St Albans had been fought in 1455). The army of the Yorkist faction, under the Earl of Warwick, ...

Background

The de Criol, Kyriel or Kyriell family built up a position in

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, where they fortified Westenhanger Castle, from the middle of the 14th century.

Military career

Kyriell served under

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, and in 1436 held the fortress at

Le Crotoy Le Crotoy (; Picard: ''Ch'Crotoé'') is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Crotellois''. History Isabella of France, queen consort of England, and her son (later Edward III ...

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

. He served under John, Lord Talbot at this period, around

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

, and was created knight-banneret by 1443. He led the English forces in the 1450 French victory, 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 ...

. Released after being captured at Formigny, Kyriell was a Member of

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, representing

in the Parliaments of 1455–56 and 1460–61. There he showed himself a

Yorkist The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, th ...

, by his opposition to

Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, 4th Earl of Somerset, 1st Earl of Dorset, 1st Marquess of Dorset styled 1st Count of Mortain, (140622 May 1455), was an English nobleman and an important figure during the Hundred Years' War. His rivalry ...

. He was openly a Yorkist commander by 1460, as heavy fighting began in the

. Warwick the Kingmaker had Kyriell elected to the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

on 8 February 1461, with himself and two others. At the

, eight days later, Kyriell was on the losing side captured while guarding the king,

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...

, who was a Yorkist prisoner.

Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Through marriage, she was also nominally Queen of France from 1445 to 1453. Born in the ...

had

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Edward of Westminster (13 October 1453 – 4 May 1471), also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only child of Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. He was killed aged seventeen at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Early life Edward was born at ...

pronounce the fate of the Yorkist guard, and they were beheaded.

Family

Kyriel married Cicely, daughter of the Somerset Member of Parliament John Stourton, whose first husband was John Hill of Spaxton. On his death without male issue, his two daughters became his co-heiresses. Elizabeth, married to John Bourchier, Esq., and Alice, married to John Fogge, Esq. of Repton, afterwards knighted. The manor of

Westenhanger Stanford is a village and civil parish in Kent, England. It is part of the Folkestone and Hythe district. The village developed along the ancient Roman Stone Street and was divided by the construction of the M20 motorway into Stanford North ...

was allotted to the latter, while Elizabeth got Stockbury. Elizabeth survived her husband and was still living in 14th year of Henry VII, 1498/9.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyriell, Thomas 1396 births 1461 deaths English army officers People from Folkestone and Hythe District Knights of the Garter English MPs 1455 English MPs 1461