Sir Roger Clarendon: Illegitimate Son of The Black Prince & Brother of Richard II

Arms of Sir Roger Clarendon (1345/60 - executed 1402), an illegitimate son of Edward, the Black Prince by his mistress Edith de Willesford

 Background:

Sir Roger Clarendon (c.1350–1402), was a royal bastard and conspirator, who was executed for treason. He was Prince Edward The Black Prince’s son by Edith de Willesford (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1381-1385 (1897). Edith was living as late as May 8 1385. Proof of Roger's paternity comes from several contemporary sources, notably the register of the Guild of the Holy Trinity, which describes him as "Dominus Rogerus de Claryngdon, miles, filius excellentissimi domini nostri, Princicipis Wall." Perhaps Roger was born at the royal palace of Clarendon, Wiltshire, from whence he derived his surname. 

In 1372, his grandfather Edward III granted Roger an annuity of £100 at the Exchequer. Edward the Black Prince bequeathed Roger a silk bed in his will, but did not specifically name him as his son. Roger married Margaret, the heiress of the Welsh barony of Roch, but they had no children and she was dead as of March 20 1386. He also recieved an annuity of £100 from Edward III.  

Two years later, Roger killed Sir William Drayton in a duel, and was indicted for murder. Roger of Clarendon was regarded favourably, as many other illegitimate sons have been throughout royal history. Meanwhile Roger managed to get himself imprisoned in Wallingford Castle by his half-brother Richard II for killing someone in a duel. but fled and became a fugitive for several years. In 1402, he was captured and accused of conspiracy against King Henry IV -- allegedly he had been spreading rumors that his half-brother, Richard II, was still alive. He was executed at Tyber. His execution was made the subject of one of the articles exhibited by Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York, against Henry IV during a rebellion in 1405.

Rather then being executed for murder he was executed for treason having attempted to depose the new monarch and reinstall Richard II (which a popular rumour placed as being alive and well in Scotland) so was executed along with his squire, valet, eight Franciscan Friars and the prior of Laund  in 1402.  They are identified in Foxes Book of Martyrs and also in Holinshed’s Chronicle. Murrey and Blue makes the point he might not have been actively attempting to depose Henry IV he might just have been rash enough to repeat rumour at a point when Henry IV was feeling a tad beleaguered.

Source: Wikipedia & The History Jar