Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509), mother to King Henry VII, was the only daughter and child from the marriage of John Beaufort (1403-44) to Margaret Beauchamp (1405-82), she was also John Beaufort's only legitimate child. However, her mother Margaret had several children from her other two marriages, and her father John had two illegitimate children born before Margaret.
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| Margaret Beaufort |
John Beaufort was held captive in France from 1421, when he was captured at the Battle of Bauge, until he was ransomed in 1438 and it was during this time that he fathered two illegitimate children by unknown French women. The son was called John and the daughter was called Tacine or Thomasine.
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| Margaret Beauchamp |
Tacine was born in about 1434 in France, this date is the one most commly attributed to her, however it seems that she would then be only about twelve or thirteen when she married which seems very young. Due to the age of her husband, a date of 1425 seems more likely for a birth date.
Tacine received denization from the Privy Council to become a citizen of England on the 20th June 1443.
“Also the Kyng graunted at the same time and place that Tacyn doughter bastard to my said Lord of Somerset and her heires of her body lawfully begotten deniszeins …”
This act indicates that she must have been living in England before this date and probably returned to England with her father in 1438. It appears that her father John accepted her as his daughter and welcomed her into his family.
Tacine had made a good marriage by the end of 1446 to Reginald Grey, Lord of Wilton (b.1421).
The couple had one son; John Grey.
The funeral of William Grey, Lord Wilton on 22nd December 1562 lists his family as;
“the greate-graundfather and greate-graundmother to the defuncte...Reygnolde lorde Grey and Thomasyn or Thasyna base daughter to John duke of Somerset"
In October 1447 Reginald and Tacine gave the manors of Yelling, Acresfleet, Snoreham and Weldbarnes and Shirland and a moity of Vaches Manor to Thomas Grey and his wife Margaret - Reginald's step-mother - for the remainder of their life.
On 24th May 1469 Reginald and Tacine, with the agreement of their son John, sent a message called Stabullers along with various areas of land to William Danyell and Eleanor his wife and their heirs. This is the last written record containing Tacine.
Reginald Grey died on the 22nd February 1493 and was buried at Bletchley.
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| Beaufort Tomb - the parents of Margaret Beaufort |
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