England
Unfinished Business Gets Finished
Edward IV had now been king for over a decade, but it was only now, after 1471, that he was able to turn his attention to something other than simply keeping his head on his shoulders. He still had some dangerous enemies, though, and these did cause some anxious moments in the early 1470s.
The two dangers came from the Earl of Oxford and from George, Duke of Clarence (Edward's brother). Oxford had escaped from Barnet and gone to Scotland and then to France, where he received some support. He turned pirate in 1473 and plundered English shipping from his stronghold on an island off the Cornish coast. He openly identified himself with those remnants who called for deposing Edward and replacing him with George. Between the two, Edward had plenty of reason to move. He sent Sir John Fortescue to lay siege to the fortress in December 1473, and Oxford surrendered the following February. He lived the rest of his life out in prison.
That left Clarence. This man is something of an enigma—the main trait that strikes the observer is that he was erratic. His temper was unstable, his plans were ever-changing, his loyalties were suspect. The only real constant about him is that he consistently hated his big brother. For his part, Edward was amazingly patient. He forgave George after Tewkesbury, heaping honors and lands upon him, probably thinking to mollify his brother by raising him up.
It didn't work. Clarence continued to find reasons to feel slighted. Worse, in the mid 1470s, he became obsessed with the idea that Edward was trying to kill him by magic. He spoke openly about this, which was embarassing. By continuing to show his discontent openly, though, he made himself a focal point for anyone who hated Edward. When Clarence began saying his brother should be deposed for practicing witchcraft, Edward lost his patience.
Clarence was arrested in 1478, and Parliament passed a bill of attainder, confiscating his estates. On 18 February, Clarence died in the Tower of London. Rumor said he was drowned in a vat of wine, but the official story was simply that he had died.