1460-61 (Yorkist Attack)

Question 1

Situation after 1459

Answer 1

• Sept - Battle of Blore Heath
• Oct - Battle of Ludford Bridge (no fighting more of a stand off) - Yorkist lords flee England
• Nov Parliament of Devils

Question 2

What happens in Calais at the start of 1460?

Answer 2

• Jan - Somerset (son of killed at St Albans) appointed captain of Calais
• fails to dislodge Yorkists (Warwick or Fauconberg)
• Yorkist lords raid Sandwich recapturing ships
• they also capture Lord Rivers + his son Antony Woodville

Question 3

Where is York in 1460?

Answer 3

• March - Warwick sails to Ireland to meet York
• Yorkist invasion was clearly in the works
• June - Yorkist force sail from Calais to sandwich + begin their invasion
• July - Battle of Northumberland - York still in Ireland

Question 4

What was the Yorkist invasion propaganda?

Answer 4

• Salisbury, Warwick + March sail from Calais to sandwich - army March through Kent to London
• their invasion has propaganda claiming that they are loyal to the king, their lives are endangered by traitors about the king, they stand for justice + the commonweal
• the new ‘traitors’ appear to have been the earls of Shrewsbury, Wiltshire + viscount Beaumont - Suffolk + Somerset long gone

Question 5

What happened at the Battle of Northampton?

Answer 5

• Yorkist lords March north for London - their troops increased due to recruiting campaign in the south
• Lancastrian army led by the Duke of Buckingham + earl of Shrewsbury - certainly outnumbering the Yorkists
• Lord Grey betrays the Lancastrian army - Yorkist victory
• Henery VI is captured
• Margaret + Edward flee north

Question 6

When is the battle of Northampton?

Answer 6

10 July 1460

Question 7

When does York return?

Answer 7

• Salisbury, Warwick + March return to London with Henry VI after Battle of Northumberland
• taking control of government again - Warwick’s brother becomes chancellor, John Neville (another brother) becomes Chamberlain
• Sept 1460 - York returns

Question 8

How did York return?

Answer 8

• York approaches London like a king - a sword borne upright before him
• he adopted the royal arms
• arrives at Westminster + announces his claim to the throne
• this does not go down well with the nobility - even Warwick + Salisbury do not appear fully supportive

Question 9

What was the Act of Accord?

Answer 9

25 Oct 1460
- lords finding it difficult to find a solution - come up with a compromise
- Henry VI is to remain king, but on his death the crown will pass to York or to York’s heirs
- York accepts this - secured the crown for his heirs
- this act disinherits Prince Edward

Question 10

Lancastrian reaction to Act of Accord?

Answer 10

• forces grow in northern England - Margaret gets the support of the Scottish king by promising him the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed
• Somerset returns + musters his affinity at Hull with other Lancastrian lords (earl of Devon, Northumberland etc.)

Question 11

When was the Battle of Wakefield?

Answer 11

30 Dec 1460

Question 12

What led to the Battle of Wakefield

Answer 12

• York + Salisbury lead troops north to meet the Lancastrian threat - officially claiming to be acting in the name of Henry VI to restore order + stability
• York’s troops base themselves in York’s castle at Sandal (near Wakefield)

Question 13

What happened at the Battle of Wakefield?

Answer 13

• York + Salisbury confronted by Lancastrian’s - heavily outnumbered
• York is killed, along with his son (Rutland) + Salisbury’s son
• Salisbury is captured + executed
• York’s head is staked with a paper crown placed on his head in mockery

Question 14

Impact of Wakefield?

Answer 14

• decisive - York dead
• not complete disaster - Warwick + York’s son (Edward) still alive - inheritance claim

Question 15

What happens in 1461?

Answer 15

• 2 Feb - Battle of Mortimer’s Cross led by Edward - Yorkist victory
• 17 Feb - Second Battle of St Albans - Warwick in London prepared to meet Lancastrian force - Yorkists defeated
• Lancastrians advance to London but not allowed in by city authorities
• late Feb - Edward + Warwick enter London - Accession of Edward IV
• 29 March - Battle of Towton

Question 16

What happens at the Battle of Mortimer’s cross?

Answer 16

• Edward raises troops from his father’s estate
• Lancastrian’s marching south + he confronts the Lancastrian’s at Mortimer’s cross
• Yorkist victory - Owen Tudor (nervy VI’s step father) captured + executed
• Pembroke + Wiltshire escape

Question 17

What leads to Second Battle of St Albans?

Answer 17

• Warwick guarding London + prepared to meet Lancastrian’s at St Albans
• there is serious noble support for Yorkists - Duke of Norfolk , earl of Suffolk + six other lords
• Warwick takes Henry with him to add legitimacy to his army - they are fighting in the name of the king

Question 18

Who’s in the Lancastrian army for 2nd battle of St Albans?

Answer 18

• Duke of Somerset + Exeter
• earls of Devon, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Northumberland etc.
• Prince Edward

Question 19

Why has Yorkist support grown?

Answer 19

• following Parliament of devils
• especially after York’s death - new figurehead (Edward) that has no political baggage - capable

Question 20

What happens at Second St Albans?

Answer 20

• Warwick takes up defensive position in St Albans (reversing roles of first st albans)
• Yorkists defeated - outnumbered
• Henry VI retaken by Lancastrian

Question 21

Why were the Lancastrian’s not let in London after Second St Albans?

Answer 21

• city authorities bar the gates + refused entry to Lancastrian’s
• reputation of the northern armies bruising the land + Margaret moving Parliament to Coventry
• Lancastrian withdraw to Yorkshire

Question 22

What do the Yorkists do after Second St Albans?

Answer 22

• Edward + Warwick enter London
• March - Accession of Edward IV - assembly held affirming that Edward should be king instead of Henry VI
• Yorkist legal argument is that Henry VI has forfeited the crown by breaking the Act of Accord when killing York
• makes Second St Albans loss less significant - possession of Henry VI not needed
• Edward was acclaimed as king but not crowned yet

Question 23

When was the Battle of Towton?

Answer 23

29 March 1461

Question 24

What happened at Battle of Towton?

Answer 24

• bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil
• Yorkist eventually prevail
• overall 28,000 men killed - two rival kings can both demand military service = huge armies

Question 25

Outcome of Battle of Towton?

Answer 25

• highly decisive
• Margaret, Prince Edward + Henry VI flee to Scotland but Lancastrian cause is destroyed
• Yorkist victory confirms Edward IV as king
• 28 June - crowned at Westminster