Battle of Towton - 29 March 1461 Flashcards
What date was the battle of Towton?
29 March 1461
Who were the key participants in this battle?
Norfolk’s army
Edward of York
Duke of Somerset
Henry Holland (Duke of Exeter)
Yorkist/Lancastrian archers
Lord Fauconberg
Andrew Trollope
What was the approximate force of each side?
Yorkist force - 25,000
Lancastrian force - 30,000
What weather conditions meant that Norfolk’s forces would be delayed in joining up with the rest of the Yorkist forces?
Snow and strong winds
What did Lord Fauconberg order all Yorkist archers to do?
Step forward and unleash their arrows at the Lancastrian forces
How did weather conditions benefit the Lacastrian forces?
With the wind behind them, Yorkist missiles travelled farther than usual
Why was the Lancastrian response to the Yorkist archers ineffective?
Because they had wind blowing in their face
What was the Lamcastrain response to the Yorkist archers?
They had Lancastrain archers fire until they used up most of their arrows
What did the Lancastrians move from their position to do?
Engage the Yorkists in close combat
What did the Yorkists do in response to the Lancastrian attempt to engage with them on close combat?
Shot a few more volleys before retreating behind their ranks
What did Lord Fauconberg order his forces to do once the Lancastrians had stopped shooting their arrows?
Step forward again and shoot as the plucked Lancastrian arrows off the ground
Which flank did Edward of York have to take charge of?
The Yorkist left flank
Why did Edward of York have to take charge of the Yorkist left flank?
Because they had attempted to flee
Why had the Yorkist left-flank attempted to flee the battle?
The were being attacked by the horsemen from Castle Hill, mentioned by Waurin.
How long did fighting continue for before Norfolk’d forced had arrived?
3 hours
What relevamce did Norfolk’s forces play?
They launched a surprise attack on the Lancastrian left flank
What did many Lancastrians remove from themselves in the attempt to run away faster?
Armour
What happened as a result of the Lancastrians removing their armour?
They were cut down from behind
Who was killed as a result of this battle?
Andrew Trollope
How was Andrew Trollope killed in this battle?
Due to substantial bounties on his head
What did Lancastrian soldiers attempt to cross in the hope to flee to saftey?
The river
What happened to some of the Lancastrian soldiers attempting to cross the river to flee to saftey?
They were dragged down by the currents and drowned
How did the Yorkist archers take advantage of the Lancastrians struggling to get across the river?
They rode to a high vantage point and shot at them
Who won the Battle of Towton?
The Yorkist forces
