The Triumph of the Yorkists (1461–1471) Flashcards
April 1461
Margaret of Anjou sought Scottish support in return for Berwick-upon-Tweed (she also promises James III Carlisle but they have no power to seize this land).
July 1461
Warwick appointed as Warden of East and West Marches (frontiers of northern England). This is a reward for his loyalty to the Yorkists.
Death of Charles VII of France - Louis XI becomes King. He seems aligned with the Yorkists initially in spite of his own father - but this fades.
September 1461
Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh (Northumberland castles) surrendered to Warwick and John Neville / Lord Monatgu (his brother). The Lancastrians did not have the money or the men to resist.
Novemeber 1461
Alnwick Castle is seized for the Lancastrians by Sir William Tailboys
June 1462
Anglo Scottish Truce - lasts till August.
24th June 1462
Agreement of Chinon - Margaret gains support of Louis XI in return for Calais. Louis XI supplies a small contingent of 800 French mercenaries and Louis doesn’t pay their wages (English will).
October 1462
The small contingent of 800 men land in Northumberland and effectively seize control of Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh. (This suggests that there are still many Lancastrian sympathisers here) Edward IV summons the nobility and prepares an army.
November 1462
Yorkist army has the support of 38 lords compared to 11 Towton. Warwick and Lord Montagu besiege all three castles. Edward IV catches measles and does not continue in battle.
Somerset fights on the side of the Yorkists in the siege of Alnwick. Thus Edward IV adopts a policy of reconciliation.
27th December 1462
Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh surrendered to the Yorkists.
29th December 1462
Sir Ralph Percy submits and surrenders Dustanburgh and reconciles with Yorkist regime.
January 1463
Ralph Percy awarded custody of Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles. Sir Ralph Gray is reconciled and given custody of Alnwick Castle.
Lancastrians send in a relief force to Northumberland castles. Warwick and Montagu deserted Alnwick.
March/April 1463
Margaret of Anjou invades Northumberland with her Scottish support - Ralph Percy, and Gray open the gates of the castles. (Betrayal of Reconciliation.)
June 1463
Warwick leads an army northward - Margaret of Anjou, Prince Edward (aged 9) alongside the Lancastrian/Scottish army besiege the castles. Intimidated by the Yorkist force the Scotts retreat and Margaret with Edward flee to Burgundy. Henry VI takes refuge in Edinburgh.
Summer 1463
Anglo-French truce agreed (Margaret and Edward take exile in France - Lorraine. (Self imposed exile).
December 1463
Edward IV negotiates a treaty with the Scotts - Scotland withdraw their support for Lancastrians. Henry VI returned to England and based in Bamburgh castle.
January 1464
Somerset betrays Edward IV by joining the Lancastrian garrison and Henry VI in Bamburgh Castle.
Somerset leads a campaign in Northumberland
25th April 1464
Battle of Hedgeley Moor
1st May 1464
Edward IV secretly marries Elizabeth Woodville.
15th May 1464
Battle of Hexham
27th May 1464
Edward IV rewards Lord Montagu (John Neville) making him Earl of Northumberland. It is explicitly stated by Edward IV that his earldom is a reward for the execution of the Duke of Somerset.
June 1464
Alnwick and Dunstanburgh Castles surrendered to the Yorkists. Sir Richard Gray refuses to give up Bamburgh and it is besieged by Warwick and Montagu. Once it is besieged Gray is captured and beheaded at Doncaster.
August 1464
Edward IV reveals his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville - Warwick had been organising a marriage between Bona of Savoy and Edward IV in foreign policy agreement with Louis XI and therefore will be outraged and embarrassed when he returns from France.
Winter 1464
Woodville’s sister (Margaret) is married to Thomas (son of Earl of Arundel). Warwick requests that his daughter, Isabel, be betrothed to Clarence - Edward rejects.
January 1465
John Woodville (Liz’s brother) betrothed to Katherine Neville (Warwick’s aunt). She is 65 - age difference is not abnormal but class difference is viewed as abnormal.
February 1465
Clarence is gifted many estates by Edward that had previously been confiscated from the Lancastrians.
May 1465
Elizabeth Woodville crowned as Queen of England. Warwick and Hastings are absent as they are in trading talks in Burgundy.
July 1465
Henry VI is captured by the Yorkists.Warwick parades him through London. Henry was lashed to a donkey with a straw hat on his head - taken to Tower of London.
Warwick returns with marriage proposal from Louis XI.
September 1465
George Neville is appointed as Archbishop of York.
Early 1466
Lord Rivers (Liz’s father) is given an earldom and is made treasurer of England.
Katherine Woodville (Liz’s sister) married to Duke of Buckingham. Anne Woodville is married to the Earl of Essex. Eleanor Woodville is married to the Earl of Kent.
July 1466
Clarence formally takes possession of his estates. This is 4 years before he reaches the age of majority.
September 1466
The lordship of Dunster is a title which is granted to William Herberts. Warwick wanted this title.
October 1466
Thomas Grey is betrothed to Anne Holland - Warwick is furious - he had already arranged the marriage of his nephew, George to Anne. Elizabeth Woodville pays Anne’s mother 4000 marks to cancel the previous contract of marriage to George Neville.
June 1467
George Neville dismissed as Chancellor - Annoying Warwick as it appears Edward is moving away from Nevilles. But Warwick is in France when his brother is dismissed.
Philip of Burgundy dies - good for Edward as Philip refused permission for his son Charles to marry his sister Margaret.
June/July 1467
Warwick returns to England and is furious with both the marriage and his brothers dismissal. It is evident Warwick has lost his influence over Edward - Humiliated.
December 1467
Trade agreement with Burgundy - largely favours Burgundy
May 1468
Edward plans war with France - Parliament grant taxation - but it never goes ahead.
July 1468
Margaret and Duke Charles of Burgundy get married. William Herbert gains control of the final land of Lancastrian resistance and is rewarded with the title of Earl of Pembroke
October 1468
Despite agreement with Edward (Treaty of London - military assistance for one another - Burgundy and England), Charles concludes a treaty with Louis XI. Edwards foreign policy is unravelling.
April 1469
‘Robin of Redesdale Rising’
July 1469
‘Robin of Redesdale Rising’ flares up again.
Clarence marries Warwick’s daughter Isabel (against Edward IV’s command).
Warwick, Clarence, and George Neville (w’s brother) send proclamation letter to London which accuses the King of being surrounded by evil councillors (namely the Woodvilles), William Herbert, and the Earl of Rivers.
12th July 1469
The rebel lords sail from Calais to Kent and enter London - meeting no resistance. They move fast to prevent the Earl of Pembroke and Earl of Devon’s forces meeting Edwards forces. Edward sends the Woodville’s away.
26th July 1469
Battle of Edgecote
Summer 1469
Warwick and Clarence’s men find their enemies such as Lord Rivers and take them to Coventry to be executed. The Earl of Devon is captured and executed. Edward is captured and taken to Yorkshire.
Sinister propaganda is used suggesting that Elizabeth and her mother used witchcraft to get Edward to marry her and Warwick tells Louis XI that Edward is a bastard and that his dad was. a Norman archer.
August 1469
Disorder within the Kingdom - Warwick and Clarence aren’t King and thus have no power.
September 1469
Edward released and no action taken against Warwick or Clarence. Richard, duke of Gloucester is appointed Constable of England.
October 1469
Henry Percy (in Tower of London prior) swears allegiance to Edward IV. Percy is returned the earldom of Northumberland. John Neville who was temporarily Earl of Northumberland is compensated by being given lands in the south west. Further to this his son George is given the royal dukedom of Bedford and betrothed to Edward’s daughter Elizabeth.
December 1469
Apparent reconciliation between Edward, Warwick, Clarence and George Neville.
Early 1470
Rebels rise in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and head towards the East Midlands.
12th March 1470
Battle of ‘Losecote Field’
April 1470
Warwick, Clarence and Isabel, flee the country but Lord Wenlock refuses them entry into Calais.
24th July 1470
Treaty of Angers - Warwick submits to Margaret of Anjou - on his knees 15 minutes begging for forgiveness. He swears loyalty to Henry VI, Margaret and Prince Edward.
Treaty of Angers
- Put Henry VI back on throne
- Prince Edward is to marry Warwick’s 2nd daughter Anne
- If Prince Edward dies throne passes onto Clarence
- Secret Clause - Warwick promises when France declares war on Burgundy, England will follow
Why was the Treaty of Angers controversial to Clarence?
Most of his lands were ex-Lancastrian lands and thus he loses a lot of land and consequently power. (e.g., Duchy of York).
September 1470
Rebel lords land at Dartmouth (accompanied by Earl of Oxford and Jasper Tudor). Edward is declared a usurper and Henry VI is proclaimed the true King. Rebels gain support from Warwick, Clarence etc. There is very limited support for Edward IV - potentially after Towton people are worried?
Edward bases himself in Nottingham Castle with Richard and Anthony Woodville.
2 October 1470
Edward and his followers flee to Norfolk and take ship from the port of Lynn (King’s Lynn) and sail for Burgundy. Charles the Bold greets Edward cautiously; Lancastrian exiles such as Somerset are still at the Burgundian court. Charles fears supporting Edward could lead to a war against both France and Lancastrian England.
10th October 1470
The Readeption of Henry VI. Having entered London, Warwick, Clarence, George Neville and Oxford take Henry VI from the Tower and have him crowned in St Paul’s Cathedral. Warwick is both ‘regent and ‘governor on behalf of Henry VI. George Neville resumes his role as chancellor.
Winter 1470
Louis XI declares war on Burgundy. Warwick is pressured into fulfilling the secret clause of the Treaty of Angers - but England ultimately sided with France. This is a game-changer: Charles the Bold now throws the full support of Burgundy behind Edward’s bid to reclaim the throne. Charles loans Edward £20,000. 14 heavy armed Hanse ships agree to accompany Edward’s small invasion fleet.
January/ February 1471
Bad weather prevents Margaret of Anjou and Prince Edward sailing for England.
Lancastrian England officially declares war on Burgundy.
11th March 1471
Edward’s invasion fleet sails for England. The army is precariously small, scarcely 2,000 men. Among its leaders are Richard, William Hastings and Anthony Woodville. Arriving off the Norfolk coast near Cromer they are warned off, Oxford’s men dominating the area.
14th March 1471
Edward lands at Ravenspur on the Yorkshire coast. Edward is not popular here. The carnage of Towton is still felt keenly, many locals having been killed fighting on the Lancastrian side; it is a region with strong Percy loyalties; it is currently controlled by the Nevilles.
Edward makes for the city of York. He proclaims that he has not returned to regain the crown but simply to claim back his patrimony as duke of York. It is even claimed that he professed his loyalty to Henry VI in order to get into York: it works, the city reluctantly opening its gates.
Edward’s position is precarious. Much depends on Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland, who commands the loyalty of the region. Percy does nothing to support Edward, but critically he does nothing to oppose Edward: he simply ‘sat still’
John Neville, based in Pontefract Castle, does not have enough troops to take to the field and oppose Edward without the support of Percy. He remains in the castle as Edward advances south into Nottinghamshire.
Edward’s scouts report a Lancastrian force led by Oxford and Exeter occupies Newark (Notts). On his advance, however, the Lancastrians depart the town.
Gradually Edward’s army begins to increase in number, most notably at Leicester when Hastings brings 3,000 troops recruited from his Midlands estates.
Warwick is in Coventry. His forces quite possibly outnumber Edward’s. However, when Edward advances on Coventry and challenges Warwick to come out and negotiate or fight, Warwick refuses and remains in the walled town. Edward marches onwards.
Warwick’s hesitancy might be influenced by Clarence, who is raising troops from his estates in the south west He sends a message urging Warwick not to attack Edward until he arrives with his troops. But Clarence is being disingenuous; he ‘s had a change of heart.
3rd April 1471
Edward and Clarence reconcile.
Clarence has approx. 4000 troops.
14th April 1471
Battle of Barnet
Margaret and Prince Edward raise troops on the West Coast.
April 1471
Edward’s army enters London. George Neville hands Henry VI over to Edward. Edward IV meets Elizabeth Woodville (who took sanctuary in Westminster Abbey) and his first son Edward.
Edward IV is ceremonially crowned again.
4th May 1471
Battle of Tewksbury
May 1471
Thomas Neville - The Bastard of Fauconberg - attacks London.
21st May 1471
Edward IV enters London. Henry VI is almost certainly murdered but is said to have died.
