The War of the Roses Battles Timeline

1455-1461

Period: Jan 1, 1455 to Dec 31, 1461

The first battles of the Wars of the Roses

Summer of 1455 - After the first battle of St. Albans

Jul 14, 1455

In the summer of 1455, a nervous Parliament absolved the Duke of York and the Neville’s from the events at St Albans. The blame was placed on the Duke of Somerset, Henry VI fell ill yet again and York was made Protectorate once more, it only lasted until February 1456 but during this time he secured his hold on Calais by making Warwick’s captaincy a reality by paying the garrison’s arrears of pay.

Margeret of Anjou and the moving of Parliament from London to Kenilworth, Yorkshire

Aug 1, 1456

In August 1456, Margaret convinced Henry to transfer the court from London to Kenilworth in Warwickshire; she then bullied him into making appointments she wanted. This court was full of families hostile to York.

The Loveday

Mar 25, 1458

In 1458, there was a public show of reconciliation engineered by the King – ‘Loveday’. On 25th March, a procession marched to St Paul’s with the King, and former enemies Somerset and Salisbury, and Exeter and Warwick walking hand in hand. The reality was that the rift was far from healed The Duke of York escorted Margaret of Anjou. Afterwards, there was a celebration with jousting at the Tower. At a summit before ‘Loveday’, York and the Neville’s agreed to pay compensation for St Albans.

Margaret of Anjou vs Warwick

Nov 24, 1458

Whilst York was away, the main rift was between Warwick and Margaret of Anjou. In late 1458, Margaret tried to have Warwick arrested for alleged crimes of piracy and inciting a riot at court – he claimed there was a plot to murder him and he fled to Calais

The battle of Blore Heath

Sep 1, 1459

By 1459, Margaret was dominating Henry & determined to bring down the Yorkist threat to her son’s right to the Throne. Margaret felt sufficiently strong enough to attempt to crush the Yorkists. The York and the Neville’s were accused of treason. Their response was to raise armies – Richard of York in the Welsh Marches, and the Neville’s drew their support from North Yorkshire & Calais. The Yorkist met the royal forces at Blore Heath and were victorious.

The 'rout' of Ludford

Oct 1, 1459

The Battle of Ludford Bridge was a disaster for the Yorkists. Troops from Calais arrived led by Andrew Trollope, but were shocked to discover they were expected to fight against the king & changed sides. York and Warwick had to abandon the struggle & decided to flee in October. Ultimately, the rebels had attracted little support, but they still had vast resources

Yorkists and Nevilles Excluded from Government

Oct 1, 1459

Following Henry’s recovery, the court party began to revive. They were also eager to avenge their enemies at St Albans – amongst them was the ‘new’ Duke of Somerset, Edmund Beaufort’s son, Henry Beaufort. Margaret of Anjou had also given birth to a son & began to assert herself. In the years leading up to 1459, the Yorkists & Neville’s were excluded from government.

'The Parliament of Devils'

Nov 1, 1459

Margaret of Anjou was determined to follow up the Lancastrian triumph, convinced Henry to summon Parliament to Coventry known to Yorkists as the ‘Parliament of Devils’ in November 1459 to disgrace publically York & his followers. Acts of Attainder were against the rebels; this was a legal procedure which declared an individual a traitor. The Neville’s and Yorkists faced permanent legal condemnation and the confiscation of their estates

A Dire Situation for the Yorkists

May 1, 1460

The dire situation of the Yorkists by 1460 gave them no option other than take up arms again. They still had vast wealth, and also refuges, where royal forces could not reach them (Richard in Ireland, Warwick and Salisbury in Calais). Warwick, Salisbury and Richard’s son Edward sailed to Kent. They brought with them troops and a Papal Representative. He gave spiritual significance to the Yorkist cause & excommunicated many members of the Lancastrian nobility from the Roman Catholic Church.

York Claims the Throne

Sep 1, 1460

Richard of York, however, intended to claim the throne for himself, In September 1460, he arrived from Ireland and marched to London. He arrived at the House of Lords, marched in, and placed his hand on the empty throne; claiming it for himself. This was met with silence; taking even York’s closest supporters by surprise and they did not support this action. Even to some of his supporters, the removal of an anointed King was a step too far.

The battle of Northampton

Oct 1, 1460

The rebels had unexpected success as they headed North West. In 1460, they defeated a large Lancastrian force at Northampton. The Battle of Northampton saw the Yorkists capture Henry VI. He was apparently a witness to the battle unable to comprehend what was happening. They could now rule in the King’s name and get rid of their enemies

The Act of Accord

Oct 1, 1460

The English nobility refused to allow York’s to ‘reclaim’ the throne, but did come up with the Act of Accord (1460). Henry would keep the throne, but on his death it would be passed to Richard, Duke of York, or if York had died, his heir Edward, the Earl of March

A Shifting of Power

Oct 1, 1460

In 1460, the weaknesses of the Lancastrian court in the Midlands were exposed. The rebels took control of London & the merchants backed the Yorkists; as they tended to back whoever controlled Calais. When Henry returned to power, he allowed Warwick to remain in Calais. This meant that he now controlled the Crown’s only standing army.

Just before the Battle of Wakefield

Nov 1, 1460

York marched north to meet them. He may have held plans to force Henry VI to abdicate in his favour. However, York had seriously miscalculated the strength of the Lancastrian army. In December 1460, York arrived at Sandal Castle, near Wakefield.

More Fighting

Nov 1, 1460

The Act of Accord was a recipe for more fighting. Henry’s son, Edward, was not likely to give up his claim to the throne without a fight. Yorkists realised they would have to continue fighting if they hoped to achieve any degree of security. Margaret of Anjou also set about recruiting troops to win back her sons inheritance. She was in the north, and with the support of many northern magnates who opposed York and the Neville’s, raised a great army.

The battle of Wakefield and the Death of York

Dec 1, 1460

York sent for the help from the Earl of March (his son) but the battle was over before they could arrive. Outnumbered, the Yorkist forces were routed and the Duke of York was killed, as was Salisbury. The heads of York and Salisbury were stuck on poles and displayed on York’s city walls, the Duke of York wearing a paper crown. The Duke of York’s son was now on a precarious position. He was just 18 years old when his father died. Margaret was now free to march south and regain control of London.

Edward meets Jasper Tudor at the Battle of Mortimer' Cross

Feb 1, 1461

Edward heard that Jasper Tudor had landed in south Wales with an army of French mercenaries. Tudor was a keen Lancastrian. Edward and Tudor’s armies met at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross near Hereford. The battle was the biggest of the Wars of the Roses so far, and Edward defeated Tudor’s army.

The Second Battle of St. Albans

Feb 1, 1461

Warwick’s army was in trouble in London. Warwick failed to track the progress of Margaret’s army meant that he was taken by surprise at St Albans. He believed the army was still several miles away so changed the placement of his troops when they were attacked. The Second Battle of St Albans was a victory for the Lancastrians. Warwick fled the scene and the Lancastrians regained Henry VI. All the Lancastrian forces had to do was to retake London and Henry VI’s regime would be re-established.

The Battle of Towton

Mar 1, 1461

Before Edward could be crowned he had to head north to confront the Lancastrians. The Battle of Towton saw the largest armies ever assembled in the kingdom, with more than 50,000 men involved. The slaughter was great & Lancastrians were routed. Henry VI, Margaret & their son fled to Scotland while Edward returned to London to be crowned.

The Coronation of King Edward IV

Mar 4, 1461

After the second Battle of St Albans, Margaret gave order for her army to march north again. She believed her army would sack London and the rest of Southern England. Margaret’s neglect of London gave Edward some much needed breathing space. Edward gained admittance to London on the basis that he was the only man who could keep it from been sacked. There, he was proclaimed King Edward IV on 4th March 1461.