| | | 1450 | Southwell Cathedral West window |
| The West window of Southwell Cathedral was begun in this year. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jan - The Duke of Suffolk is sent to the Tower |
| The Duke of Suffolk was accused by Parliament of using his position close to the king to influence matters for his and his followers own ends. He was also accused of increasing his own wealth at the expence of the king and perverting the course of justice. Suffolk was murdered on his way to exile in May of the same year. |
| See Also |
| |
| May - Death of William de la Pole |
| William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk was accused by Parliament of being the cause of the country's problems. Suffolk was arrested and imprisoned. The King allowed the Duke to be banished rather than executed but as he left the country he was attacked and killed. |
| See Also |
| |
| May - Revolt in Kent |
| Jack Cade was the leader of a rebellion that began in Kent and the south east of England. Their grievances were directed at the king's councillors who were using their influence on the king for their own gains. |
| Sep - Richard returns from Ireland |
| As a possible heir to throne of England, Richard, Duke of York returned from Ireland where he had been placed as lieutenant by the Duke of Somerset who had possible aspirations of taking the throne for himself. Edmund Beaufort, the Duke of Somerset and his associates were being shown favouritism and Richard along with the Welsh land owners were finding it hard to retain the earnings they were making from their own lands. Richard failed this time in removing the Duke of Somerset. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1451 | Support for Richard in Parliament |
| Thomas Young, the member of Parliament for Bristol stood up and declared that Richard, Duke of York's claim to the throne should be concidered. Thomas Young was quickly arrested and locked up in the Tower of London. |
| See Also |
| |
| Glasgow University founded |
| Founded in 1451, Glasgow University is one of the oldest universities in the UK. |
| Jun 30 - Bordeaux falls to the French  |
| The port city of Bordeaux fell to the French and English control was lost. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1452 | Oct 2 - Richard (III) is born |
| Richard, the future King of England, was born in Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire. His father was Richard Duke of York and his mother was Cecily Neville. Richard was their fourth son. |
| See Also |
| |
| Nov - Edmund and Jasper created Earls |
| The two sons of Owen Tudor, Edmund and Jasper were made Earls. Edmund became the Earl of Richmond and Jasper became the Earl of Pembroke. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1453 | Turks established in Constantinople |
| Turks established in Constantinople |
| Jul - English defeated at Castillion |
| Sir John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and his army were totally destroyed by the French as they attempted to regain control of the region around Bordeaux. This is regarded as the last event in the Hundred Years War. |
| See Also |
| |
| Aug - The King's health suffers |
| From August 1453 until the end of 1454, the King's mental health was such that he was unable to conduct the day-to-day government of the country. |
| See Also |
| |
| Oct - Prince Edward is born |
| King Henry's only son was born. |
| See Also |
| |
| Nov - Somerset sent to the Tower |
| . |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1454 | Mar 27 - Richard, Duke of York made Protector |
| With the King unable to govern, the queen with the support of the powerful Neville Earls gave Richard, Duke of York the position of 'Protector of England'. |
| See Also |
| |
| Apr 2 - Earl of Salisbury becomes chancellor |
| With Richard, Duke of York running the country, several changes were made, one of which was to make the elder Richard Neville chancellor. Richard also made himself the Captain of Calais removing his rival the Earl of Somerset from the post. |
| See Also |
| |
| Dec - Henry's health returns |
| Henry returned to health and Edward, the Duke of York was removed from the position of Protector. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1455 | Edmund Tudor marries Margaret Beaufort |
| Edmund Tudor married Margaret Beaufort, the heiress of the Duke of Somerset. Margaret was only twelve years old. |
| See Also |
| |
| Feb - Somerset released from the Tower |
| With Henry back in power the Duke of Somerset was released from captivity. |
| See Also |
| |
| Mar - Somerset back in command |
| Henry's return to sanity swung the balance of power back to favour the Duke of Somerset and he was quickly restored to his former position of Captain of Calais. The Yorkists at this time felt it wise to leave London in fear of reprisals. |
| See Also |
| |
| May 21 - The Yorkists are summoned |
| A council was called and the Edward and Warwick were summoned to attend. Concerned that the reason they have been called to attend was that they would be punished, the Yorkists decided to demand a meeting of their own with the King at St. Albans. |
| See Also |
| |
| May 22 - Battle of St. Albans |
| The King had by his side at St. Albans the Dukes of Somerset and Buckingham, Lords Pembroke, Northumberland and Devon and around 2,000 Lancastrian men. They tried to hold the town against the Yorkists led by Salisbury and Warwick but Warwick was able to enter the town through an unguarded spot and attack the flanks of the Lancastrian barricades. Although this battle was small it left the Duke of Somerset dead along with Lord Northumberland and Clifford. As a result of this victory power again swung to the Yorkists although support from the Barons was not total. Edward again became Protector of the Realm and the powerful position of Captain of Calais was given to the Earl of Warwick. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1456 | Summer - Edmund Tudor captured |
| Edmund Tudor Earl of Richmond is captured. |
| See Also |
| |
| Nov - Edmund Tudor dies |
| Edmund the Earl of Richmond died in captivity in Carmathen Castle. His thirteen year old bride Margaret was expecting their child who would become the future King Henry VII. |
| See Also |
| |
| Dec - Margaret Beaufort moved to Pembroke |
| After the death of Edmund Tudor his brother Jasper Tudor Earl of Pembroke moved Margaret Beaufort to Pembroke Castle. Margaret was the wife of Edmund and expecting their first child. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1457 | Jan 28 - Henry (VII) is born |
| The future king of England, Henry VII, was born at Pembroke Castle. His father was Edmund Tudor who had died a couple of months before the birth and his mother was Margaret Beaufort who was directly descended from Edward III. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1458 | Mar 24 - Loveday march |
| In an attempt to bring both Yorkists and Lancastrians together in peace, King Henry led a march of both parties to a ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral. Could have been on the 25th of March. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1459 | Jun 24 - Great Council |
| A council at Coventry decided that the Yorkists should be brought under control by the use of force. |
| See Also |
| |
| Sep 23 - Battle of Blore Heath |
| Led by Richard Earl of Salisbury the Yorkists in the north mobilised an army and headed south to meet the Duke of York at Ludlow. Salisbury was intercepted by a Lancastrian army led by Lord Audley at Blore Heath in Shropshire. The Lancastrians were the first to attack. Their first and second cavalry charges were replused and when the Lancastrian foot soldiers were also repulsed they turned and fled. In the battle Audley was killed and although two of Salisbury's sons were captured they were quickly released. The Yorkists had won this battle. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
| Oct 12 - Battle of Ludford Bridge |
| The Earl of Warwick with a force from Calais reached Ludlow and the combined army of the Yorkists attacked the King's army at Ludford Bridge near Ludlow. The men from Calais refused to fight their king and a weak Yorkist army was defeated. Richard Duke of York and his younger son escaped and fled to Ireland while Salisbury, Warwick and Edward of March (later Edward IV) fled to Calais. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
| Nov - Parliament acts against the Yorkists |
| At a Parliament called in Coventry the Yorkists are condemned as rebels and their land was confiscated by the crown. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1460 | Jun - Yorkists take control of Kent |
| After the defeat at Ludford Bridge the Yorkists had dispersed. Having had time to regroup, the Yorkists from Calais led by the Earls of Warwick and March landed on the south coast of England and quickly seized Sandwich. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jun 26 - Earls of March and Warwick land in England |
| Once the Yorkist army had secured Sandwich the Earls of March and Warwick arrived from Calais. They had a force of around 2,000 and the support of the Kentish men. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 2 - Yorkists enter London |
| The Yorkists marched first to Canterbury where the officers in charge of protecting the town against them joined forces with the rebels. They then moved on and arrived at London on July 2nd. There they were welcomed by the Mayor of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 10 - Battle of Northampton |
| The Lancastrian's Court was in Coventry at the time of the Yorkist rebels entering London. When news reached them, the Lancastrians moved south to Northampton to meet the rebels. The Yorkists led by the Earl of Warwick wanted to talk but the Lancastrians led by the Duke of Buckingham wanted to fight. Although the Lancastrians had less men than the Yorkists, they did have control of a stronger position. The Yorkists managed to defeat the Lancastrians due to a section of the Lancastrian army led by Lord Grey of Ruthin moving away allowing the Yorkists through. Orders were given that the King and ordinary men should be spared, while the knights and lords should be killed. When the fighting was over the casualties were light, but the Lancastrian leaders, Buckingham, Shrewsbury and Egremont were dead and the King was captured. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 30 - Yorkists in power |
| Now that the Yorkists had control of the King, they started moves to regain their confiscated lands and reverse the sentences of attainder passed by the Coventry Parliament. To this end they sent letters demanding Parliament should meet on 7th October. George Neville, the Kingmaker's brother was made chancellor of England. |
| See Also |
| |
| Aug 3 - James II accidentally killed |
| Whilst besieging Roxburgh Castle, James II, King of the Scots was killed by one of his own army's bombards. He was succeeded to the throne by his son James III. |
| Sep - Richard, Duke of York returns |
| Richard, Duke of York returned from Ireland arriving somewhere near Chester. |
| See Also |
| |
| Oct - Duke of York claims throne |
| Richard, Duke of York returned from Ireland to claim the throne of England as a direct decendant of Edward III. The Lords refused to abandon Henry VI and Parliament agreed he should remain King until his death. Then Richard or his heir should become the next king of England. |
| See Also |
| |
| Dec 30 - Battle of Wakefield |
| Queen Margaret had been building an army in the North and started attacking Yorkist held settlements. Richard left London with a small army to deal with the Queen. He had underestimated the Lancastrians and at his castle at Sandal Richard was confronted by superior forces. Although Richard sent word to the Earl of March for assistance he didn't wait and attacked. The battle left Richard Duke of York and his son Earl of Rutland dead. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1461 | Feb 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross |
| Edward Earl of March, now the heir to the English throne, showed off his military skills at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire. The Lancastrians with Welsh support had caught Edward as he travelled to London. On the morning of the battle three bright lights were seen in the sky. Edward used this strange sight as a good omen. The Lancastrians were defeated and Owen Tudor was captured and beheaded. Jasper Tudor escaped. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
| Feb 17 - Second Battle of St. Albans |
| The Lancastrians army led by the Queen met the Yorkist army led by Warwick at St. Albans. The Yorkist army was split in two and during the battle sections of the Yorkists defected to the Queen's side. The Yorkists were defeated and Warwick escaped. The King, who had been travelling with the Yorkists, was freed and he was reunited with his wife and son. |
| See Also |
| |
| Feb 27 - Yorkists enter London |
| Edward and Warwick were allowed to enter the city of London. The citizens of London had refused to let the Queen enter and so she returned north with the King. |
| See Also |
| |
| Mar 4 - Edward IV is proclaimed king |
| Edward, the Earl of March, was crowned Edward IV of England at London by the available peers and public acclamation. |
| See Also |
| |
| Mar 13 - Edward leaves London |
| Edward IV with a large army left London to march north and face the Lancastrians. |
| See Also |
| |
| Mar 29 - Battle of Towton |
| This was the bloodiest battle of the War of the Roses and was fought in a snowstorm at Towton in Yorkshire. Both the Lancastrian and Yorkist armies were large having possibly 40,000 men each. The battle lasted many hours until the Lancastrian's line was broken. Fleeing into a river many of the Lancastrians were drowned due to their heavy armour and the rest were killed by the pursuing Yorkists. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
| Jun 28 - Edward IV is crowned |
| Edward takes part in the crown-wearing ceremonies. |
| See Also |
| |
| Aug - Edward on a royal tour |
| Edward began a tour of the south and west of England visiting the Welsh Marches and the midlands. |
| See Also |
| |
| Aug 15 - Louis XI crowned King of France |
| Louis and his wife were crowned at Rhiems Cathedral. |
| See Also |
| |
| Nov - Pembroke Castle in Yorkist hands |
| William Herbert was given the castle at Pembroke in recognition of his assistance to Edward IV. Herbert was made the guardian of the future Henry VII who was living at the castle. |
| See Also |
| |
| Nov - Richard (III) becomes Duke of Gloucester |
| Richard (III) was give the title of Duke of Gloucester. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1462 | Jun 28 - Queen Margaret and Louis XI |
| Queen Margaret of England and Louis XI of France sign a treaty. Margaret promised that Calais would be his if he helped her return Henry to the throne. |
| See Also |
| |
| Oct 25 - Queen Margaret invades |
| Queen Margaret landed near Bamburgh Castle on the Northumbrian coast with a small army. The main castles in the area, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh surrendered to the Queen. |
| See Also |
| |
| Nov 13 - Queen Margaret retreats to Scotland |
| Edward acted quickly to Queen Margaret's arrival in the north. He raised a large army that marched towards Northumbria. Queen Margaret did not have the resources and local support required to fight Edward and so she decided to seek refuge in Scotland. A garrison of soldiers were left at the three Northumbrian castles. |
| See Also |
| |
| Dec - Yorkists take back control of Northumbrian castles |
| The Earl of Warwick was put in charge of capturing the castles from the Lancastrian garrisons. Edward had to stay at Durham to recover from a bout of the measles. The castles were not attacked but cut off from supplies to starve the soldiers out. Just before the new year the Lancastrian soldiers surrendered and the Yorkists took control of Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1463 | Mar - Northumbrian castles fall to Lancastrians |
| Sir Ralph Percy, the constable in charge of Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles, defected and allowed the Lancastrians to take control. Alnwick Castle fell to the Lancastrians shortly afterwards. |
| See Also |
| |
| Summer - Queen Margaret returns to France |
| Her invasion plans in ruin, Margaret decided to return to France. She took Prince Edward with her. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul - Siege of Norham Castle |
| Queen Margaret, Henry VI and Scottish support besieged the castle at Norham. King Edward failed to react to the problem and it was left to the Earls of Warwick and Northumberland to come to the castle's rescue. Henry, Margaret and the Scots fled. |
| See Also |
| |
| Oct - Treaty with France |
| Edward agreed a treaty with France in which both sides promising not to assist each others enemies. |
| See Also |
| |
| Dec - Truce with Scotland |
| Edward agreed a truce with Scotland, signed at York. Edward spent Christmas in the city. |
| See Also |
| |
| Dec - Duke of Somerset rebels |
| Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset and Lancastrian supporters rebelled against Edward and used Bamburgh Castle as a base. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1464 | Apr - Battle of Hedgeley Moor |
| Battle of Hedgeley Moor |
| See Also |
| |
| May - Battle of Hexham |
| The Nevilles defeated the last of the Lancastrian forces near Hexham and executed the rebels including Henry Beaufort the Duke of Somerset. In recognition of their contribution to the security of his reign Edward IV gave John Neville, Lord Montagu, the title of Earl of Northumberland and George Neville became the Archbishop of York. |
| Adversaries
|
| See Also |
| |
| May - Edward secretly marries |
| Edward married Elizabeth Woodville (Wydville) secretly during a hunting trip. The hunting trip that may have been arranged as a cover. Edward is supposed to have had a reputation as a lady's man and had many lovers. To Edward, Elizabeth could have been just another lover, but Elizabeth may have wanted more and persuaded Edward to marry her. The marriage took place in secret and was kept quiet until the spring of 1465. One problem with the marriage was that Elizabeth was the widow of Henry V's brother John, a Lancastrian and her family were Lancastrian supporters. The other problem was that Warwick had contacted the French king Louis XI and had been trying to arrange a marriage for Edward to a French princess. Edward's act upset Warwick's plans. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jun - Truce with Scotland. |
| Anglo-Scots truce signed at York. |
| See Also |
| |
| Sep 14 - Council at Reading |
| Great Council at Reading Abbey; Edward IV announced his marriage and (29.9 - Michaelmas) Elizabeth recognised as Queen. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1465 | May 26 - Elizabeth crowned |
| Elizabeth Woodville was finally crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey. |
| See Also |
| |
| Summer - Henry VI captured |
| Henry had been helped by Lancastrian supporters in the north but was finally captured at Waddington Hall. He was taken to London and put in the Tower. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1466 | Feb 11 - Birth of Edward IV's first daughter |
| First daughter, Elizabeth, born to Edward IV and Elizabeth; a second daughter, Mary, was born 11.8.1467.
|
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1468 | Orkney pledged to Scotland |
| The islands of Orkney were pledged to James III of Scotland in part payment of the dowry for the marriage of James to the daughter of King Christian I of Norway.
|
| See Also |
| |
| Canterbury Lady Chapel Vault |
| Canterbury Lady Chapel Vault built. |
| See Also |
| |
| Summer - Margaret marries Duke of Burgundy |
| Edward arranged for his sister Margaret to marry Charles the Duke of Burgundy. Burgundy had for some time been a supporter of the Yorkists and this marriage strengthened the bond. For Warwick, this was a disaster. Warwick had been attempting to make an alliance with France and that was not about to happen. |
| See Also |
| |
| Qtr 4 - Warwick plots against the King |
| Warwick was unhappy with the marriage of Edward and Elizabeth Woodville and he began to plan how overthrow the king. Warwick's plans centred around Edward's brother George, the Duke of Clarence. If George was to marry Warwick's daughter Isabel and become king, Warwick would be back in a position of power. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1469 | Qtr 1 - Rebellion of Robin of Redesdale |
| A rebellion began early in the year started by a mysterious person calling himself Robin of Redesdale. The motivation for the uprising against the king was his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and the influence the Woodvilles were having. The rebels were supported by the Earl of Warwick. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jun - Edward advances against rebels |
| Edward and the Duke of Gloucester took a small army in search of the rebels in the North. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul - Clarence marries Isabel Neville |
| Warwick and the Duke of Clarence travelled to France where Clarence was married to Warwick's fifteen year old daughter Isabel. The ceremony was conducted by Warwick's brother George Neville the Archbishop of York. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 26 - Battle of Edgecote |
| Edward's army was insufficient to deal with the rebels alone and he had moved them to Nottingham to wait for a larger army to join them led by Sir William Herbert. Pembroke's army was attacked and defeated by a combined rebel army led by Robin of Redesdale and the Earl of Warwick who had returned from France. The battle took place at Edgecote near Banbury. Sir William Herbert and his brother Richard were captured and executed. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 29 - Edward is captured |
| After the defeat of William Herbert at Edgecote, Edward was left without a strong enough army to deal with the Earl of Warwick. Either Edward's army deserted him, or he dispersed his army on purpose, the outcome was the same. Edward was captured. |
| See Also |
| |
| Aug - Woodville family members executed |
| While Edward was imprisoned, Warwick captured the Queen's father (Earl Rivers) and one of her brothers and had them executed at Warwick Castle. |
| See Also |
| |
| Sep - Riots and rebellions |
| With the king in custody there began a series of riots around the country protesting against the Earl of Warwick. Warwick did not have the backing of Parliament and in the end had little choice but to let Edward go free and return to rule the country. |
| See Also |
| |
| Qtr 4 - Richard appointed Constable of England |
| Richard (III) was given the role of Constable of England and was given Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1470 | 'Le Morte d'Arthur' |
| The book about the legend of King Arthur called ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’ was written by Sir Thomas Mallory. |
| York Minster north-west tower |
| Building work on the north-west tower of York Minster until 1474. |
| See Also |
| |
| Mar 12 - Lincolnshire rebellion |
| A rebellion had begun in Lincolnshire early in the year and had been mostly been dealt with by Edward, but Sir Robert (Welles ?) had escaped capture and was still on the run. Edward finally caught up with Sir Robert near Stamford in Lincolnshire. In the battle known as Empingham (or Lose-Coat), Sir Robert was captured and confessed that the rebellion had been master-minded by the Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence. |
| See Also |
| |
| May - Warwick and Clarence escape to France |
| After their treachery had been uncovered, the Earl of Warwick and Duke of Clarence fled to France. Warwick's plan was to get help from the French King. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 22 - Warwick and the Lancastrians |
| Louis XI, the French King devised a plan to remove Edward IV from the English throne. Louis persuaded the Earl of Warwick (a Yorkist) and Margaret of Anjou the exiled wife of Henry VI (a Lancastrian) to combine forces and attempt to over through Edward. Warwick and Margaret met on 22 July at Anger Cathedral to put their differences aside and to agree on a course of action. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul 31 - The plan to restore Henry VI |
| Warwick promised to restore Henry VI to the English throne, and he betrothed his youngest daughter Anne to Margaret's son Edward, the Prince of Wales. |
| See Also |
| |
| Sep 13 - Warwick lands in England |
| The Earl of Warwick landed at Dartmouth in Devon accompanied by the Lancastrian Earl of Oxford and Jasper Tudor, the half-brother of Henry VI. Edward was in the north at the time of Warwick's return and was turned upon by John Neville, Warwick's brother. Although John Neville had accepted Edward as King, Edward had removed John's title of Earl of Northumberland earlier in the year and given it to the Percys. |
| See Also |
| |
| Qtr 4 - Louis declares war on Burgundy |
| Edward IV had taken refuge with his brother-in-law Charles, the Duke of Burgundy. Louis of France declared war on Burgundy forcing the Duke to support Edward in his attempt to reclaim the English throne. |
| See Also |
| |
| Qtr 4 - Edward (V) is born |
| Edward IV's wife Elizabeth gave birth to her first son. Elizabeth had taken refuge at Westminster Abbey after the King had fled to Burgandy. |
| See Also |
| |
| Oct - Henry restored as King |
| Henry VI was released from the Tower of London by the Earl of Warwick and crowned King of England for the second time. |
| See Also |
| |
| Oct 2 - Edward flees to Burgundy |
| Warwick did not need to fight the King. Edward was outnumbered and was almost captured by John Neville at Doncaster. Along with his brother Richard and a small party of followers, Edward travelled to Lynn in Norfolk where he sailed to Burgundy and refuge. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1471 | Jan - Support for Edward IV |
| Edward IV and Charles of Burgundy met at Aire where an agreement was reached on support for Edward’s return to his throne. |
| See Also |
| |
| Mar 14 - Edward returns to England |
| With a small combined force of English and Burgundians, Edward landed on the Yorkshire coast. His fleet had been hit and scattered by a storm off the coast of Norfolk. Luckily for Edward he wasn't attacked eventhough Lord Montagu and the Earl of Northumberland were close by. As he marched south, Edward gained supporters and his army grew. |
| See Also |
| |
| Apr 4 - Clarence rejoins his brothers |
| George, Duke of Clarence deserted the Earl of Warwick and joined his brothers Edward and Richard. Importantly for the Yorkist cause, he brought with him a sizable army. |
| See Also |
| |
| Apr 11 - London falls to Edward |
| The Earl of Warwick was in Coventry and apparently unwilling to confront Edward, so Edward marched south to London. London was under the control of Warwick's brother, George Neviile the Archbishop of York, but the Londoners were Yorkists and they welcomed the return of their true king. |
| See Also |
| |
| Apr 14 - Queen Margaret lands at Weymouth |
| Queen Margaret (wife of Henry VI) and her son Edward the prince of Wales landed at Weymouth on the very same day as the battle of Barnet. Their intention was to assist the Earl of Warwick, but she arrived too late. Determined to avenge the Barnet defeat, the Queen and her army marched north towards Wales and men she could count on to join her army. Edward had thought of this and to cut the Queen off from Wales, had taken control of the bridges across the River Severn. |
| See Also |
| |
| Apr 14 - The Battle of Barnet |
| The Earl of Warwick had left Coventry to confront Edward. The armies met at Barnet just north of London in thick fog. The two battle lines overlapped and Warwick's Lancastrian men commanded by the Earl of Oxford were able to get around the Yorkists commanded by Lord Hastings. Hastings' men fled back to London with Oxford's men in hot pursuit. On the other side of the battle the Yorkists, led by Richard, were outflanking the Lancastrians and took the advantage pushing their enemy back. When Oxford's men returned to the battle they were mistakenly fired upon by their fellow Lancastrians and fled. By early evening Lord Montagu and the Earl of Warwick were dead. The Lancastrians were defeated. |
| See Also |
| |
| May - London attacked by rebels |
| A group of men from Kent attacked London but left the city before the victorious Edward returned after the battle of Tewkesbury. |
| See Also |
| |
| May 4 - The Battle of Tewkesbury |
| The Yorkists led by Edward and Richard met the Lancastrians at Tewkesbury. Richard was able to outflank the Lancastrians led by Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. Once Somerset's men had been dealt with, Richard attacked the rear of the Lancastrian line which broke apart and fled. Many of the Lancastrian leaders were caught and killed including Edward the Prince of Wales. |
| See Also |
| |
| May 21 - The murder of Henry VI |
| Edward arrived back in London and that night Henry VI was murdered at the Tower of London. |
| See Also |
| |
| Qtr 3 - Richard becomes Lord of the North |
| Richard (III) was given the task of bringing the north of the country under control. The conflicts between the Lancastrians and Yorkists over the previous few years had left the northern counties without any effective rulers resulting in lawlessness and unopposed Scottish raids. Richard was given the lands that the Earl of Warwick had previously possessed and he made his base at Middleham Castle. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1472 | Ludlow home for the two princes |
| The young Prince of Wales and his brother lived at Ludlow Castle. |
| See Also |
| |
| Jul - Richard marries Anne Neville |
| Richard III married Anne the widow of Edward Prince of Wales who died in 1471 at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Anne was the daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick the 'Kingmaker', and had grown up with Richard III at Middleham Castle when he had been placed their for his education. Marrying Anne gave Richard III rights to the Earl of Warwick's northern estates. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1473 | Oct - Marriage agreement between England and Scotland |
| James III of Scotland agreed that his new born son, James, should marry Edward IV's daughter Cecily. Cecily was only four and the agreement stated that the marriage should wait until both were old enough. Also, if either died before that time, a substitute would be found. This agreement brought peace between Scotland and England until October 1519. |
| See Also |
| |
|
|
| 1474 | Jul - Treaty of London |
| Treaty of London between Edward IV and Charles the Bold of Burgundy against France. |
| See Also |
| |
