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The Annals Yorkshire by John Mayall is in Victorian Books.
1399. The unfortunate Richard II, was confined some time in Leeds castle, till his removal to Pontefract, where he was murdered in cold blood, or starved to death, within the fatal walls of the fortress there, which was so often the scene of the foulest deeds of cruelty. In Hardynge's chronicle, the circumstance is thus noticed:
"The kyng then sent kyng Richard to Ledis
There to be kept surely in privitee;
Fro thens after to Pyckering went he needis,
And to Knaresbro' after led was he;
But to Pomfret last where he did dee.
The fate of Richard II. has been described as follows: "One Sir Piers, of Exton, departing from court, came to Pomfret, commanding that the esquire who was used to serve Richard should let him eat well know, as not long would he eat. King Richard sat down to dinner, and was. served without curtesie or assay, when he, marvelling at the sudden change, demanded of the esquire, why he did not do his duty? Sir, said he, I am otherwise commanded by Sir Piers of Exton, who is newly come from King Henry; when he heard that word he took the carving-knife in his hand, and struck the esquire on his head, saying, "The devil take thee, and Henry of Lancaster together," and with that word, Sir Piers entered into the chamber, well armed, with eight tall men in harness; every man having a bill in his hand. King Richard, perceiving them armed, knew well that they came to his confusion, and, putting the table from him, valiantly took the bill out of the first man's hand, and manfully defended himself, slaying four of them in a short space of time. Sir Feirs, dismayed, leaped into Richard's chair, the other four assailing and chasing him about the chamber, till he came by the knight, who, with a stroke of his pole-axe feiled him to the ground, after which he was shortly rid out of the world, without either con- fession or receipt of sacrament."
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1357. Edward III, by a charter of this date, at Wakefield, granted to Wm. Kay, Wm. Bull, and their successors for ever, the anuual sum of £10, to perform divine service in the chapel of St. Mary [Map], on the bridge at Wakefield. The revenue was secured and made payable out of the produce of the towns of Wakefield, Stanley, Ossett, Pontefract, Purston-Jackling, and Water-Fryston. When this chapel and its two chantries were suppressed, its revenue was valued at £14 15s. 3 d.
1460. The bloody conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster had now commenced, and Yorkshire was doomed to experience that scourge of nations, "civil war," in its greatest horrors. After Henry VI had been taken prisoner at the battle of Northampton, his masculine and warlike queen, Margaret of Anjou, repaired to the north, where she soon drew together 20,000 men. The Duke of York, hearing of her appearance in Yorkshire, hastened to Wakefield, and being informed that the enemy's forces were greatly superior to his own, he resolved to shut himself up in the neighbouring Castle of Sandal, till his eldest son, the Earl of March, should arrive with a reinforcement; but the bold queen soon appeared before the walls of the fortress, with the main body of her army, led by the Dukes of Somerset and Exeter, and by calling on him as a coward who durst not encounter a woman, she forced him to lead out his troops to Wakefield Green, where he offered battle to the Lancasterians, though he had only 5000 men. The inequality of numbers was of itself sufficent to decide the victory, but the queen having placed a body of troops in ambush, under Lord Clifford and the Earl of Wiltshire they fell upon the duke's rear, while he was attacked in front by the main body, and in less than half an hour himself was slain, and his little army nearly annihilated. His body was soon recognized among the slain; his head was cut off by Margaret's order, and fixed upon the gates of York, with a paper crown upon it, in derision of his pretended title. The Earl of Rutland, the second son of the Duke of York, was forced into the presence of Lord Clifford, who basely murdered the youth in cold blood. This battle of Wakefield was fought December 24th, 14601. Amongst the slain in Margaret's army, was Richard Hanson, Esq., Mayor of Hull.
Note. The Battle of Wakefield was fought on 30th December 1460.