12th October 1459 Battle of Ludford Bridge

Chronicle of St Albans by Abbot John Whethamstede [-1465]. Having been informed by their faithful followers about this matter and the conclusion reached among them, the Lords immediately raised their voices and exclaimed against the treacherous and seditious people using these words: "O deceitful nation! O impious people! O people full of treachery! You sacrifice more to Bacchus and Venus than to Bellona or brother Mars, as if they were more worthy gods. O fickle nation! O changeable people! O guilty people of deceit! You do not hesitate to be accused of falsehood, as long as you can hide in the clamour of war or find refuge in some place. O people! O genuine offspring of vipers! You deserve comparison on two counts: first, because you do not hesitate to corrode the entrails of your own lords, as long as you can escape the outcome of battle and return to your own without harm. Second, because you now strive with all your might to pierce those who have never harmed you, attempting to inflict wounds with your venomous swords. O people! O viperous breed, rather than vicarious! More venomous than truthful, known by every nation. For they had promised to stand with us unto death, and now, breaking their promise and with their spirit poisoned, they hasten to take our lives and thus save their own. O people! O generation similar to those who are wicked, perverse, and reputed to have faithless children! Therefore, let them be treated according to the imprecation of the Psalmist:— Let their children, that is, their orphans, and their wives, that is, their widows, be cast out from all their dwellings, which are known to exist somewhere within the kingdom."

Certiorati Domini per suos fideles de hujusmodi quæstionationis, et de conclusione sumpta inter eos, exaltaverunt protinus in altum voces, exclamaveruntque in populum perfidum et seditiosum, sub hiis verbis:— "O gens subdola! O gens impia! O gens perfidiæ plena! quæ Baccho et Veneri sæpius immolat, quam Bellonæ, aut fratri Marti, aut hiis, tanquam Diis dignioribus, immolare festinat. O gens instabilis! O gens mutabilis! O gens fallaciæ rea! quæ non veretur falsitatis argui, dummodo in strepitu bellico latere posset sub umbraculo, aut in loco refugii aliquo se tueri. O gens! O genus genuinum viperarum! gemina ratione merito comparandum: primo, quia nec verentur, nec verecundantur, propriorum dominorum viscera corrodere, dummodo possent illi evadere eventum belli, et iterum ad propria sine vulnere redire. Secundo vero, quia jam laborant totis viribus illos suorum aculeorum gladiis compungere, qui nunquam eos pupugerunt, give puncturam conabantur inferre. O gens! O genus vipereum, potius quam vicarium! virulentumque magis quam veridicum, ab omni natione nuncupandum. Nobiscum etenim usque ad mortem stare promiserant, et jam, promiss fracto, animoque potionato, vitam nobis adimere, et sic eis suam salvare, festinant. O gens O genus generationi illi multum persimile, quæ prava est, et perversa, et infideles filios fertur habere! Fiat igitur illis juxta imprecatum Psalmistæ:— filii, hoc est, eorum orphani, uxores vero viduæ, ejicianturque ulterius ipsi de omnibus et singulis suis habitaculis, quæ alicubi infra regnum noscuntur habere."

Chronicle of Robert Fabyan [-1512]. 12th October 1459. Where of hearing the said Duke [aged 48], then being with his people near unto the town of Ludlow, picked there a sure and strong field, that none of his foes might upon any part enter. Where he so lying, came to him from Calais, the Earl of Warwick [aged 30] with a strong band of men, among the which was Andrew Trollope, and many other of the best soldiers of Calais. The Duke thus keeping his field upon that one party, and the king with his people upon that other, upon the night preceding the day that both houses should have met, the forenamed Andrewe Trollope, with all the chief soldiers of Calais, secretly departed from the Duke's host and went unto the kings, where they were joyously received. When this thing to the Duke and the other lords was ascertained, they were therewith sore dismayed, and especially, for the said lordes had to the said Andrew showed the whole of their entities, which then they knew well should be clearly discovered unto their enemies: wherefore, after counsel for a remedie taken, they concluded to flee, and to leave the field standing as they had been present and still abidyng. And so incontently the saide Duke with his two sons, and a few other persons, fled towarde Wales, and from thence passed safely into Irelande. And the earls of Salesbury [aged 59], of Marche, and of Warwick, and other, with a secret company also departed and took the way into Devonshire, where a squire named John Dynham [aged 26], which after was a lorde and High Treasurer of England, and so lastly in Henry the VII's days and sixteenth year of his reign died, [which John Dynham foresaid]¹ bought a ship for aa hundredn and ten markys, or eleven score nobles; and in the same ship the said lords went, and so sailed into Gernesey. And when they had a season there sojourned and refreshed themselves, they departed thence, as in the beginning of the next mayor's year shall be clearly shown. Upon the morrow, when all this couyne was known to the kyng and the lords upon his party, there was sending and running with all speed toward every coast to take these lords, but none might be found. And forthwith the King rode unto Ludlow and despoiled the town and castle, and sent the Duchess of York, with her children, unto the Duchesse of Buckingham her sister, where she rested long after.

Memoires Jacques du Clercq. Around this time in England, a day for battle was appointed between the forces of the Queen of England, wife of King Henry and daughter of the King of Sicily, Duke of Anjou, and those of the Duke of York and his supporters. The queen governed the kingdom of England because the king her husband was not a capable man, nor inclined towards arms. By this King Henry she had a son named Edward. With the queen was the Duke of Somerset, whose father the Duke of York had slain with his own hand some four or five years earlier. Because of this, there had been great war between the dukes of York and Somerset, and there had been several major battles. Each of these dukes sought to control the government of the kingdom, especially the Duke of York, who claimed that the kingdom of England belonged to him by rightful descent. At the appointed day, the Duke of York had with him the Count of Warwick, Guînes, and those of the garrison there. When the two sides were drawn up in battle [12th October 1459], the queen played a remarkable stratagem, she sent, under safe-conduct, a message into the camp of the Duke of York, declaring that the King of England bore no ill will towards them, and that if any among those assembled had offended the king, he pardoned all their offences, provided they abandoned the Duke of York and withdrew from his side. This proved very damaging to the Duke of York, for most of his army deserted him and joined the queen, especially those of the garrison of Guînes. When the queen saw this, she immediately ordered an attack upon the duke, who was quickly defeated. The Duke of York fled and escaped, making for Holland and Wales. The Count of March, eldest son of the Duke of York, the Count of Warwick, and other lords of their company put out to sea in a small boat at great risk, and by fortune arrived at Calais, though it was a great chance that they did not all perish at sea. In this battle, a great number were slain on the side of the Duke of York.

ENVIRON ce temps y olt en Angleterre jour de bataille assigné, entre les gens de la royne d'Angleterre, femme du roy Henry et fille du roy de Cecile, duc d'Anjou, et le duc d'Yorc et ses gens, laquelle royne gouvernoit le royaume d'Angleterre, pourtant que le roy son mary n'estoit pas homme idoine, ni adonné aux armes, duquel roy Henry elle avoit un fils nommé Edouard, et estoit avec la royne le duc de Sombreset, duquel le duc d'Yorc avoit tué le pere de sa propre main, environ quatre ou cinq ans devant, pour laquelle mort y avoit eu grande guerre entre les ducs d'Yorc et de Sombreset et y avoit eu des grosses batailles. Et voulloit chacun desdits ducs avoir le gouvernement du royaume et par especial le duc d'Yorc, lequel disoit que le royaume d'Angleterre lui debvoit appartenir de droite ligne. A laquelle journée assignée le duc d'Yorc avoit avecq lui le comte de Werwicq Guynes et ceulx de la garnison. Quant les deux parties furent rangées en bataille, la royne joua d'un merveilleux tour, car elle envoya par saulfconduit dire en l'ost du duc d'Yorc, que le roy d'Angleterre n'estoit point malcontent d'eux et sy de touts ceux qui illecq estoient assemblés y avoient aulcuns qui euissent meffait vers le roy d'Angleterre, le roy pardonnoit tout ce qu'ils avoient meffait moiennant qu'ils laissassent le duc d'Yorc et se retirassent de son costé. Laquelle chose fust moult grevable au duc d'Yorc; car la pluspart de son ost le laissa et se retira avecq la royne, et mesmement ceulx de la garnison de Guynes. Quant la royne vit ce, si feit tantot assaillir le duc, lequel fust prestement desconfit, et prit le duc la fuite, et se sauva tirant vers Hollande et vers Galles; le comte de la Marche, aisné fils du duc d'Yorc, le comte de Werwicq et aultres seigneurs de leur compagnie se boutterent en mer a l'advanture en ung petit basteau, et ainsi que fortune le voullut, arriverent a Calaix, mais ce fust grande advanture que touts ne perirent enmer. Eten ceste bataille y olt grand nombre de morts du costé du duc d'Yorc.

A Brief Latin Chronicle. 12th October 1459. For in the year of our Lord 1459, the aforementioned lords, namely Richard, Duke of York, the Earl of March, son of the same duke, the Earl of Salisbury, and the Earl of Warwick, with a large retinue, near Ludlow around the feast of Saint Edward the Confessor, were preparing for open battle. Whether they had gathered to reform the ills of the kingdom, or for their own safekeeping, or for any other reason, God knows. Against them, the king himself with the nobles of the kingdom and a large army hastened to battle; however, after a delay there, many left the duke and the earls and, submitting themselves to the king, were received into his grace. The Duke of York fled. Indeed, the Duke of York went to Ireland with a few; the three remaining earls with very few reached Calais by ship. In the meantime, their estates were confiscated, and other properties were plundered. Meanwhile, occasional conflicts occurred between the Duke of Somerset, the captain of the castle of Guines, with his men, and the people of Calais, and many fell.

Nam anno Domini millesimo cccc°.lix°, insurrexerunt iterum predicti domini, scilicet Ricardus, dux Eboracensis, comes Merchie, filius ejusdem ducis, comes Sarum, comes Warwyc, cim grandi comitatu, et juxta Ludlaw circiter festum Sancti Edwardi Confessoris, ad bellum campestre se parabant. An sic convenerant ad reformandum mala regni, aut sui ipsorum salvam custodiam, vel quavis alia causa, novit Deus. Contra quos rex ipse cum proceribus regni et copioso exercitu in bellum properavit; mora autem ibi facta, recesserunt multi a duce et comitibus et regi se submittentes ad graciam ejus recepti sunt. Dux autem Eboracensis fugam inierunt. Dux namque Eboracensis cum paucis Hyberniam adiit; tres reliqui comites cum paucissimis usque Calisiam navigio pervenerunt. Confiscantur interim eorum predia, diripiuntur alia bona. Interim inter ducem Somersetie, capitaneum castri de Geynes, cum suis, et Calisienses, facti sunt interdum conflictus, et multi corruerunt.