1453-1458 Wars of the Roses: First War

Neville-Percy Feud

By 27th July 1453, says Griffiths, the situation in the north had deteriorated so badly that the crown effectively abrogated its authority in the region, by writing directly to the two earls [Note Henry Percy 2nd Earl of Northumberland (age 60) and Richard Neville Earl Salisbury (age 53)], laying responsibility for ending the dispute on them, and instructing them to keep their sons in order. It was at this point too, that the commission of oyer and terminer of 12 July was re-issued.

On or before 24th August 1453 Thomas Neville (age 23) and Maud Stanhope 4th Baroness Cromwell Baroness Willoughby of Eresby were married. Maud Stanhope 4th Baroness Cromwell Baroness Willoughby of Eresby was the niece and heiress of Ralph Cromwell 3rd Baron Cromwell (age 50) meaning traditional Percy lands would become Neville lands. The Percy's, being the older family, especially Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 30), took umbrage with the ensuing two year feud known as the Neville-Percy Feud. He the son of Richard Neville Earl Salisbury (age 53) and Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury (age 46).

On 24th August 1453 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 22) was ambushed at Heworth Moor York by Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 30) leading a force of 700 or more men when returning with his brother's wedding party from Tattershall Castle [Map] to Sheriff Hutton [Map]; sometimes decribed as the Battle of Heworth Moor.

Around 10th August 1453 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 22) summoned with Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 30) to appear before a Royal Council; he ignored it.

In September 1453 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 22) ransacked the manor of Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 30) breaking windows and tiles.

On 20th October 1453 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 22), and his brothers Thomas Neville (age 23) and Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury (age 24), met with Henry Percy 2nd Earl of Northumberland (age 60) and to negotiate peace.

1454 Battle of Stamford Bridge

On 20th October 1454 both the Neville and Percy families summoned their retainers to their respective castles: Percy to Topcliffe Castle [Map], Neville to Sheriff Hutton Castle [Map] separated by a distance of around four miles.

On 31st October 1454 or 1st November 1454 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 23) and Thomas Neville (age 24) captured Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 31) and Richard Percy (age 28) in a skirmish known as the Battle of Stamford Bridge. [Note. The second battle at Stamford Bridge [Map] with the first being in 1066]. The brothers were taken to Middleham Castle [Map]. Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont was subsequently fined £11,200 in damages which, with an income of £100, he was unlikely to ever pay. He was, therefore, taken to Newgate Prison, London [Map] in which he stayed until he escaped in 1456.

Battle of Arkinholm

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

On 1st May 1455 the Douglas rebellion was brought to an end at the Battle of Arkinholm near Langholm. Archibald Douglas Earl of Moray (age 29) was killed. Hugh Douglas 1st Earl Ormonde was executed. John Douglas (age 22) escaped.

Henry VI's Second Illness

Paston Letters Volume 3 303. James Gresham To John Paston.^48.1

To my right worshipfull maister, John Paston, at Norwiche, be this delyvred. 28th October 1455

Please it your maistership to wete^48.2 ....

Here be many marvaylos tales of thynggs that shall falle this next moneth, as it is seyd; for it is talked that oon Doktor Grene, a preest, hath kalked [calculated ?] and reporteth, that by fore Seynt Andreu day next comyng shall be the grettest bataill that was sith the bataill of Shrewisbury,^48.3 and it shall falle bytwene the Bisshoppes Inne of Salesbury and Westminster Barres, and there shall deye vij. Lords, whereof iij. shuld be bisshoppes. Althis and meche more is talked and reported. I trust to God it shall not falle so.

Also there is gret varyance bytwene the Erll of Devenshire and the Lord Bonvyle, as hath be many day, and meche debat is like to growe therby; for on Thursday at nyght last passed, the Erll of Denshyres sone and heir come with lx. men of armes to Radford's^49.1 place in Devenshire, whiche was of counseil with my Lord Bonvyle; and they sette an hous on fyer at Radfords gate, and cryed and mad an noyse as though they had be sory for the fyer; and by that cause Radfords men set opyn the gats and yede owt to se the fyer; and for with th'erll sone forseid entred into the place and intreted Radford to come doun of his chambre to sp[e]ke with them, promyttyng hym that he shuld no bodyly harm have; up on whiche promysse he come doun, and spak with the seid Erll sone.

In the mene tyme his menye robbe his chambre, and ryfled his huches,^49.2 and trussed suyche as they coude gete to gydder, and caryed it awey on his own hors. Thanne th'erll sone seid, 'Radford, thou must come to my lord my fadir.' He seid he wold, and bad oon of his men make redy his hors to ride with hem, whiche answerd hym that alle his hors wern take awey; thanne he seid to th'erll sone, 'Sir, your men have robbed my chambre, and thei have myn hors, that I may not ride with you to my lord your fadir, wherfor, I pray you, lete me ride, for I am old, and may not go.'

It was answerid hym ageyn, that he shuld walke forth with them on his feete; and so he dede till he was a flyte^49.3 shote or more from his place, and thanne he was ..... softly, for cawse he myght not go fast. And whanne thei were thus departed, he turned .... oon; forwith come ix. men ageyn up on hym, and smot hym in the hed, and fellid .... of them kyt his throte.

This was told to my Lord Chaunceler^49.4 this fornoon .... messengers as come of purpos owt of the same cuntre. This matier is take gretly .... passed at ij. after mydnyght rod owt of London, as it is seid, more thanne .... the best wyse. Summe seyne it was to ride toward my Lord of York, and summe .... k, so meche rumor is here; what it menyth I wot not, God turne it .... at Hertford,^50.1 and summe men ar a ferd that he is seek ageyn. I pray God .... my Lords of York, Warwyk, Salesbury and other arn in purpos to conveye hym ....... &c. The seid N. Crome, berer her of, shall telle you suche tydynggs ....... in hast, at London, on Seint Simon day and Jude.Yowr poerJ. Gr.

Note 48.1. [From Fenn, i. 114.] This letter was written in 1455, at the time of the King's second attack of illness, which happened while he was under the control of the Duke of York and the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury, as mentioned at the end of the letter. In the latter part of the letter some words are lost by the decay of the original MS.

Note 48.2. Here, says Fenn, follows an account of some law business, etc.

Note 48.3. Fought in 1403 between King Henry IV. and the rebel Percies.

Note 49.1. 'Nicolas Radford,' says Fenn in a note, 'was an eminent lawyer, and resided at Poghill, near Kyrton.' In Pole's Description of Devonshire, p. 219, we find that one Nicolas Radford dwelled at Upcot in Henry VI.'s time, 'after whose death controversy arose betwixt John Radford of Okeford and Thomazin, sister of the said Nicholas,' who had married Roger Prous.

Note 49.2. A hutch was a coffer or chest standing on legs.

Note 49.3. A flight was 'a light arrow formed for very long and straight shots.'—Halliwell.

Note 49.4. Archbishop Bourchier.

Note 50.1. The King was at Hertford, as appears by the Privy Seals, in August and September 1455, and not improbably in October also.

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Battle of Clyst Heath

On 15th December 1455 the Courtenay family, Earls of Devon since 1355, and Bonville family resolved their differences at the Battle of Clyst Heath near Exeter [Map]. Thomas Courtenay 5th or 13th Earl Devon (age 41) defeated William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville (age 63). Battle something of an over-statement; the number of dead reported by one chronicler as being twelve. Following the battle the victorious Courtenay's attacked Bonville's Shute Manor.

Birth of King Henry VII

On 28th January 1457 King Henry VII of England and Ireland was born to the late Edmund Tudor 1st Earl Richmond and Margaret Beaufort Countess Richmond (age 13) at Pembroke Castle [Map]. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward III of England.

John Neville married Isabel Ingaldsthorpe

On 25th April 1457 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 26) and Isabel Ingaldsthorpe (age 16) were married by Cardinal Thomas Bourchier (age 39) at Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. She the heir of her father Edmund Ingaldsthorpe who had died the previous year. Eight manors were settled on them in jointure. He the son of Richard Neville Earl Salisbury (age 57) and Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury (age 50). They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

In 1460 a petition noted "The Nevilles state that Isabel was found to be Ingoldisthorpe's daughter and heir. When they requested livery of the estates from the chancellor in Chancery, he refused on the grounds that the king had granted the marriage and wardship to the queen (age 29). The Nevilles disputed this as Isabel was 14, and not a minor at common law. John Neville made recognizances in £1,000 to the queen on the understanding that if it was found that such a grant to the queen was not available, then she would not take any money from Neville. The Nevilles are unable to have a day in their law, and the queen has still levied part of the £1,000, and they are forced to sue a special livery at great expense. They request that the recognizances by annulled, and that women of the age of 14 when their ancestors die should have no problem of obtaining livery of their lands and tenements." See National Archives UK John Nevyll (Neville), knight; Isabel Neville, wife of John Neville, knight. SC 8/28/1398 1460.

Margaret Beaufort marries Henry Stafford

On 3rd January 1458 Henry Stafford (age 33) and Margaret Beaufort Countess Richmond (age 14) were married probably at Maxstoke Castle [Map]. Her third marriage (second if you don't include the one annulled) aged fourteen and already the mother of the future King Henry VII. She had no further issue. She the daughter of John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset and Margaret Beauchamp Duchess Somerset (age 48). He the son of Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 55) and Anne Neville Duchess Buckingham (age 50). They were second cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.