Battle of Stoke Field

On 16th June 1487 a Lancastrian army defeated a Yorkist army at the Battle of Stoke Field; considered by many to be the last battle of the Wars of the Roses.

The Lancastrian army of Henry Tudor comprised:

John de Vere 13th Earl of Oxford (age 44).

Jasper Tudor 1st Duke Bedford (age 55).

George Talbot 4th Earl of Shrewsbury (age 19).

Henry Willoughby (age 36).

John Cheney 1st Baron Cheyne (age 45).

John Mordaunt (age 31).

Richard Neville 2nd Baron Latimer of Snape (age 19).

William Norreys (age 46).

Edward Norreys (age 23) wounded.

John Paston (age 43).

George Stanley 9th Baron Strange Knockin 5th Baron Mohun Dunster (age 27).

Edward Woodville Lord Scales (age 31).

Thomas Lovell, knighted.

Henry Marney 1st Baron Marney (age 40).

Edward Belknapp of Blackfriars in London

William Lyttelton (age 37) who was knighted after the battle.

The Yorksists:

John de la Pole 1st Earl Lincoln (age 25) was killed. Earl Lincoln extinct.

Thomas Fitzgerald (age 29) and Martin Schwartz were killed.

Lambert Simnel (age 10) fought and was captured. He was pardoned by King Henry VII and put to work in the in the royal kitchen as a spit-turner. When he grew older, he became a falconer. Almost no information about his later life is known.

Francis Lovell 1st Viscount Lovell (age 31) fought and escaped. He was attainted. Baron Deincourt, Baron Lovel of Titchmarsh, Baron Holand forfeit.

Edmund Peckham was granted the manors of Alford, Eccles, Alderley, Chester, and Flint.

Chronicle of Jean Molinet Chapter 158. [16th June 1487] King Edward, driving his enemies before him and seeking out the adversary, rode through the forest of Nottingham. Without entering the town, he came to Newark, where he crossed the river, which is very wide, and marched along its banks for about two or three leagues. At the end of a meadow, he came upon King Henry's army, near a village with two wings. At the head of the vanguard was the Earl of Oxford, accompanied by the Lord of Scaudale, the Lord of Salisbury, the Lord of Estingles, the son of the Duke of Norfolk (brother to the Earl of Lincoln), and several great nobles and powerful barons of England. On the right wing of the said vanguard was Lord Scales, commanding two thousand horsemen; and on the left wing, Sir John Savage, with fourteen hundred horsemen. In the main battle was King Henry himself, accompanied by noble princes and distinguished knights, numbering twenty thousand; and in the rearguard was Lord Strange, with fourteen to fifteen thousand. But King Edward's army was drawn up in a single mass, numbering only eight thousand. When the two sides came to blows, Edward's army could not withstand the volleys of English archers, especially the Germans, who were only half-armored; and although they showed great valor, indeed, as much as could be expected given their small numbers, they were nevertheless broken and defeated, pierced and overwhelmed with arrows like hedgehogs.

There died the Earl of Lincoln, a very valiant man and renowned in arms, along with Sir Martin Schwartz, a bold knight of great courage, as well as many notable persons, in such great number that only two hundred from their entire army escaped. Of those who were found two days later, the Irish and English were hanged, while the foreigners were pardoned and dismissed. As for King Edward, he was captured and led as a prisoner to the town of Newark, four leagues away, where King Henry, joyful over his victory, without stopping on the way, went to give thanks to God for his triumph and good fortune. The canons of the great church, in solemn procession, came out to meet him; he saluted the Virgin Mary and offered his standard to the image of Saint George. And two days later, he dismissed his army so thoroughly that there remained around him no more than four or five thousand men.

En l'esle dextre de ladite avant-garde estoit en chief le seigneur d'Escales, ayant deux mille chevaulx; et, en la senestre, sire Jehan Saulvaige, à tout quatorze cents chevaulx . En la grande bataille, estoit le roy Henry, en personne, accompaignié des nobles princes et notables chevaliers, en nombre de vingt mille; et, en l'arrière-garde, estoit le seigneur d'Estranges, en nombre de quatorze à quinze mille . Mais la bataille du roi Edouard estoit en une masse, montant en nombre de huict mille seulement; lesquels, quant vint au joindre d'un parti contre l'autre, ne peult porter le traict des archiers d'Angleterre, souverainement les Allemans, qui n'estoient armés qu'à demi; et jàsoit-ce que ils montrassent grant vaillance, voire autant que possible, estoit, selon leur petit nombre et quantités: toutesfois ils furent rompus et desfaicts, sagettés et chargés de traicts comme hérichons . Le roy Édouard chassant ses ennemis devant lui, et quérant adversaire, chevaucha parmi la forest de Nottinghen; et sans entrer en la ville, vint à Nieuwerque, où il passa la rivière, qui est fort grande, au long de laquelle il marcha au pays, environ deux ou trois lieues; et, au bout d'une prairie, trouva l'armée du roy Henry, lez un villaige à deux aesles . L'avant-garde estoit en chief, le comte d'Occenfort, accompagné du seigneur de Scaudale, du seigneur de Saresbry duseigneur d'Estingles, du fils du duc deNorfolque, frère au seigneur de Linconne, et de plusieurs grands nobles et puissants barons d'Angleterre .

Illecq morut le comte de Linconne, très preux et renommé en armes, sire Martin Zwatre, chevalier fort entreprenant et de très hardi couraige, ensemble plusieurs notables personnaiges, en si grand nombre, que de toute leur armée n'eschappèrent que deux cens; desquels, deux jours après, ceux qui furent trouvés Irlandois et Anglois furent pendus, et les estrangiers furent congiés . Et le roy Edouard fut prins et menè prisonnier en la ville de Nieuwercq, à quatre lieues près, où le roy Henry, joyeulx de sa victoire, sans descendre en chemin, alla rendre grâce à Dieu de sa victoire et de sa bonne fortune . Les colléges de la grande église, à solennelle procession, lui vindrent audevant: il salua la vierge Marie, et donna son estendard à l'image de Sainct-George; et deux jours après, rompit son armée tant nettement qu'il n'avoit autour de lui plus haut de quatre à cinq mille hommes .

Polydore Vergil. [16th June 1487] On the following day the king formed all his forces into a triple battle-line, marched to Stoke, and came to a stop near the earl's camp, where he offered him the opportunity for a fight on level ground. Given this opportunity, the earl brought out his forces, gave his men the signal, and joined battle. Both sides fought very stoutly and fiercely, nor did the Germans in the forefront, rough men and exercised in arms, yield to the English, just as not many men excelled their captain Martin Schwartz in power of mind and body. On the other hand the Irish, although they conducted themselves with great courage, yet since in accordance with their national custom they fought with bodies unprotected by any armour, they fell more than anybody else, and their slaughter was a great source of fear to the others. The battle was fought on equal terms for more than three hours, when at length the king's first battle-line, by far the strongest and best manned, which alone had joined and continued the fight, made such a vigorous attack on the enemy that first it killed the opposing captains, then turned all the rest to rout, and in the flight these men were killed or captured. But when the battle was finished, then it was more evident how much courage had existed in the enemy army. For their leaders John Earl of Lincoln, Francis Lovell, Thomas Broughton, Martin Schwartz and Thomas Fitzgerald, the commander of the Irish, all died at the posts they had occupied while fighting when alive. About 4,000 men were killed, and among these the five leaders I have named. The king lost less than half as many of his men, who had launched the first attack. Young Lambert the pretender was taken, together with his tutor Richard, but the lives of the both of them were spared, because the former was innocent and, thanks to his youth, had done no wrong, as being incapable of doing anything in his own right, and the latter was a priest. And yet, so that he might learn (as they say) that a rock hangs over the head of the man who has cast it aloft, he was remanded to perpetual darkness and chains. Lambert is still alive, made a falconer by the king after he had turned the spit for a while in the royal kitchen and performed other base tasks. And so Margaret's first attempt came to nothing, and as soon as she learned this from a rumor carried into Flanders, she began to be miserably afflicted, to mourn, grieve, and at the same time to scheme how she might hatch some more serious trouble for King Henry, as I shall show below in a convenient place.

Hall's Chronicle. 16th June 1487. When the place was apoynted and ordeined to trye the vttermost by stroke of battaile, the taykof erle set furth his army, and geuyng a token to his compaignie, set upon his aduersaries with a manly courage, desirynge his souldyours that daye to remembre his honoure, and' their awne lyues. And so both the armyes ioyned and fought earnestly and sharply, in Barouche that the Almaynes beynge tryed and expert menne in warres and marciall feates, were in all thynges, aswell in strengthe as pollecye egall and equyualent with the Englishemen: but as for Martyne Swarde theyr chiefe capitayne and leader, not many of the Englyshernen,, bothe for valyaunt courage of a stoute stomack and strengthe and agylyte of body was to be' compared or resembled with hys manhoode. Of the othersyde, the Iryshemen, although they foughte hardeiy and stucke to it valyauntly, yet because they were after the manner of theyr countrey almoste naked, without harneys or armure, they were stryken downe and slayne lyke dull and brute beastes, whose deathes and destructions was a great discouragynge and abashement to the residue of the company. Thus they fought for a space sa sore and so egrely of bothe partes, that no man coulde well iudge to whorne the victory was lyke to enclyne: But at length, the kynges forward beynge full of people and well fortefyed with wynges, whiche onely bothe beganne and contynued the fyght, set vpon the aduersaryes with suche a; force and violence, that fyrst they oppressed and kylled suche capitaynes one by one as resysted theyr myght and puyssaunce, and after that put all the other to fearfull %ght, thewhiche were eyther apprehended as captyues and prysoners in theyr flyght runnynge awaye, or elles slayne and brought to confusyon in a small moment. But when this battaile was fynished and fought oute to the extremytie, then it well apered what high prowes, what manly stomakes, what courageous hartes and what valyaunt courage was in the kynges aduersaryes. For there their chiefe capiteynes the erle of Lyncolne and the lorde Louell, Syr Thomas Broughton, Martyn swarde & the lord Gerardyne capiteyne of the Irishemen were slayne and founde dead. Howbeyt, some aflfyrme that the lorde Louell toke his horsse & would haue fled ouer Trent, but he was not hable to recouer the fartherside for the highnes of the banke and so was drowned in the ryuer. There were kylled at that battaile with their fyue capiteynes before reherced of that partye aboute foure thousand: Of the kynges parte there were not halfe of them which foughte in the forward and gaue the onset slayne or hurt: Then was Lambert the yonglynge which was falsely reported to be the dukes sonne of Clarence, and his master sir Richard Symond prieste bothe taken, but neither of them put to death, because that Lambert was but an innocet poore soule, a very chylde, and was not of an age to do any suche entreprice of his awnc deuyce, and the other was a priest, which yet to thentet he might rein? bre that the stone ofte tymes falleth on the head of hym that casteth it into y ayer, & that many a man maketh a rod for his awn tayle when he entendeth it for another, this priest for penaunce was comitted to perpetual pryson & miserable captiuitie. But this Lambert in coclusion was made the kynges faulkener, after that he had been a turne broche and executed such vile officies in the kynges kytchyn & suyllarye for a space. And thus was all the high •entrepryce that lady Margaret had deuised & set furthe at this tyme, turned to nought and brought to none effect, & to an euell coclusion. Of which chaunce, when she was aduertysed & enformed in the countrye of Flaundcrs, she was very sorye at the harte & much lamented and deplored, that her ymagined purpose sorted to suche an infortunate ende & effect, incontinently deuisyng, practisyng and ymagenyng some greate and more difficile enterpryce, by the which she might vexe and pevturbe yet once agayne the kyng of England and his whole region: Whiche purpose, euen as she inuented yt, so she set yt forwarde as shalbe shewed herafter plainly.

After that kyng Henry had thus asswaged and appeased these matters beynge of so great a moment and weight, with no great mocion, tumulte or trouble, & had not only escaped and defaced the apparant and ymminet perell with a small conflict, and no great daungerous brunt or ieopardy, but also repressed & suppeditate the cyuile dissencion and interior stryfe, in maner as he woulde haue wyshed it, he might thynke hym selfe at one tyme cleane ryd & delyuered from two euelles together, both from feare present & also that was to come. For certeynly when he pondred & diligently consydered his aduersaries (whose puissaunce he botli in nombreand force, farredid surmount and precell) at the very poynte so fiercely to ioyne and to byd him battaile, he much suspected & no lesse mistrusted that they had some preuy fautoures and secret coucelers (the which when tyme and place should requyre or expostulate) would with their strength, aide, succoure and assyst them agaynst him and his puyssaunse. But when he perceaued and sawe the hoost of his enemyes manifestly vanquished and put to flight, hecomaunded that no ma should kyll or sleye the Erie of Lyncolne, but that he should be brought to hym alyue, to thentent that he might shewe & bewraye bothe the foutayneand originall begynnyng, and also the confederates, aiders and comforters of his late practysed sedicious cospiracy. But the fame is, that the souldyours woulde not so do, fearynge least paradueture thesauyngof his only lyfe (as yt should hauc been in dcde) the lyfe of many other should haue been lost, or at the least in ieopardye. This battaile was fought on a saturdaye beyng the XVJ [16th] daye of luyn the yere of our lord thousand foure hundreth LXXXIX¹ and towarde thende of the second yere of the reigne of this kynge: In the •whiche yere also Thomas Burchier Archebishopp of Cauntourbury dyed, into whose rome Ihon Moorton late bishop of Ely, a manne of egall learnyng, vertue and pollecye with hys predecessours, whome Alexander of that name the. vi. bishop of Roome created Cardinall, and the kynge preferred hym to thoffyce of the highe Chauncclour of England: Now to returne to my purpose.

Note 1. 1489. The battle was fought in 1487.

Historia Regis Henrici Septimi by Bernado Andrea. [16th June 1487] He [King Henry VII] had just finished and was ready to reply to the Earl of Oxford, when, since time was pressing, he commanded silence and ordered that action be taken swiftly due to the urgency of the moment. Then, almost headlong, they seized their arms, like doves scattered by a dark storm. And now, the royal army was approaching the bands of the barbarians, who, having taken up a position on the brow of a hill, were drawn up and prepared, lying in wait for our men. But the Lord, the God of vengeance, avenging their unjust rage, sent a sudden whirlwind, just as He had done when Constantine fought against the enemies of the Church. As battle broke out and while it seemed our forces were being overcome, they who were thought to be defeated ended up subduing the enemy. Then suddenly, a great shout rose up to the heavens: "King Henry!" And the blast of trumpets from all sides filled the ears of all with joy. There, that wretched little would-be king [Lambert Simnel (age 10)], who, as I mentioned before, had been crowned in Ireland, was captured in battle. When asked by what audacity he had dared to commit so great a crime, he did not deny that he had been forced into it by certain infamous men of his own sort. Then, when he was questioned about his family and parentage, he confessed that they were entirely low-born people, engaged in menial occupations, altogether unworthy to be recorded in this history. As for that Earl of Lincoln, he met an end fitting for his deeds: for he was slain on the battlefield, as were many others, among whom their leader and commander, Martin Schwartz, a man otherwise highly skilled in the arts of war also fell while fighting bravely. Through the grace of Almighty God, a victory was granted to our king, who lost very few of his own men in the battle. He returned to London, giving thanks to God, accompanied by the entire host in celebration.

Finierat cum jam respondere parato ut ante comiti Oxoniensi rex quia tempus urgebat silentium indicit ac temporis angustiæ consulendnm imperavit. Illi ferme præcipites, atra ceu tempestate columbæ, arma capessunt. Jamque barbarorum turmis appropinquabat regius exercitus; illique supercilio montis instructi paratique mostros operiebantur. Sed Deus ultionum Dominus injustas illorum iras vindicans, repentino venti turbine, velut dum Constantinus adversus ecclesiæ hostes dimicaret, exorto dum præliantur, nostri qui putabantur superati illos denique subjecerunt. Tunc subito ad eethera exortus clamor "Rex Henricus," clan gentibus undique tubis, aures omnium lætitia complevit. Ibi nebulonum ille regulus in Hibernia ut ante dixi coronatus misellus bello capitur; qui interrogatus qua audacia tantum facinus vapulo facere ausus esset, a quibusdam suæ sortis flagitiosis hominibus se fuisse coactum non negavit.

Deinde super generis ac parentum conditione interrogatus, viles omnino personas, vilibusque officiis, nec in hac historia inseri dignis, omnes fuisse confessus est. Comes autem ille Linconiensis dignum factis exitium pertulit; nam in campo interemptus est, et item alii permulti, quorum dux atque imperator Martinus Souarp, vir alioquin bellicis artibus egregie doctus, fortiter pugnando corruit. Parta Dei Optimi Maximi gratia a rege nostro victoria, paucis admodum suorum in eo bello trucidatis, Londinum Deo gratulatum revertitur, tota comitante caterva.

Collectanea by John Leland. [16th June 1487] On the Morne, whiche was Satirday, the King erly arros, and harde 2 Masses, wherof the Lorde John Fox, Bisshop of Excester, sange the Ton; and the King had 5 good and true Men of the Village of Ratecliff whiche shewde his Grace the beste Way for to conduyt his Hoste to Newark, whiche knew welle the Countrey, and shewde wher wer Marres, and wher was the River of Trent, and wher wer Vilages or Grovys for Busshements, or strayt Weyes, that the King might conduyt his Hoste the better. Of whiche Guides the King gave 2 to th Erle of Oxinforde to conduyt the Fowarde, and the Remanent reteyned at his Pleasure.

And so in good Order and Array, before 9 of the Clok, beside a Village called Stook, a large Myle out of Newarke, his Fowarde recountrede his Enemyes and Rebells, wher by the Helpe of Almighty God he hadde the Victorye. And ther was taken the Lad [Lambert Simnel (age 10)] that his Rebells callede King Edwarde, whos Name was indede Lambert, by a Vaylent — and a gentil Esquier of the King's Howfe, called Robert Bellingham. And ther was slayne th' Erle of Lincoln John, and dyvers other Gentilmen, and the Viscount Lorde Lovell put to Flight. And ther wer slayne of Engllsshe, Duche, and Irisfhemen iiij M [4000], and that Day the King made 13 Banerctts, and LIJ [52] Knyghts, whos Names ensueth:

Theis bee the Names of the Baneretts. Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir John Cheyny, Sir William Stow [These III [3] wer made byfor the Batell].

And after the Batell wer made the fame Day: Sir John of Aronndell, Sir Thomas Cokesay, Sir John Forstin, Sir Edmund Benyngfelde, Sir James Blount, Sir Richarde Crofte, Sir Humfrey Stanley, Sir Richarde De La Ver, Sir John Mortymer, Sir William Trouthbek.

The Names of the Knyghts made at the same Bataill: Sir James Audeley, Sir Edwarde Norres, Sir Robert Clifforde, Sir George Opton, Sir Robert Abroughton, Sir John Pafton, Sir Fenry Willougby, Sir Richard Pole, Sir Richard Fitzlewes, Sir Edwarde Abroi, Sir George Lovell, Sir John Longvile, Sir Thomas Terell, Sir Roger Bellyngam, Sir William Carew, Sir William Trouthbek, Sir Thomas Pooli, Sir William Vampaoe, Sir James Harrington, Syr John Devenysshe, Sir John Sabarotts, Sir Thomas Lovell, Sir Humfrey S a vage, Sir Antony' Browne, Sir Thomas Grey, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir William Tynvytt, Sir Amyas Pallet, Sir RaufF Langforth, Sir Henry Bould, Sir William Redmyll, Sir Thomas Blount, Robert Cheyny, Sir John Wyndan, Sir John A. Mufgrove, Sir George Nevell, Sir James Parker, Syr Edwarde Darell, Sir Edwarde Pykerynge, Sir Thomas of Wolton, Syr William Sandes, Syr Robert Brandon, Syr Mores Barkley, Sir John Dygby, Sir Raf Shirley, Sir William Litilton, Sir William Norres, Syr Thomas Hanfeide, Sir Chriftofer Wroughton, Syr Thomas Lyn, Sir Mofes Aborongh, Syr Thomas Manyngton