May 1470 Skirmish of Southampton

Before 10th May 1470 John "Butcher of England" Tiptoft 1st Earl of Worcester (age 43) sat in judgement on the Earl of Warwick's (age 41) men who had attempted to steal the ship Trinity for the Earl of Warwick. In addition to the usual punishment of hanging, drawing and quartering Tiptoft also subjected the men's corpses to being impaled, perhaps unique in English punishments, but usual for pirates in Europe. His actions were described as cruel and unmerited by the common people and resulted in Tiptoft being known as 'Butcher'.

Collectanea by John Leland [1502-1552]. [May 1470] Then cam King Edward to Hampton, and caufid the Erle of Wicestre to fit yn Jugement of certen Gentilmen, taken at the Skirmouch of Southampton, wher the Erle caufid the Bodyes of certen condemnid Men, after they wer hangid, to be thruste thorough the Fundament up to the Hed with Stakes.For the which Cruelte he fel yn Indignation of the Common People.

Hearne's Fragment. [Before 10th May 1470 ] Whereupon one Sir Geoffrey Gate, Knight, with the ‘foresaid Clapham, had prepared at Southampton a company of their ’complices to have passed into France, to those Lords of Clarence and Warwick; but their purpose was soon disclosed. For the Earl of Worcester²⁷ and the Lord Howard prevented them. In so much that many of them were taken, as Sir Geoffrey Gate, the which had his pardon and afterwards went to sanctuary. Clapham was beheaded and divers others hanged, etc.

Note 27. Lord Worcester ordered Clapham (a squire to Lord Warwick) and nineteen others, gentlemen and yeomen, fo be impaled, and from the horror of the spectacle inspired, and the universal odium it attached to Worcester, it is to be feared that the unhappy men were still sensible to the agony of this infliction, though they appear first to have been drawn, and partially hanged. Worcester was popularly called 'the Butcher,’ from his cruelty.’ — (Bulwer's Last of the Barons, vol. iii. p. 107.)

Annales of England by John Stow. [Before 10th May 1470 ] King Edward comming to Hampton, caused John Tiptoft Earle of Worcester (and Constable of England for terme of his Life) to sit in judgement upon Clapham, and other Gentlemen taken in the ships, at a skirmish of Southampton, where to the number of twenty persons gentlemen and yeomen were drawne, hanged and headed: and after hanged by the legs on a gallows of a paire of buts length, and then having stakes put in their fundaments, their heads were set on thole stakes (an horrible spectacle) and so suffered to hang a long time after, to wit till the 15. of May.

Warkworth's Chronicle. [10th May 1470] And whenne the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwike herde the felde was loste, and how there cownselle was dyscoverede, they fledde westwarde to the see syde, and toke there here schippys, and sayled towarde Southamptone, and e[n]tendet there to have a grete schyppe of the seide Earl of Warwicks (age 41), callyde the Trinite; but the Lorde Scales, the Quenes brother, was sent thedere by the Kynges commawndement, and other withe hym, and faught with the seide Duke and Earl, and toke there dyverse schyppes of theres and many of ther men therein; so that the Duke and the Earl were fayne to flee to the Kynge of Fraunce, where they were worschipfully receyved. And after this the Kynge Edwarde came to Southamptone, and commawndede the Earl of Worcetere (age 43) to sitt and juge suche menne as were taken in the schyppes, and so xx. persones of gentylmen and yomenne were hangede, drawne, and quartered, and hedede; and after that they hanged uppe by the leggys, and a stake made scharpe at bothe endes, whereof one ende was putt in att bottokys, and the other ende ther heddes were putt uppe one; for the whiche the peple of the londe were gretely displesyd; and evere afterwarde the Earl of Worcestre was gretely behatede emonge the peple, for ther dysordinate dethe that he used, contrarye to the lawe of the londe.