Biography of John Mowbray 3rd Duke of Norfolk 1415-1461

On 17th February 1461 the Lancastrian army defeated the Yorkist army at Second Battle of St Albans and rescued King Henry VI of England and II of France (age 39). The Lancastrian army was commanded by Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter (age 30) and included Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland (age 39), John Mowbray 3rd Duke of Norfolk (age 45), Henry Grey 4th or 7th Baron Grey of Codnor (age 26), Henry Roos and Richard Welles 7th Baron Welles, Baron Willoughby (age 33).

Thomas Ros 9th Baron Ros Helmsley (age 33), William Tailboys 7th Baron Kyme (age 46), John Talbot 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury (age 12) and Thomas Tresham (age 41) were knighted.

The Yorkist army included Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury (age 32), William Fitzalan 9th or 16th Earl of Arundel (age 43), John Wenlock 1st Baron Wenlock (age 61) and [his brother-in-law] Henry Bourchier 2nd Count of Eu 1st Earl Essex (age 57). John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu (age 30) was captured. Robert Poynings (age 42) and James Luttrell (age 34) were killed.

John Grey (age 29) was killed fighting for Lancaster. A death that was to have far reaching consequences; his widow Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England (age 24) subsequently married King Edward IV of England (age 18).

During the battle William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville (age 68) and Thomas Kyriell (age 65) were assigned to the protection of the King Henry VI. After the battle both were beheaded against all decent laws of battle.

William Bonville 1st Baron Bonville was beheaded. His great granddaughter Cecily succeeded 2nd Baroness Bonville.

Thomas Kyriell was beheaded.

William Cotton (age 21) was killed.

Chronicle of Gregory [1400-1467]. Ande the xvij day nexte folowynge Kyng Harry (age 39) roode to Synt Albonys [Map], and the Duke of Northefolke (age 45) with hym, the Erle of Warwycke (age 32), the Erle of Arundelle (age 43), the Lord Bouser (age 30), the Lord Bonvyle (age 68), with many grete lordys, knyghtys, and squyers, and commyns of an C [Hundred] Ml men. And there they hadde a grete batayle whythe the Quene (age 30), for she come ever on fro the jornaye of Wackefylde tylle sche come to Synt Albonys, with alle the lordys a fore said; and her mayny and every lord is men bare her lordys leverey, that every man mighte knowe his owne feleschippe by his lyverey. And be-syde alle that, every man and lord bare the Pryncys (age 7) levery, that was a bende of crymesyn and blacke with esteryge is fetherys. The substance that gate that fylde were howseholde men and feyd men. I wene there were not v Mlmen that fought in the Quenys party, for [t]emoste parte of Northeryn men fledde a-way, and some were take and spoylyd out of her harnysse by the way as they fledde. And some of them robbyd evyr as they yede, a petyffulle thynge hit is to hyre hit. But the day before that batayle there was a jornay at Dunstapyl [Map]; but the kyngys mayny lackyd good gydyng, for some were but newe men of warre, for the chevyste captayne was a boucher of the same towne; and there were the kyngys mayny ovyr throughe only by the Northeryn men. And son aftyr the bocher, for schame of his sympylle gydynge and loste of the men, the nombyr of viij C, for very sorowe as it is said, hynge him selfe; and some men said that it was for loste of his goode, but dede he ys-God knowythe the trought.

And in the myddys of the batayle King Harry wente unto his Quene and for-soke alle his lordys, ande truste better to her party thenne unto his owne lordys. And then thoroughe grete labur the Duke of Northefolke and the Erle of Warwycke a schapyd a-waye; the Byschoppe of Exceter (age 29), that tyme Chaunceler of Ingelond, and brother unto the Erle of Warwycke, the Lord Bouser, whythe many othyr knyghtys, squyers, and comyns fledde, and many men slayne in bothe partys. And the Lord Bonevyle was be-heddyd, the common sayynge that his longage causyd him to dye. The Prynce was jugge is owne sylfe. Ande ther was slayne that manly knyght Syr Thomas Keryel (age 65). The nomber of ded men was xxxv C an moo [t]at were slayne. The lordys in Kyng Harrys party pycchyd a fylde and fortefyd it full stronge, and lyke unwyse men brake her raye and fyld and toke a-nothyr, and or that they were alle sette a buskyd to batayle, the Quenys parte was at hond whythe them in towne of Synt Albonys [Map], and then alle [t]yng was to seke and out of ordyr, for her pryckyers come not home to bryng no tydyng howe ny that the Quene was, save one come and sayd that she was ix myle of. And ar the goners and borgeners couthe levylle her gonnys they were besely fyghtyng, and many a gynne of wer was ordaynyd that stode in lytylle a-vayle or nought; for the burgeners hadde suche instrumentys that wolde schute bothe pellettys of ledde and arowys of an elle of lenghthe with vj fetherys, iij in myddys and iij at the othyr ende, with a grete mighty hedde of yryn at the othyr ende, and wylde fyre with alle. Alle thes iij thyngys they might schute welle and esely at onys, but in tyme of nede they couthe not schut not one of thes, but the fyre turnyd backe a-pon them that wold schute this iij thyngys. Also they hadde nettys made of grete cordys of iiij fethem of lengthe and of iiij fote brode, lyke unto an haye, and at every ij knott there was an nayl stondyng uppe ryght, that there couthe no man passe ovyr it by lyckely hode but he shulde be hurte. Alle so they hadde pavysse bore as a dore i-made with a staffe foldynge uppe and downe to sette the pavys where the lykyd, and loupys with schyttyng wyndowys to schute out at, they stondyng by hynde [t]e pavys, and the pavys as full of iijdnayle aftyr ordyr as they might stonde. And whenn her schotte was spende and done they caste the pavysse by-fore hem, then there might noo man come unto them ovyr the pavysse for the naylys that stode up-ryghte, but yf he wolde myschyffe him sylfe. Alle so they hadde a thynge made lyke unto a latysse full of naylys as the net was, but hit wolde be mevyd as a man wolde; a man might bryse it to-gedyr that the lengythe wolde be more then ij yerdys long, and yf he wolde he might hale it a brode, then hit wolde be iiij square. And that servyd to lye at gappys there at horsemen wolde entyr yn, and many a caltrappe. And as the substaunce of men of worschyppe that wylle not glose nor cory favyl for no parcyallyte, they cowthe not undyrstond that alle this ordenaunce dyd any goode or harme but yf it were a mong us in owre parte with Kyng Harry. There fore it is moche lefte, and men take them to mallys of ledde, bowys, swyrdys, gleyvys, and axys. As for speremen they ben good to ryde be-fore the foote men and ete and drynke uppe her vetayle, and many moo suche prety thyngys they doo, holde me excusyd thoughe I say the beste, for in the fote men is alle the tryste.

On 29th March 1461 the Battle of Towton was a decisive victory for King Edward IV of England (age 18) bringing to an end the first war of the Wars of the Roses. Said to be the bloodiest battle on English soil 28000 were killed mainly during the rout that followed the battle.

The Yorkist army was commanded by King Edward IV of England with John Mowbray 3rd Duke of Norfolk (age 45), [his uncle] William Neville 1st Earl Kent (age 56), William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings (age 30) (knighted), Walter Blount 1st Baron Mountjoy (age 45), [his brother-in-law] Henry Bourchier 2nd Count of Eu 1st Earl Essex (age 57), John Scrope 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton (age 23) and John Wenlock 1st Baron Wenlock (age 61).

The Lancastrian army suffered significant casualties including Richard Percy (age 35), Ralph Bigod Lord Morley (age 50), John Bigod (age 28), Robert Cromwell (age 71), Ralph Eure (age 49), John Neville 1st Baron Neville of Raby (age 51), John Beaumont (age 33), Thomas Dethick (age 61), Everard Simon Digby, William Plumpton (age 25) and William Welles (age 51) who were killed.

Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland (age 39) was killed. Earl of Northumberland, Baron Percy of Alnwick, Baron Percy of Topcliffe forfeit.

Ralph Dacre 1st Baron Dacre Gilsland (age 49) was killed. He was buried at the nearby Saxton church where his chest tomb is extant. Baron Dacre Gilsland extinct.

Lionel Welles 6th Baron Welles (age 55) was killed. His son Richard (age 33) succeeded 7th Baron Welles.

The Lancastrian army was commanded by Henry Beaufort 2nd or 3rd Duke of Somerset (age 25), Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter (age 30), Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland and Andrew Trollope.

Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter was attainted after the battle; Duke Exeter, Earl Huntingdon forfeit.

Those who fought for the Lancaster included William Tailboys 7th Baron Kyme (age 46), William Plumpton, John Sutton 1st Baron Dudley (age 60), William Norreys (age 20), Thomas Grey 1st Baron Grey of Richemont (age 43), Robert Hungerford 3rd Baron Hungerford 1st Baron Moleyns (age 30), John Talbot 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury (age 12), Richard Welles 7th Baron Welles, Baron Willoughby, Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers (age 56), James Butler 1st Earl Wiltshire 5th Earl Ormonde (age 40), John Butler 6th Earl Ormonde (age 39), [his half-brother] William Beaumont 2nd Viscount Beaumont (age 22), Henry Roos and Thomas Tresham (age 41). Cardinal John Morton (age 41) were captured.

John Heron of Ford Castle Northumberland (age 45), Robert Dethick (age 86), Andrew Trollope and his son David Trollope were killed.

Chronicle of St Albans by Abbot John Whethamstede [-1465]. [29th March 1461] For here you could see another Achilles, the Duke of Norfolk (age 45), with his soldiers advancing, and there, the young Hector, the Earl of Warwick, engaging with his recruits. And just like that, a second Achilles, [his uncle] Lord de Fauconberg (age 56), with his citizens, rushing upon the enemies and striking them down. Although, as the poet writes, they didn't depict the fall of Troy so swiftly, they did portray, and continued to paint, the entire royal road from the battlefield almost to the walls of the city of York, a distance of about six miles, with crimson blood. Even though the Lord sent down blood from the heavens, saturating it with an excessive and almost miraculous new colour. For they themselves were valiant military leaders, and not unjustly to be compared to the aforementioned leaders. For at the beginning of the war, when these roaring Northerners were bending and releasing their bows to shoot straight in the dark, the leaders themselves forced them first, because they did not want to keep the covenant of the Lord, nor walk in His law, which dictates that the elder son should always be preferred to the younger son in hereditary right, as the other sons of Ephraim, turning their back on their inheritance on the day of battle. Later, because it was a generation further corrupt and exasperating, a generation, namely, such that it did not direct its heart with the Lord, nor was its spirit believed with Him, they rushed upon them with such force and effort that they forced them, and pressed them so tightly, that they could not flee from their presence, except as young lambs usually flee from the jaws of wolves, or fly from the talons of hawks, their wings trembling, like doves. Their leaders and captains, as many as they had in the field, either fell to the ground with their standards and banners, or fled to hiding places where they could conceal themselves from the edge of the sword.

Nam hic videre poteras Aacidem alterum, Ducem, videlicet, Northfolchiæ, cum suis militibus tendere, illic novellum Hectorem, Comitem, scilicet, Warwyci, cum suis tironibus se ingerere, isthic vero Achillem secundum, Dominum, videlicet, de Facunbrigge, cum suis Quiritibus, irruere in hostes, ac eos prosternere; quod, licet, ut scribit Poeta, nequaquam fluido depingerent Pergama tota mero, pingebant tamen, et depingebant, non aliter, totam viam regiam a campo præliationis, usque pene ad mœnia urbis Eboracensis, per spatium quasi sex milliarium, cruore rubro, quametsi Dominus sanguinem de cœlo demitteret, intingeretque novo colore nimio, ac plusquam prodigiose rubricaret. Erant enim ipsi duces milites strenuissimi, nec immerito ducibus jam dictis comparandi. Nam in principio belli, dum isti bobinantes Boreales intendebant et immittebant suos arcus, ut sagittarent in obscuro rectos corde, coegerunt eos ipsi duces primo, quia noluerunt custodire testamentum Domini, nec ambulare in lege ejus, quæ dictat filium seniorem filio juniori in jure semper hæreditario anteferri, velut alteros filios Ephraim, suum convertere dorsum in die belli Posterius vero, quia erat ulterius generatio prava et exasperans, generatio, videlicet, talis, que nec direxit cor suum cum Domino, nec creditus erat cum ipso spiritus ejus, ideo cum tanto impetu et conatu irruerunt in eos, ut cogerent ipsos, et coangustarent, non aliter a facie eorum fugere, quam discurrere solent a lupi faucibus pavitantes oviculæ, aut evolare ab accipitris unguibus, alis trepidantibus, columbellæ. Duces eorum, et capitaneos, quotquot in campo habebant sibi obvios, vel in terram, una cum suis signis et vexillis, prostraverant, vel ad latibula fugere, quibus possent ab ore gladii se occulere, compellebant.