The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460. York Lancaster For other uses see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation) The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) is the name generally given to the intermittent civil war fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... Events The first Portuguese navigators reach the coast of modern Sierra Leone. ... Northampton Guildhall, built 1861-4, E.W. Godwin, architect Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England upon the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked... The House of York was a dynasty of English kings. ... The House of Lancaster is a dynasty of English kings. ... Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428 – April 14, 1471), was also known as Warwick the Kingmaker. ... Henry VI (December 6, 1421 – May 21/22, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471. ... Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1402 – July 10, 1460) was best-known as a military commander in the Hundred Years War and in the Wars of the Roses. ... York Lancaster For other uses see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation) The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) is the name generally given to the intermittent civil war fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Richard, Duke of York, Richard, Earl of Warwick Edmund, Duke of Somerset Strength 3,000 2,000 Casualties Unknown 300 The First Battle of St Albans was the first battle of the Wars of the Roses and was fought on May 22... Battle of Blore Heath Conflict Wars of the Roses Date September 23, 1459 Place Blore Heath Result Yorkist victory The Battle of Blore Heath was the first major battle in the English Wars of the Roses and was fought on September 23, 1459, at Blore Heath, two miles east of... The Battle of Ludford Bridge was the worst disaster suffered by the Yorkists during the early years of the Wars of the Roses. ... The Battle of Wakefield took place at Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, on December 30, 1460, and was one of the major actions of the Wars of the Roses. ... The Battle of Mortimers Cross was fought on February 2, 1461 near Wigmore, Herefordshire (between Hereford and Leominster, by the River Lugg). ... The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought February 22, 1461 near the town of St Albans. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Earl of Warwick John Clifford, Sir John Neville Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 3000 Unknown {{{notes}}} The Battle of Ferrybridge, 28 March 1461, was a small engagement between the houses of York and Lancaster before the larger battle of Towton, during the period... The Battle of Towton in the Wars of the Roses was the bloodiest ever fought on British soil, with casualties believed to have been in excess of 20,000 (perhaps as many as 30,000) men. ... The Battle of Hedgeley Moor, 25 April 1464, was a battle of the Wars of the Roses. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset Strength 4,000 Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Hexham (May 15, 1464) marked the end of significant Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part... The Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury (Oxfordshire), England on July 26, 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. ... The Battle of Losecote Field was fought on 12 March 1470, during the period know as the Wars of the Roses. ... The Battle of Barnet, which took place on April 14, 1471, was a decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, near the town of Barnet, 10 miles north of London. ... The Battle of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which took place on May 4, 1471, completed one phase of the Wars of the Roses. ... Combatants Richard III of England, Yorkist Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Lancastrian Commanders Richard III of England† Nominally, Richmond In practice, the Earl of Oxford Strength 8,000 5,000 Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was an important battle during the Wars of the Roses... The Battle of Stoke Field, which took place on June 16, 1487, marked the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. ... York Lancaster For other uses see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation) The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) is the name generally given to the intermittent civil war fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... Events The first Portuguese navigators reach the coast of modern Sierra Leone. ...

Background

The Yorkist cause seemed finished after the previous disaster at Ludford Bridge. Some of the Yorkist commanders, Warwick, Salisbury and York's son Edward, Earl of March reached Calais on 2nd November 1459, where Warwick found his uncle Lord Fauconberg. Meanwhile York and Edmund, Earl of Rutland retired to the relative safety of Ireland. The House of York was a dynasty of English kings. ... The Battle of Ludford Bridge was the worst disaster suffered by the Yorkists during the early years of the Wars of the Roses. ... Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428 – April 14, 1471), was also known as Warwick the Kingmaker. ... Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400 – December 31, 1460) was a Yorkist leader during the early parts of the Wars of the Roses. ... Edward IV (April 28, 1442 – April 9, 1483) was King of England from March 4, 1461 to April 9, 1483, with a break of a few months in the period 1470–1471. ... Location within France The Burghers of Calais, by Rodin, with Calais Hotel de Ville behind J.M.W. Turner: Calais Pier Calais (Dutch: Kales) is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is... Events September 23 - Battle of Blore Heath. ... William Neville, Lord Fauconberg, Earl of Kent c1410 - 1463 // Early life Born circa 1410, he was the 2nd son of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and his second wife, Joan Beaufort. ...

On the English mainland, the Lancastrians were quick to exploit the Yorkist flight; the Earl of Wiltshire was appointed Lieutenant of Ireland and Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset became Captain of Calais. Neither however succeeded in occupying their new posts as the Irish refused to dislodge York and the gates of Calais remained firmly closed to their new 'Captain'. The House of Lancaster is a dynasty of English kings. ... Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (1436 - 1464) was an important Lancastrian military commander during the English Wars of the Roses. ...

The Lancastians gave Somerset an army to storm Calais, but first they had to cross the Channel, so the construction of a fleet was started at Sandwich in Kent. No sooner had the ships been finished than Warwick made a raid on Sandwich and stole them. In May, Warwick crossed the channel again and destroyed the new fleet under construction there. Warwick left his uncle in Sandwich with a small force of Yorkists to act as a bridgehead for his planned invasion of England. Arms of Sandwich Town Council Sandwich is an historic town in Kent, south-east England. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ...

The battle

On 26 June Warwick, Salisbury and Edward landed at Sandwich with 2,000 men at arms. The King and Queen were at Coventry with their small army. Warwick entered London on 2nd July with an army of supporters numbering between 20,000 and 30,000. June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... Henry VI (December 6, 1421 – May 21/22, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471. ... Margaret of Anjou (March 23, 1429 - August 25, 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England from 1445 to 1471, and a major proponent in the Wars of the Roses. ... The Precinct in Coventry city centre. ...

The King's forces took up a defensive position at Northampton, with their backs to the River Nene, with a water-filled ditch in front of them topped with stakes. The defending army was 10,000 to 15,000 strong, consisting mainly of men-at-arms. The Lancastrians also had a quantity of field artillery. Northampton Guildhall, built 1861-4, E.W. Godwin, architect Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England upon the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire. ... The River Nene is a river in the east of England. ...

While approaching, Warwick sent a delegate to negotiate with the King on his behalf. The Lancastrian commander, the Duke of Buckingham, however, replied "The Earl of Warwick shall not come to the King's presence and if he comes he shall die." During Warwick's advance to Northampton he was twice more denied access to the King's person. Once in position, he sent a message that read "At 2 o'clock I will speak with the King or I will die." Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1402 – July 10, 1460) was best-known as a military commander in the Hundred Years War and in the Wars of the Roses. ...

At two o'clock the Yorkists advanced.

The men were in column, but the hard rain blowing in their faces somewhat hindered them. As they closed with the Lancastrians, Warwick was met by a fierce barrage of arrows, luckily though, with the rain the Lancastrian collection of cannon was quite useless.

When Warwick reached the Lancastrian right flank, commanded by Lord Grey of Ruthin, treachery ensued. Grey had his men lay down their weapons and let the Yorkist have access to the camp beyond. It was a fatal blow to the loyal Lancastrians: after this, the battle lasted a mere thirty minutes. The defenders, unable to manoeuvre inside the fortifications, fled the field as their line was rolled up by attacking Yorkists.

The Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Lords Egremont and Beaumont all died trying to save Henry from the Yorkists closing on his tent. John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford KG (c. ...

Three hundred Lancastrians were slain in the battle, the King was captured and once more became a puppet in the hands of the Yorkists. Henry VI (December 6, 1421 – May 21/22, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471. ...