The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on February 17, 1461 near the town of St Albans. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of Warwick attempted to bar the road to London at Saint Albans. The rival Lancastrian army used a wide outflanking manoevre to take Warwick by surprise, and drive his army from the field. The victors also captured the feeble King Henry, who had been Warwick's prisoner. However, they ultimately failed to take advantage of their victory. Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross - Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. ... , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... made by me in Inkscape. ... The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century. ... Image File history File links Lancashire_rose. ... 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. ... Margaret of Anjou (Marguerite dAnjou, March 23, 1429 – August 25, 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England from 1445 to 1471, and led the Lancastrian contingent, in the Wars of the Roses. ... Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... 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... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Richard, Duke of York Henry VI Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown Wars of the Roses 1st St Albans – Blore Heath – Ludford Bridge – Northampton – Wakefield – Mortimers Cross – 2nd St Albans – Ferrybridge – Towton – Hedgeley Moor – Hexham – Edgecote Moor – Lose-coat Field – Barnet... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Warwick Henry VI, Buckingham Strength 20,000-30,000 10,000-15,000 Casualties Unknown 300 The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460. ... 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. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Edward, Earl of March Owen Tudor†, Jasper Tudor Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown Wars of the Roses 1st St Albans – Blore Heath – Ludford Bridge – Northampton – Wakefield – Mortimers Cross – 2nd St Albans – Ferrybridge – Towton – Hedgeley Moor – Hexham – Edgecote Moor – Lose-coat... 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. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Edward IV of England Edmund Beaufort†, Margaret of Anjou, Edward, Prince of Wales† Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which took place on May 4, 1471, completed one phase of the Wars of the Roses. ... Combatants King 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 6,000 (king had 15,500 but Lord Stanley with 4,000 and his brother, Sir William Stanley with 2,500 betrayed; Henry... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Generally, a battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross - Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. ... , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century. ... Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428—April 14, 1471), was also known as Warwick the Kingmaker. ... St Albans, St. ... The House of Lancaster is a dynasty of English kings. ... Henry VI (December 6, 1421 – May 21, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. ...

Background

The Wars of the Roses were fought between the supporters of the House of Lancaster, represented by the mentally unstable King Henry VI, and those of the rival House of York, headed by Richard of York, who was respected for his statesmanship and believed by many to have a better claim to the throne. Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... Richard, Duke of York (21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460) was a member of the English royal family, who served in senior positions in France at the end of the Hundred Years War, and in England during Henry VIs madness. ...

After several armed clashes and attempts at reconciliation, York and his friends finally openly rebelled in 1459. At the Battle of Northampton in 1460, his forces under the Earl of Warwick defeated a Lancastrian army and captured King Henry, who had taken no part. In the aftermath, York attempted to claim the throne, but his supporters were not prepared to go so far. Instead, an agreement was reached, the Act of Accord, by which Richard was to become King after Henry's death. Events September 23 - Battle of Blore Heath. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Warwick Henry VI, Buckingham Strength 20,000-30,000 10,000-15,000 Casualties Unknown 300 The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460. ... The Act of Accord was passed by the English parliament in October 1460 and drew up a new order of succession to King Henry VI of England. ...

This agreement disinherited Henry's young son Edward of Lancaster. Henry's Queen, Margaret of Anjou refused to accept the Act of Accord and took Edward to the north of England, where she began raising an army of York's rivals and enemies. York, together with his brother in law, the Earl of Salisbury (Warwick's father), led an army to the north late in 1460 to counter this threat, but he fatally underestimated the Lancastrian forces. At the Battle of Wakefield, the Yorkist army was destroyed and York, Salisbury and York's son Edmund, Earl of Rutland were killed, or executed after the battle. Possibly also known as Edward of Westminster ... Margaret of Anjou (Marguerite dAnjou, March 23, 1429 – August 25, 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England from 1445 to 1471, and led the Lancastrian contingent, in the Wars of the Roses. ... Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, KG , PC (1400 – December 31, 1460) was a Yorkist leader during the early parts 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. ... Edmund, Earl of Rutland (May 17, 1443 – December 31, 1460) was the fourth child and second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville. ...

Campaign

The victorious Lancastrian army now began advancing south towards London. It was led by comparatively young nobles such as the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Northumberland and Lord Clifford, whose fathers had been killed at the First Battle of St Albans. The Lancastrian army contained a substantial contingent from the West Country, but many of its men were from the Scottish Borders or Scotland, who subsisted largely on plunder in their march south. Coat of arms of Beaufort, earls and dukes of Somerset Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (26 January 1436 – 15 May 1464) was an important Lancastrian military commander during the English Wars of the Roses. ... Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, (25 July 1421 – 29 March 1461) was the son of Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland and Lady Eleanor Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and his second wife Joan Beaufort. ... John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford (1435 – March 29, 1461), was a Lancastrian military leader during the Wars of the Roses. ... 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... Scottish Borders (often referred to locally as The Borders or The Borderland) is one of 35 local government unitary council areas of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ...

The death of York left his eighteen-year old son, Edward, Earl of March as the Yorkist claimant for the throne. He led one Yorkist army in the Welsh Marches, while Warwick (with the Duke of Norfolk) led another in the south east. Naturally, they intended to combine their forces to face Margaret's army, but Edward was delayed by having to face another Lancastrian army from Wales at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross. 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. ... John Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk was an important actor in the Wars of the Roses. ... This article is about the country. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Edward, Earl of March Owen Tudor†, Jasper Tudor Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown Wars of the Roses 1st St Albans – Blore Heath – Ludford Bridge – Northampton – Wakefield – Mortimers Cross – 2nd St Albans – Ferrybridge – Towton – Hedgeley Moor – Hexham – Edgecote Moor – Lose-coat...

Warwick, with the captive King Henry in his train, meanwhile moved to block Margaret's army north of London. He took up position north of St Albans astride the main road from the north (the ancient Roman road known as Watling Street). He set up several fixed defences, including cannon and Burgundian mercenaries equipped with handguns, and obstacles such as pavises studded with spikes and caltrops. Part of his defences used the ancient Belgic earthwork known as Beech Bottom Dyke. , St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... The modern Watling Street crossing the Medway at Rochester near the Roman and Celt crossings Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. ... Coat of arms of the second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their... For other uses, see Mercenary (disambiguation). ... Pavise shield (with Bartolomeo Vivarinis St. ... Caltrop used by the Office of Strategic Services. ... Beech Bottom Dyke, is a massive ditch running across the northern edge of St Albans, Hertfordshire flanked by banks on both sides. ...

Although strong, Warwick's lines faced north only. Margaret knew of Warwick's plans, possibly through a traitor named Lovelace. Late on February 11, her army swerved sharply west and captured the town of Dunstable. 200 local people under the town butcher tried to resist them, but were easily dispersed. Warwick's "scourers" (scouts and patrols) apparently failed to detect this move. is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dunstable is a town in the county of Bedfordshire, England, with a population of 33,805 (2001 census). ...

Battle

From Dunstable, Margaret's forces moved south-east at night, to attack the town of St Albans. The leading Lancastrian forces attacked shortly after dawn. Storming up the hill past the Abbey, they were confronted by Yorkist archers in the town centre who shot at them from the windows. This first attack was thus repulsed and regrouping at the ford across the River Ver the Lancastrian commanders sought another route into the town. This was found and a second attack was launched along the line of Folly Lane and Catherine Street. This second attack met with no opposition and the Yorkist archers in the town were now outflanked. They did howver, continue to fight house to house and were not finally overcome for several hours. River Ver in St Albans The River Ver is a river in Hertfordshire. ... Urban warfare is a modern warfare conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. ...

Having gained the town itself, the Lancastrians now turned north towards Montagu's positions on Bernards Heath. Attacked in the rear, Montagu found it difficult to extricate his men from their fortifications and turn them about to face the Lancastrians. The Yorkist divisions, or "battles", were widely dispersed and straggled into action one by one instead of in coordinated fashion. The Rearward battle, attempting to reinforce the defenders of the town, was engaged and dispersed. (The Kentish contingent in the Yorkist army under the traitor Lovelace apparently defected at this point, causing further confusion in the Yorkist ranks).

By late afternoon, the Lancastrians were attacking north-east out of St Albans to engage the Yorkist Main and Vaward battles under Warwick and Norfolk. As dusk set in (which would have been in the very early evening at this time of year and in the poor weather), Warwick realised that his men were outnumbered and increasingly demoralised, and withdrew with his remaining forces (about 4,000 men) to Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire. , Chipping Norton is a town in Oxfordshire, England, located north west of Oxford. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ...

Aftermath

The bemused King Henry was once again captured by the victors, having supposedly spent the battle sitting under a tree, singing. Two knights (one of them Sir Thomas Kyriell, a veteran leader of the Hundred Years War) had sworn to let him come to no harm, and remained with him throughout. The next morning, Margaret asked her son, the seven year old Edward of Lancaster, how, not whether, the two knights were to die. Edward, thus prompted, sent them to be beheaded. Combatants England France,Brittany Commanders Thomas Kyriell Comte de Clermont, Arthur III, Duke of Brittany Strength 4,000 5,000 Casualties 2,500 600-1000 The Battle of Formigny (April 15, 1450) was a clash of the Hundred Years War. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Although Margaret and her army could now march unopposed onto London, they did not do so. The Lancastrian army's reputation for pillage may have caused the Londoners to bar the gates. This caused Margaret to hesitate, as did the news of Edward of York's victory at Mortimer's Cross. The Lancastrians fell back through Dunstable, losing many Scots and Borderers who deserted and returned home with the plunder they had already gathered. Edward and Warwick entered London on March 2, and Edward of York was soon proclaimed King of England. is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Winston Churchill, A History of the English speaking peoples, Vol. 2, Cassell and co. 1956, ISBN 0304295000
• Philip Warner, British Battlefields: the South, Fontana, 1975
• Burley, Elliott & Watson, The Battles of St Albans, Pen & Sword, 2007, ISBN 9781844155699

See also

• History of St Albans
• First Battle of St Albans