The Wars of the Roses begin...
Continuing from where I left off on December 12...
With two men proclaiming themselves his successor, Henry VI’s mortal remains arrived in London on 1 September 1453 with his half-brothers and his grieving wife leading the precession. His body lay in state at Fulham Palace that night then the next day proceeded to Westminster Abbey for his funeral and burial. The Bishop of London, Thomas Kempe, presided and all in attendance waited during Bishop Kempe’s eulogy to whom was his successor. Thomas Kempe was the nephew of John Kempe, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a staunch supporter of Henry VI and the court party. The Archbishop Kempe, a politician first and hardly a bishop, had answered Somerset’s summon to Barnet and openly supported his claim to the throne. His nephew the Bishop of London, however was smart enough to know the city of which he presided over and wanted to keep his life and see, thus he pronounced neither Somerset or York as Henry VI’s successor during his eulogy. Henry VI was interred next to his favorite saint, Edward the Confessor, and London remained at peace for the moment.
Throughout September and into October, the two claimants demanded the other submit to them and by the end of the month attained the other. Some nobles and magnates started to align themselves with either the House of York or House of Beaufort, by person or proclaiming it in nearest cathedral. The court party quickly supported Somerset, the two most prominent were the Earls of Oxford, John de Vere, and Ormond & Wiltshire, James Butler, and with them most of the bureaucracy of the Kingdom was at Somerset’s quick disposal. After Norfolk’s public support, York was soon joined by the Earl of Devon and Baron Cobham who had joined him in his 1452 campaign for reform as well as his brother-in-law, Viscount Bourchier, at Tewkesbury. However the news that Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, had proclaimed his support of York and quickly on the heels of that news his father, the Earl of Salisbury, joined York’s faction. The influx of Neville support brought to Somerset the support of the Percy clan led by the Earl of Northumberland.
While others were putting their support behind either Somerset or York, in hopes of power and influence, some nobles and magnates couldn’t make up their minds. An interesting case was Henry Holland, the Duke of Exeter, who was a descendant of John of Gaunt and possible claimant to the throne but also married to York’s oldest daughter, was strangely silent and noncommittal to the annoyance of his wife. Henry VI’s half-brothers, Edmund and Jasper Tudor stayed in London with their sister-in-law Margaret, who after her husband’s funeral had gone into sanctuary in Westminster Abbey feeling her life threatened in London. But the biggest seemingly neutral magnate was Humphrey Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham. A descendant of Edward III, Buckingham liked neither claimant and remained in his castle however he had learned that his son, the Earl of Stafford was going to go to Barnet to support Somerset. But after the Neville’s had joined York, Buckingham believed Somerset needed a miracle and went to stop his son from joining his father-in-law. Until an undisputed King was acknowledged, Buckingham held his own son as a virtual prisoner.
As the succession crisis continued through October and into November, all of England both noble and common alike could feel that a war was coming as neither claimant was backing down. It was only a matter of time when fighting would begin even in winter. Then on 14 November 1453 armed supporters of Somerset and York clashed near the city of Durham. The Earl of Northumberland had gathered a force and was marching south from Alnwick towards the city of York. The Earls of Salisbury and Warwick were both in Middleham gathering soldiers for the Yorkist cause when they heard the news from Salisbury’s brother William Neville, Baron Fauconberg. The father and son Earls had quickly marched north to meet the Percies. The two forces raced toward the city of Durham, though the Percies arrived first it was only an hour before the Nevilles did so as well however it was just before night fell on 13 November and the two forces camped outside the city which had barred by Robert Neville the bishop of Durham.
The first battle in the first series of conflicts later known as the Wars of the Roses began as the city of Durham watched two northern clans, the Nevilles and Percies, battle continue their feud but now in support of two different claimants for the throne of England. The two forces numbered around 3000 each and fought to a stalemate throughout the day, neither side able to get the upper hand. Then in the afternoon, Fauconberg with a force of around 500 arrived from the north behind the Percy force. The sudden appearance of a force to their rear sent the Percy forces into disarray as they tried to combat the rear attack, but then the Earl of Northumberland was struck down and soon the Percy forces broke and fled the field dispersing throughout the north. The Bishop of Durham then opened the city gates and welcomed his brothers Salisbury and Fauconberg. Warwick then took some men and rushed south to Middleham to continue recruiting a force to secure the north.
The news of Durham was quickly spread throughout England and soon news of other battles circulated. In the southeast, Baron Cobham raised a force from Kent and headed for London in the name of York. But the Earl of Oxford led a force from Barnet and battled Cobham just south of London to a standstill in late November. When a small force of London tried to help Cobham, Oxford tried to storm the city only to be pushed back and then had to retreat when Cobham attacked from behind and held off the Kentish force to prevent them from linking up with the residence of London. In the southwest, the Earl of Devon had raised a force from Cornwall and Devonshire then led them across the county of Somerset and entered county Wiltshire. On 3 December 1453, the Earl of Ormond & Wiltshire in support Somerset defeated Devon’s forces at Bradfort-on-Avon. However, bad weather the next day prevented Ormond & Wiltshire from following up the victory and Devon retreated to southern Gloucestershire.
As Christmas Day drew closer and then the New Year, the succession crisis had turned into a civil war but neither claimant had personally taken the field in their own cause. The House of York had the victory at Durham while the House of Beaufort had the victory at Bradford-on-Avon to counter it. Both forces of York and Beaufort were at a stalemate outside London with men starting to raid areas around London to gain provisions. The reason both Somerset and York had yet to take the field was because they were actively trying to gain the support of the church and it’s blessing, however while some clergy choose sides other took the stance of the Bishop of London and supported neither. Soon both men decided it was time to take the field and after having personally gathering armies were about to take to the fields of England to win undisputed control of the throne.
Next installment: The Winter War of 1454*
* = title subject to change