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| From Lance & Longbow Society by John Watson and Patrick McGill |
1471—April 14, Battle of Barnet. The Battle of Barnet was a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses, the conflict over royal succession in 15th-century England.
It changed the fortunes of the houses of York (white rose) and Lancaster (red rose). The military action, along with the lesser subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury a month later, secured the throne for Edward IV of the House of York.
Barnet was then a small Hertfordshire town north of London (it is now a train stop). Edward led the House of York in a fight against the House of Lancaster, which backed Henry VI for the throne.
Leading the Lancastrian army was Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who played a crucial role in the fate of each king.
Formerly a key figure in the Yorkist cause, Warwick defected to the Lancastrians over disagreements about Edward's nepotism, secret marriage, and foreign policy. Leading a Lancastrian army, Warwick defeated his former allies and forced Edward IV to flee to Burgundy in October 1470. Edward persuaded his host, Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, to help him regain the English throne. Leading an army raised with Burgundian money, Edward launched his invasion of England, which culminated at the fields north of Barnet.
Under cover of darkness, the Yorkists moved close to the Lancastrians and clashed in a thick fog at dawn.
As both armies fought, the Earl of Oxford on the Lancastrian right routed the opposing Yorkists under Lord Hastings, chasing them back to Barnet. However, on their return to the battlefield, Oxford's men were erroneously thought to be from the House of York and were shot at by the Lancastrian centre commanded by Lord Montagu. One explanation is that the star in the coat of arms of the Earl of Oxford looked like the sunburst in the arms of the Yorkists. So, in the fog, Oxford's men were considered by fellow Lancastrians as being from the Yorkist side.
The Battle of Barnet therefore may have been decided by a case of friendly fire. It was a little like the first Manassas/Bull Run in 1861, during which the Confederates and Unionists were not clearly identified—after that battle, the Confederacy changed its flag and introduced the Saltire that is now controversial because of its association with he defense of slavery. At Barnet, Oxford’s wing was misidentified because the de Vere Star was confused with the Yorkist sun. As cries of treason spread through their line, the morale of Oxford's men was disrupted and many abandoned the fight.
While retreating, Warwick was killed by Yorkist soldiers.
Warwick had been an influential figure in 15th-century English politics. After his death, no one else appeared among the Lancastrians who was able to match Warwick in power and popularity.
1471—May 4, Battle of Tewkesbury. Deprived of Warwick's leadership, the demoralized Lancastrians suffered their final defeat at the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4. This marked the end of the reign of Henry VI and the restoration of the House of York. Edward's victory was followed by 14 years of Yorkist rule over England. Three centuries after the Battle of Barnet, a stone obelisk was raised on the spot where Warwick was thought to have died.
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| Lance & Longbow Society by John Watson and Patrick McGill |
1485—August 22, The Battle of Bosworth Field. Also known as the Battle of Bosworth, this was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses. The battle was won by the Lancastrians, and is viewed as the institution of the Tudor Dynasty, which is seen by the Welsh as theirs.
The leader of the Lancastrians, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became the first English Tudor monarch by his victory and his subsequent marriage to a Yorkist princess, uniting the two roses. The Tudor rose is a combination of a red and a white rose.
Henry Tudor’s grandfather was Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond—Welsh through and through and the half-brother of Henry VI. This explains the red dragon motif at Bosworth (see the banner at upper right) and in the Royal arms all the way through to the death of Elizabeth in 1603.
His opponent Richard III, last king of the House of York, was killed during the battle, the last English monarch to die in combat. Historians consider Bosworth Field as marking the end of the Plantagenet dynasty.
(Thanks to Paul Walton for sending me the photos of the banners at the Barnet and Bosworth battles and explaining their importance.)
