1460 Battle of Northampton

On 10th July 1460 the Yorkist army led by the future King Edward IV of England (age 18) and including Richard "Kingmaker" Neville Earl Warwick, 6th Earl Salisbury (age 31), Archbishop George Neville (age 28), William Neville 1st Earl Kent (age 55), Edward Brooke 6th Baron Cobham (age 45) and John Scrope 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton (age 22) defeated the Lancastrian army at the 1460 Battle of Northampton.

Edmund Grey 1st Earl Kent (age 43) had started the day as part of the Lancastrian army but did nothing to prevent the Yorkist army attacking.

King Henry VI of England and II of France (age 38) was captured.

Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 57) was killed. His grandson Henry (age 5) succeeded 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 7th Earl Stafford, 8th Baron Stafford.

John Talbot 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury (age 42) was killed. His son John (age 11) succeeded 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, 3rd Earl Waterford, 8th Baron Furnivall, 12th Baron Strange Blackmere, 9th Baron Talbot.

Thomas Percy 1st Baron Egremont (age 37) was killed. [Baron Egremont of Egremont Castle in Cumberland extinct. Some authoirities state, however, that he left a son, Sir John Percy, who never assumed the title.]

John Beaumont 1st Viscount Beaumont (age 50) was killed. His son William (age 22) succeeded 2nd Viscount Beaumont, 7th Baron Beaumont.

William Lucy (age 56) was killed apparently by servants of a member of the Stafford family who wanted his wife Margaret Fitzlewis (age 21).

Thomas Tresham (age 40) fought.

William Beaumont 2nd Viscount Beaumont and William Norreys (age 19) were knighted.

Thomas "Bastard of Exeter" Holland was executed following the battle.

The battle was fought south of the River Nene [Map] in the grounds of Delapré Abbey.

Chronicle of St Albans by Abbot John Whethamstede [-1465]. [10th July 1460] For in the army of the King there was that grave pestilence, which is said to be among the most serious; which, namely, while speaking peace with a friend, secretly schemes evil and lies in ambush against him. Indeed, in the said army there was one lord, positioned in the battle line, namely, Lord Edmund Gray¹²⁹, "Lord of Ruthin", who although physically present on the field with the King, his heart was not aligned with him, nor was he considered faithful or trustworthy. For as the said troops approached the encircling ditch and were not very ready to ascend it due to the elevation of the bank on the farther side, this Lord himself met them with his forces, extending his right hand and drawing them by the hand into the battlefield, according to his wish. Pulled and drawn, they rushed with such force into the battle line as if they saw no middle ground between Mars and death, indeed, as if they intended either to fulfil their vows immediately or to complete their destinies, with all their efforts focused on that intention. Therefore, charging on those few who were in front of them, they soon brought them down; but many others, who turned their backs, fled to the water, running near the village. Into this water, swollen beyond its usual level due to the abundance of rain at that time, many, in the hope of escape, plunged themselves, they were disappointed and drowned. So, in a very short time, either prostrated, or put to flight, or stripped of their belongings, almost all in the army of the King, and the entire field gained, victory being won by the army of the opposing forces.

Indeed, victory having been achieved, and the victor refraining from the slaughter of men, but not from plunder, the three aforementioned Lords proceeded to the tent of the King. Finding him there, upon seeing him sitting alone and solitary, they immediately humbled themselves to the ground; and opening their mouths with very reverential and even comforting words, they consoled him. Finally, having comforted him, and seeing him take a breath of relief, they led him with all reverence and honour into the town, and there, throughout the whole night, ensured his rest.

Erat enim in exercitu Regis illa gravis pestis, quæ inter gravissma esse dicitur; quæ, scilicet, dum pacem cum amico loquitur, clam et seorsum machinatur malum, occulteque ei insidiatur. Erat utique in exercitu dicto dominus unus, in acie belli positus, Dominus, videlicet, Edmundus Gray, "Dominus de Ruthyn", nuncupatus, qui corpore licet præsens in campo cum Domino Rege steterat, cor tamen ejus non erat rectum cum eo, neque omnino fidelis habitus aut inventus sibi erat. Nam venientibus turmis dictis ad fossam circumvallationis, et ipsam non multum prompte, propter elevationem verticis in parte ulteriori, ascendere valentibus, occurrit ipse Dominus cum suis copiis eis obviam, porrigendoque iris dexteram, traxit eos per manus in campum martium, juxta votum suum. Tracti vero, et attracti, cum tanto impetu irruerunt in aciem eis obviam, acsi inter Martem et mortem nullum medium ponerent, immo, ut vel statim vota perficere, vel fata complere, totis nisibus in intentione haberent. Irruentes igitur in illos paucos quos habebant sibi obvios, mox eos ad terram prostraverant; alios vero multos, qui verterunt eis terga, usque ad aquam, deprope villam currentem, effugabant, In quam aquam, propter abundantim pluviæ ultra solitum adtunc excrescentem, dum plures, sub spe evasionis, se immitterent, spe frustati submersi erant. Sicque sub morula temporis quasi brevissima, vel prostrati, vel fugati, vel suis rebus spoliati, erant quasi omnes in exercitu Domini Regis, totusque lucratus campus, ac victoria obtenta ab acie populi adversantis.

Obtenta quippe victoria, cessanteque victore a cæde hominum, sed nequaquam a spoliatione, perrexerunt tres Domini dicti ad tentorium Domini Regis, ibique eum, quasi solum et solitarium sedentem, reperientes, mox, eo viso, humiliaverunt se usque ad terram; aperientesque ora sub, verbis multum reverentialibus, ac etiam confortatoriis, consolabantur eum; demumque ipsum consolatum, et spiritum respirationis in se assumentem, duxerunt cum omni reverentia et honore in oppidum; ibique per totam illam noctem fecerunt compausare eum.

Note 129. Edmund Grey, 1416-1490. Succeeded his grandfather as 4th Baron Grey of Ruthyn in 1440. Appointed Lord Treasurer in 1463, created Earl Grey in 1465. Married Katherine Percy, daughter of Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, sometime before 1440. Fought at the Battles of Northampton, 1460, Towton, 1461, and Hedgeley moor, 1464.

Chronicle of William of Worcester [1415-1482]. And on Thursday, the [10th] day of July [1460], a battle¹⁷⁷ took place there, where, through deceit and with the assistance of Lord Grey of Ruthin¹⁷⁸, the King lost the field. At that time, Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, John Earl of Shrewsbury, John Earl Beaumont, Thomas Lord Egremont, and others to the number of three hundred were killed. Many more were drowned while fleeing. At the end of the battle, the servants of John Stafford, esquires, killed William Lucy, knight, whose wife John married shortly thereafter. Then Queen Margaret fled with the prince from Eccleshall¹⁷⁹ towards Chester and was nearly captured by John Cleger, a servant of Lord Stanley, and was stripped of all her goods and jewels by her own servants, yet she arrived safely with the prince at the castle of Wales.

Et die Jovis, viz. [....] die Julii, factum est bellum ibidem, ubi, dolo et auxilio domini Gray de Ruthyn, rex perdidit campum. Et ibidem ad tunc occisi sunt Humfridus Stafforde, dux Bykynghamiæ, Johannes comes Salopiæ, Johannes comes Beauumonte, Thomas dominus de Egremond, et alii ad numerum ccc. personarum. Etiam submersi sunt in fugiendo plures. In fine belli servientes Johannis Stafforde, armigeri, occiderunt Wyllelmum Lucy, militem, cujus uxorem idem Johannes sibi maritavit cito postea. Tunc regina Margareta cum principe fugit de Egeshale versus Cestriam, et fere fuit capta per Johannem Cleger, servientem domini de Stanley, ac spoliata est de omnibus bonis suis et jocalibus a propriis servientibus, tamen salva et secura devenit cum principe ad castrum Walliæ.

Note 177. Chronicle of Jean de Waurin: "and the Earls of March and Warwick led the battle, who advanced so far that they came to fight hand to hand, and there was a very heavy skirmish, lasting for three hours, and it would have been even more severe had it not been for Sir Edmund Grey, who betrayed the Duke of Buckingham, for he placed the Earl of March within the field by his side, which caused a great slaughter; thus King Henry was captured by an archer named Henry Montfort, and there were killed the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Lord Beaumont, Sir Thomas Fidern, and several other great lords; in this defeat, the dead numbered about twelve thousand, and there was a great multitude of prisoners."

Note 178. Edmund Grey, 1416-1490. Created 1st Earl of Kent in 1465. His son Anthony married, in 1465, Joan aka Eleanor Woodville, sister of Queen Elizabeth Woodville.

Note 179. Probably Eccleshall in Staffordshire, possibly Ecclesall in South Yorkshire.

Chronicle of Jean de Waurin [1400-1474]. Chapter 3.25. This mentions the great battle where King Henry of England was captured and the Duke of Buckingham was killed, along with many other great lords.

[10th July 1460] When the Earl of Warwick came upon the hill and saw the field of the King, after he had well observed its manner, he appointed two captains, one of whom was John Stafford and the other the Lord Scrope, to lead the vanguard of their army until all their people were assembled. Then the princes and lords held a council, in which they concluded to send again to the King and his counsellors to find out if they would leave the field or fight. And to deliver this message, Warwick Herald was sent, who, after receiving the charge from his lords, went to speak to the Duke of Buckingham, to whom the herald, after he had heard his charge, knowing that the Earl his master did not love him, responded very proudly, saying that he would not leave the field without fighting and that there would be no other answer.

Therefore, the herald returned hastily to the lords of his party, to whom he reported what he had found from the Duke of Buckingham, and upon this, without further delay, they marched their troops forward in good order to engage their enemies. Soon after the said herald had departed from the Duke of Buckingham, he called all the lords who were around the King, to whom he said: "Noble lords, today we must fight, for see here our enemies who march forward strongly," and they all replied, "We will defend our field, for we are men enough," as they were, that is to say, about fifty thousand men.

And therefore it is said that he who counts without his army counts twice; I say this because it is difficult to guard against a traitor, as you can hear here, for before the battle began, the Earl of Warwick had told his chiefs of war to tell their men that all those who wore the white coat with a knot should be saved, for they were the ones who should make the entrance or break through. When the Earl of Warwick had his men introduced to what they had to do, he made his vanguard march, led by the Earl of Fauconberg, and they descended into the bottom of the valley; and the Earls of March and Warwick led the battle, who advanced so far that they came to fight hand to hand, and there was a very heavy skirmish, lasting for three hours, and it would have been even more severe had it not been for Sir Edmund Grey, who betrayed the Duke of Buckingham, for he placed the Earl of March within the field by his side, which caused a great slaughter; thus King Henry was captured by an archer named Henry Montfort, and there were killed the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Lord Beaumont, Sir Thomas Fidern, and several other great lords; in this defeat, the dead numbered about twelve thousand, and there was a great multitude of prisoners.

QUANT le comte de Warewic vint sur la montaigne et vey le champ du roy, aprez quil eut bien advise i la maniere dycelluy, il ordonna deux capittaines, dont lun fut Jehan Staffort et lautre le seigneur de Strop, pour conduire ladvanguarcle de leur armee jusques ad ce que tout leur peuple feust assamble; puis se misrent les princes et seigneurs en conseil, auquel ilz conclurrent denvoier de rechief devers le roy et ses conseilliers pour scavoir se ilz voldroient laissier le champ ou combatre. Et pour faire ce message y fut envoie Warewic le herault, lequel aprez la charge recheue de ses seigneurs alla parler au duc de Boucquinghuem, auquel herault, aprez quil eut escoute sa charge, sachant que le comte son maistre ne lamoit pas, il respondy moult fierement, disant quil ne laisseroit pas le champ sans combatre et que autre responce nauroit. Pourquoy le herault retourna hastivement devers les seigneurs de son party ausquelz il fit son raport de ce quil avoit trouve au duc de Boucquinghuem, et sur ce, sans plus arrester, firent marchier leurs gens avant en bonne ordonnance pour envahir leurs annemis. Tost aprez que ledit herault se fut party du duc de Boucquinghuem, il appela tous les seigneurs qui estoient autour du roy ausquelz il dist: "beaux seigneurs, il nous fault aujourdhuy combatre, car veez ycy nos annemis qui marchent fort avant," et ilz respondirent tous "nous garderons nostre champ, car nous sommes gens assez," comme ilz estoient, cest a scavoir environ chincquante mille hommes.

Note 66. John Stafford, 1427-1473. Created Earl Wiltshire in 1470 and a Garter Knight in 1472.

Note 67. John Scrope, 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton, 1437-1498.

Bale's Chronicle. But in as moche as the kings counseill might not opteyn that purpose they set a feld beside Northampton and thedir cam the seid lordes and their peple departed in iiij Batailles and ther was nombred than of them C Ix M. and of the kings Ost xx M. And on the thursday [10th July 1460] was Bataill in which wer slain in the kings Ost the Duk of Buk, the Erie Shrovesbury the lord Beaumond the lorde Egremond and many other gentiles and of other to the nombre of L. persones and on the other partie not over VIIJ persones and the king preserved and kept than in his magestie Roiall atte plaisur of the lordes.¹

Note 1. The battle took place July 10; Whethamstede, i. 372, gives the numbers of the Yorkists as over 60,000, and adds that the King had a smaller force; the English Chronicle, ed. Davies, 96, also states the lords had 60,000 men 'as it was said'. Bale's estimate of those killed is singularly small; while it is true that Stow, Annals, 669, relates how Warwick had before the conflict 'let cry' that 'no man should lay hand upon the king nor on the common people, but on the lords, knights, and esquires', the estimate of Worcester, 773, that over 300 were killed, seems more reasonable.

It seems incredible that after having followed so closely the events in London for the preceding years, and not least the meetings of Parliament, Bale should have omitted all mention of the advent of the Duke of York to the capital in October, the session of Parliament beginning in the same month wherein Richard laid formal claim to the throne, and the settlement arrived on the 31st of October [Rot. Pari., v. 377-80]. The disorder of arrangement in the earlier part of the chronicle, coupled with the fact that the end of the work is missing, points to the conclusion that before the MS. was bound, several leaves were lost; John Bale says the work reached to the beginning of the reign of Edward IV, which at present it does not quite do; it will be noticed that the directions in the latter part of the chronicle as to where to turn for the continuation do not agree with the present arrangement of the leaves.