September 1470 Warwick and Clarence land in England

Chronicle of Jean de Waurin [1400-1474]. In the month of September of the year seventy [8th September 1470], the aforementioned Warwick and Clarence and their company found themselves in England. Upon their arrival there, they disembarked at Bristol¹, where they mustered seven or eight thousand men to aid them. Then they set out into the fields, heading straight towards King Edward, and their ranks were continually bolstered by people from all quarters. Especially, passing through the duchy of Somerset, they were joined by Lord Shrewsbury, son of Lord Talbot, and Sir Stanley, both of whom had five thousand men with them.

Ou mois de septembre an soixante dix se trouverent lesdis Warewic et Clarence et leur compaignie en Angleterre, lesquelz illec arrivez descendirent a Bristo, ou ilz recouvrerent sept ou huit mille hommes en leur ayde, puis se misrent auz champz, tyrant droit vers le roy Edouard, et tousjours leur croissoient gens de toutes pars; mesmement passant parmy la duchie de Sombresset se vindrent joindre a eulz le seigneur de Chirosbury, filz du seigneur de Thalboth, et le sire de Stanlay, lesquelz seigneurs avoient avec [eulz] chincq mille hommes.

Note 1. "Bristo". Other sources including Fabyan say Dartmouth, Devon.

Chronicle of Robert Fabyan [-1512]. In the moneth of Septembre [8th September 1470], & X yere of the kyng, the foresayd duke of Clarence, accompanyed with y^e erlys of Warwyke, of Penbroke, & of Oxenforde, & other many gentylmen, ladyd at Dartmouth in Deuynshyre, & there made theyr proclamacions in the name of kynge Henry the VI and so drewe ferther into the lande. Wherof herynge, y^e comons of that coutre and other drewe vnto theim by great companyes.

Collectanea by John Leland [1502-1552]. [8th September 1470] This x. Yere of Edwarde the Duke of Clarence, and Erle of Warwike, aboute Michelmes, landid in the West Cuntery, and gatherid People.

A Brief Latin Chronicle. In the year of our Lord 1470, around the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary [8th September 1470], the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick, along with many others who had been expelled to France by King Edward a little earlier because of their rebellions, returned to England. Landing in Devon, they gathered an army.

Anno Domini millesimo lxx°, circiter festum Nativitatis Beate Marie regressi sunt in Angliam dux Clarencie, comes de Warwic, cum multis aliis, qui paulo ante per regem Edwardum in Franciam propter suas rebelliones effugati fuerant, et in Devonia applicantes exercitum colligerunt.

Croyland Chronicle 1470. [8th September 1470] Hardly had these men been six months in exile, when, behold! recruited by means of the treasures of the king of the French, they landed in the same parts of England from which they had taken their departure. All the English in the neighbourhood felt compassion, as always is the case, for the exiles who had thus returned, and, not so much joining them, as waiting upon them to show them every attention, increased their forces to such numbers, that the troops of king Edward, for which he was waiting at Doncaster, withdrew from a contest so doubtful in its results. There was then living in the neighbourhood, at his own mansion at Pomfret, John Neville, brother of the earl of Warwick, and who at this time had the title of marquis of Montague. Although he had sworn fealty to king Edward, still, on hearing of the arrival of his brother, he had recourse to treachery; and entered into a conspiracy, the object of which was to seize the king's person by means of the large body of men, which, by virtue of the royal proclamation, he had levied.

Memoirs of Philip de Commines Book 3 Chapter V. 8th September 1470. Upon the Earl of Warwick's landing¹, great numbers came in to him; and King Edward when he heard it, was much alarmed; and (when very late) he began to look about him, and sent to the Duke of Burgundy to desire that his fleet might be ready at sea to intercept the Earl of Warwick on his return to France, for on land he knew how to deal with him. The Duke of Burgundy was not well pleased with these words, for he looked upon it as a greater piece of policy to have hindered the earl from landing, than to be forced to run the hazard of a battle, to drive him out again. The Earl of Warwick had not been landed above five or six days before the whole country came in to him, and he encamped within three leagues of the king, whose army was superior to the earl's (had they been all true to his interest), and waited on purpose to give him battle: the king was possessed of a fortified village or house¹, to which (as he told me himself) there was no access but by one bridge, which proved of great service to him; the rest of his forces were quartered in the neighbouring villages. As he sate at dinner, news was suddenly brought him that the Marquis of Montague, the Earl of Warwick's brother, and several other persons of quality, were mounted on horseback, and had caused their soldiers to cry, "God bless King Henry." At first King Edward would give no credit to it, but despatched other messengers to inquire, and in the meantime armed himself, and posted guards to defend the bridge in case of any assault. There was with him at that time a very prudent gentleman called the Lord Hastings², High Chamberlain of England, in great authority with the king; and he deserved it, for though his wife was the Earl of Warwick's sister, he continued loyal to his king, and was then in his service (as he told me afterwards) with a body of 3000 horse. There was likewise with him the Lord Scales³ (brother to King Edward's queen) besides several good knights and gentlemen who began to think that all was not well, for the messengers confirmed what had been told the king before, and that the enemy was marching boldly on, with a design to surprise him in his quarters.

Note 1. Rapin states that Edward was at Lynn at this time.

Note 2. William, Lord Hastings, son of Richard Hastings, and Alice, daughter of Lord Camoys. He married Catherine, daughter of Richard Neville, last Earl of Salisbury; and was beheaded by order of Richard III on the 13th of June, 1483.

Note 3. Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales and Earl Rivers, was the son of Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. He married 1. Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Scales, and 2. Mary, daughter of Henry Fitz Lewes. He was beheaded in 1483,

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Warkworth's Chronicle. 8th September 1470. And in the same x. yere aforeseide, a lytelle before Michaelmesse, the Duke of Clarence (age 20) and the Earl of Warwick (age 41) londede in the west countre, and gadered there a grete peple.