1450

Insurrection broke out in this year in various parts of England, directed against the duke of Suffolk and his supporters, governing the country under Henry VI. The duke was impeached by the Commons on January 28, and committed to the Tower.  He was later banished and murdered on his way to France.  John Cade (calling himself Mortimer), raised an insurrection in Kent, in May, perhaps on behalf of the duke of York.  Cade encamped on Blackheath, and plundered London but was later defeated and executed. 

The duke of Somerset, Governor of Normandy, was recalled to England and took direction of affairs on behalf of Henry VI

1452

The duke of York took up arms, and demanded that Somerset should be brought to trial for his misdeeds.  York was persuaded to lay down his arms, and was imprisoned. Shortly afterwards he was released and retired to his castle of Wigmore (in Herefordshire).

Richard of Gloucester, youngest son of the duke of York, born at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire on 2 October.

1453

The king fell mentally ill and was totally incapacitated for government in November.  The duke of York came forward again and was admitted into the king’s council.  He obtained the imprisonment of Somerset in December.

1454

Parliament met on 14 February. The king’s incapacity was agreed and the duke of York was appointed on 3 April ‘protector and defender of the kingdom’ during the minority of King Henry’s heir Prince Edward, born on 15 March.

Somerset was deprived of his offices and accused of treason, but the charge was not pursued.

1455

The king recovered his health and revoked the duke of York’s commission as Protector.  Somerset was released from the Tower on 5 February.  The dukes of York and Somerset entered into bonds of 20,000 marks each (1 mark = 13s 4d = 67p = roughly one euro) to submit their disputes to arbitration on 4 March. Two days later, on the advise of the duke of Somerset, the duke of York was deprived of the Captaincy of Calais and took up arms. The armies met at the first battle of St Albans on 22 May, Somerset was killed and the duke of York gained a complete victor

The captaincy of Calais was now given to the earl of Warwick, nephew of the duke of York.  The king fell ill for a second time, and the duke of York was again made Protector, on 19 November, to remain in office until dismissed by Parliament.

1456

The king recovered and revoked the duke’s commission as Protector on 25 February.  The duke and his chief supporters retired to their estates.

1458

The queen and the duke of York were formally reconciled on 25 March.

An attempt was made to assassinate the earl of Warwick in London on 9 September.  He escaped to the north and arranged with his father, the earl of Salisbury, and the duke of York for their mutual defence.  He then retired to Calais.

1459

The earl of Salisbury marched to join the duke of York.  On his way he defeated and killed Lord Audley, a Lancastrian, at Blore Heath in Staffordshire on 23 September.  The earl of Warwick now also joined the duke of York at Ludlow and the Lancastrians, commanded by the queen, advanced against them.  When the armies met on 13 October at Ludford Bridge the queen offered a pardon, and the duke’s army deserted him.

The family of the duke of York, his wife Cecily, his two youngest sons George and Richard and his daughter Margaret were all taken prisoner and sent to the safe keeping of Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, Cecily’s sister.

The duke of Somerset made an attempt to take Calais from the Yorkists but failed.  The earls of Warwick and Salisbury fled there and the duke of York went to Ireland

A parliament was held at Coventry on 20 November in which the duke of York and his chief supporters were attainted.

1460

The Yorkist lords at Calais, invited by the people of Kent, landed at Sandwich, about mid-summer.  They entered London with a large army on 2 July.  The queen raised a force, which was totally defeated by the Yorkists at Northampton on 10 July.  The duke of Buckingham, the queen’s general, was killed and the king taken prisoner.  The queen and her son fled to Scotland.

The duke of York returned from Ireland on 9 October, and made a formal claim to the crown on 16 October.  A compromise was reached on 31 October, that Henry should retain the crown for life, and be succeeded by the duke of York. The proceedings of the parliament at Coventry in 1459 were set aside as illegal.

The Queen raised an army in the north and advanced against the Yorkists. On 2 December the Duke of York left London to oppose her.  He was besieged by her forces in Sandal Castle near Wakefield, sallied out and attacked them on 30 December, but was defeated and killed. His son Edmund, Earl of Rutland, was killed and the earl of Salisbury who was also with him was executed afterwards.

By the autumn of this year York’s family (including Richard) were in the house of Sir John Fastolf in Southwark, London.

1461

Duke Richard’s eldest son Edward, now duke of York (and afterwards Edward IV) defeated Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, at the battle of Mortimers Cross, near Wigmore, on 2 February.  The earl’s father, Owen Tudor, and several other prisoners were beheaded on the field of battle.  The queen advanced southward, defeated the earl of Warwick at the second battle of St Albans on 17 February, and rescued the king. London closed its gates against her and she was obliged to retire to the north.

Edward, Duke of York, entered London on 28 February. He urged his claim before a council of peers, prelates and chief citizens, who declared him king on 3 March. He was solemnly installed at Westminster as king on 4 March, immediately marched into the north, and defeated the Lancastrians with great slaughter at the battle of Towton, near Tadcaster on 29 March. Henry, with his queen and son Edward and some of their supporters, escaped to Scotland. Edward IV returned to London, and was crowned on 28 June.

The new king created his brothers, George and Richard, dukes of Clarence and Gloucester respectively. Richard possibly placed in the household of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, the king’s cousin.

1463

The duke of Somerset, Henry Beaufort, and many other Lancastrians abandoned Henry and made terms with King Edward.

Queen Margaret landed in Northumberland with French troops, and retired to Scotland after no English joined her.

1464

Queen Margaret marched into England and captured several northern castles.  She was again joined by Somerset and other supporters. John, Marquess of Montague, brother of the earl of Warwick, defeated the Lancastrians at a battle on Hedgley Moor, near Wooller, Northumberland, on 25 April, and again at Hexham, also in Northumberland, on 15 May.  Henry found refuge in Lancashire; the queen and the prince retired to Flanders. The Duke of Somerset and many other prisoners were executed.

On 29 September Edward IV revealed his marriage to Elizabeth, the widow of Sir John Grey, a Lancastrian. Edward immediately showed favour to her relatives, the Woodvilles, and thus aroused the jealousy of his brothers and his supporter, the earl of Warwick.

1466

Henry VI was captured in Lancashire in July, conducted to London and imprisoned in the Tower.

1467

Edward IV took the seals of office from the Chancellor, George Neville, Archbishop of York, on 9 June, a first blow against the power and influence of the Nevilles.

1469

The king went on pilgrimage into Norfolk in June, accompanied by his brother Richard. Insurrections against the Woodvilles were raised by the earl of Warwick and Edward’s brother Clarence. On 11 July Clarence married Isabel Neville, daughter of the earl of Warwick against the wishes of his brother. On 26 July the king’s troops were defeated at Edgecote, near Banbury. The queen’s father, Richard, Earl Rivers) and her brother John Woodville, together with other supporters of the king were captured and executed. The king was arrested by Warwick and imprisoned in Middleham Castle but he was free again by late September. Warwick and the king apparently reconciled.

1470

The Lancastrians rose in Lincolnshire under Sir Robert Welles, but were quickly suppressed in March. The earl of Warwick and the duke of Clarence were denounced as traitors by the King on 31 March, and fled to Calais. They were refused admission and retired to France, where they were received by Louis XI. Warwick was reconciled to Queen Margaret and agreed to assist in the restoration of King Henry. Warwick’s daughter Anne was married to the young prince Edward, son of Henry VI and Margaret, in August.

Warwick and Clarence landed at Dartmouth on 13 September. Edward gathered an army against them, but was deserted by Lord Montague and fled to King’s Lynn with his brother Gloucester, there embarking for Flanders on 3 October. Warwick entered London on 5 October and released King Henry from the Tower.

1471

A parliament was held at Westminster which repealed the attainder of the Lancastrians, attainted the Yorkists and settled the crown again on King Henry and his son Edward.

Edward IV and Gloucester sailed from Zealand with a small force supplied by the duke of Burgundy on 11 March, and landed at Ravenspur at the mouth of the Humber on 14 March.  Clarence joined him at Coventry on 30 March, and they advanced on London. Henry was again sent to the Tower, on 11 April. Warwick advanced on Edward from Coventry, but was defeated and killed at Barnet on Easter Sunday, 14 April.

Queen Margaret landed at Weymouth on 14 April, where she was joined by the duke of Somerset, Edmund Beaufort, and others who had escaped from Barnet, and set out to join the Tudors in Wales.  Edward marched against them and defeated them at Tewkesbury on 4 May. He took Margaret prisoner and put to death the duke of Somerset and many others. Prince Edward was killed in the battle. King Henry was found dead in the Tower shortly afterwards.

1476

Edward IV tried to persuade the duke of Brittany to surrender to him Henry and Jasper Tudor (the earls of Richmond and Pembroke).

1478

George, Duke of Clarence, tried for treason before Parliament and found guilty on 7 February.  He was found dead in the Tower on 18 February.

1483

Death of Edward IV and the reign of Richard III began.

In October Richard learned of the rebellion led by the duke of Buckingham. By 1 November King Richard was in Salisbury and the uprising had collapsed and the following day the duke was executed. On 12 November Henry Tudor attempted a landing at Plymouth (or possibly at Poole in October) but was driven off.

1484

Parliament held 23 January to 20 February. Henry Tudor was attained.

1485

7 August, Henry Tudor landed in Wales with an invasion army.  On 22 August the battle of Bosworth was joined and King Richard was killed.  Henry Tudor victorious and proclaimed King Henry VII.

In October first insurrections against King Henry led by Robin of Riddesdale, Jack St Thomalyn and Master Mendall.

1486

Insurrection in the spring led by Francis Lovell who tried to capture King Henry at York.

1487

The earl of Lincoln, nephew and presumed heir of Richard III, supported an uprising by Lambert Simnel, who called himself Edward, Earl of Warwick (son of George, Duke of Clarence).  Lincoln landed in Ireland with any army on 5 May, and Simnel was crowned in the cathedral at Dublin as Edward VI on 14 May.

Simnel and his forces landed in Lancashire on 4 June, and marched to Stoke, near Newark. Henry advanced against them and defeated them on 16 June in the last battle of the Wars of the Roses.  The earl of Lincoln and most of the leaders were killed and Simnel was taken prisoner.

Elizabeth of York is crowned Queen on 25 November.

1489

Rebellion in Yorkshire and the earl of Northumberland was murdered on 28 April.

1491

In November the pretender Perkin Warbeck arrives in Dublin.

1492

Warbeck visits France and Burgundy.

1493

Warbeck visits Maximilian in Vienna.

1495

On 16 February Sir William Stanley is executed in connection with the activities of Perkin Warbeck. 23 July – 3 August Warbeck’s expedition to Kent. He then sails to Ireland and in November arrives in Scotland.

1496

James IV and Warbeck invade England.

1497

In May the Cornishmen rebel against Henry VII and are defeated at Blackheath on 17June. In July Warbeck leaves Scotland with his wife and family and lands in Cornwall on 7 September. On 5 October Warbeck surrenders to Henry VII.

1498

Warbeck attempts to escape from London and is arrested at Sheen on 9 June.

1499

On 29 November Warbeck is executed.