Europe, British Isles, England, West Yorkshire, Wakefield Bridge [Map]
Chronicle of England by William of Worcester. On the 29th of December1, at Wakefield, while the soldiers of the Duke of York (age 49) were wandering through the country seeking provisions, a dreadful battle occurred between the said Duke of Somerset (age 24), the Earl of Northumberland (age 39), and Lord Neville (age 50) with a large army, and the opposing party, where the Duke of York (age 49), Thomas Neville (age 30), son of the Earl of Salisbury (age 60), Thomas Harington (age 60), Thomas Parr, Edward Bourchier, James Pickering, and Henry Radford, as well as many other knights and esquires, and about two thousand commoners, were killed on the field. In the retreat after the battle, Lord CliffordLord Edmund, Earl of Rutland (age 17), son of the Duke of York (age 49), on the bridge at Wakefield [Map]. And on the same night, the Earl of Salisbury (age 60) was captured by the servant of Andrew Trollope. On the next day, at Pontefract, the Bastard of Exeter killed the said Earl of Salisbury (age 60), where, by the counsel of the lords, the lifeless bodies of the Duke of York, the Earl of Salisbury, and Rutland, Thomas Neville, Edward Bowcher, Thomas Harington, Thomas Parre, James Pykeryng, and John Harrowe of London, mercer, were beheaded, and their heads were placed on various parts of York. They crowned the head of the Duke of York with a paper crown in mockery.
xxix. die mensis Decembris apud Wakfelde, gentibus ducis Eborum vagantibus per patriam pro victualibus quærendis, factum est execrabile bellum inter dictum ducem Somercetiæ, comitem Northumbriæ ac dominum Nevylle cum magno exercitu et partem aliam; ubi occubuerunt in campo dux Eboracensis, Thomas Nevil, filius comitis Sarum, Thomas Haryngtone, Thomas Parre, Edwardus Bowcher, Jacobus Pykeryng, et Henricus Rathforde, ac etiam multi alii milites et armigeri, et plebs ad duo millia. Et in fugiendo post campum super pontem apud Wakefelde dominus de Clyfforde occidit dominum Edmundum, comitem de Rutlande, filium ducis Eboraci. Et eadem nocte comes Sarum captus est per servientem Andreæ Trolloppe. Et in crastino apud Pountfrett bastardus Exoniæ occidit dictum comitem Sarum, ubi per consilium dominorum decollaverunt corpora mortua ducis Eboracensis, et comitis Sarum et Ruttland, Thomas Nevyle, Edwardi Boucher, Thomas Haryngton, Thomæ Parre, Jacobi Pykeryng, et Johannis Harrowe de London, mercer, posueruntque capita eorum super diversas partes Eboraci. Caput quoque ducis Eboraci in despectu coronaverunt carta.
Note. The Battle of Wakefield took place on the 30th of December 1460.
On 30 Dec 1460 the Lancastrian army took their revenge for the defeats of the First Battle of St Albans and the Battle of Northampton during the Battle of Wakefield at Sandal Castle [Map]. The Lancastrian army was commanded by Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter (age 30), Henry Beaufort 2nd or 3rd Duke of Somerset (age 24) and Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland (age 39), and included John Courtenay 15th Earl Devon (age 25) and William Gascoigne XIII (age 30), both knighted, and James Butler 1st Earl Wiltshire 5th Earl Ormonde (age 40), John "Butcher" Clifford 9th Baron Clifford (age 25), John Neville 1st Baron Neville of Raby (age 50), Thomas Ros 9th Baron Ros Helmsley (age 33), Henry Roos and Thomas St Leger (age 20).
The Yorkist army was heavily defeated.
Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York (age 49) was killed. His son King Edward IV of England (age 18) succeeded 4th Duke York, 7th Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York (age 49), 9th Earl Ulster, 3rd Earl Cambridge.
Thomas Neville (age 30), and Edward Bourchier were killed.
Father and son Thomas Harrington (age 60) and John Harrington (age 36) were killed, the former dying of his wounds the day after.
William Bonville 6th Baron Harington (age 18) was killed. His daughter Cecily Bonville Marchioness Dorset succeeded 7th Baroness Harington.
Thomas Parr (age 53) fought in the Yorkist army.
Following the battle Richard Neville Earl Salisbury (age 60) was beheaded by Thomas "Bastard of Exeter" Holland. William Bonville (age 40) was executed.
Edmund York 1st Earl of Rutland (age 17) was killed on Wakefield Bridge [Map] by John "Butcher" Clifford (age 25) by which he gained his sobriquet "Butcher". Earl of Rutland extinct.
The River Calder rises on Heald Moor near Todmorden [Map] after which it passes Hebden Bridge [Map], Mytholmroyd [Map], Sowerby Bridge [Map], Dewsbury [Map], Sandal Castle [Map], under Wakefield Bridge [Map] before joining the River Aire at Castleford [Map].
