Timeline
o 1461-64 – campaigns against the Lancastrians in the north. Yorkist victories at
Hedgeley Moor and Hexham.
o June 1469 – rebellion of Robin of Redesdale
o 24 July 1469 – Battle of Edgecote; Edward IV captured.
o October-December 1469 – Warwick regime collapses; Warwick reconciliates with
Edward.
o 12 March 1470 – Lincolnshire rebellion; defeated at Losecote Field.
o April 1470 – Warwick and Clarence flee to France.
o 22-25 July 1470 – Treaty of Angers between Warwick and Margaret of Anjou. Prince
Edward marries Anne Neville.
o September-October 1470 – Warwick invades England and Edward flees to Burgundy.
Henry VI’s second reign, Readeption, begins.
o 14 March 1471 – Edward IV lands in Yorkshire
o 14 April 1471 – Battle of Barnet. Edward defeats Warwick, who is killed.
o 4 May 1471 – Battle of Tewkesbury. Edward IV defeats Margaret and the
Lancastrians. Prince Edward killed.
o 21 May 1471 – Henry VI’s death.
1461-1464: Lancastrian opposition
• The first years of Edward’s reign were spent consolidating his authority in north England
against Lancastrian rebellion. Edward IV relied on Warwick and his brother, Lord Montagu,
to do this. The two controlled Northumberland during autumn 1461.
• June 1462 – Margaret settled the Chinon agreement with Louis XI of France, wherein he
granted Margaret aid in exchange for Calais. Margaret’s forces landed at Bamburgh in
October 1462, and the castles of Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, and Alnwick allowed her entry.
Edward rallied the English nobility in response, with Margaret again retreating to Scotland.
• Winter 1462-1463 – Warwick focused on starving the castle garrisons into submission.
Edward contracted measles at Durham, so Warwick had to lead the campaign. By December
1462, both Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh castles surrendered, until the Lancastrians were readmitted in April 1463. The Lancastrian rebels were supported by a large Scottish army by
Margaret, Henry VI, and the Scottish king, laying siege on Norham on the Tweed in July
1463.
• In late 1463, Edward changed from military to diplomatic operations to defeat the
opposition. He agreed a truce with Louis XI in October, which stopped further aid to the
Lancastrians. A permanent settlement with Scotland was reached in March 1464, preventing
another source of Lancastrian aid. There were still anti-government uprisings being
encouraged in Wales and other parts of England.
• 25 April 1464, Battle of Hedgeley Moor – there were attempts to stop Anglo-Scottish
negotiations by ambushing Lord Montagu. He fought off his attackers, taking the initiative
whilst Edward IVV made slow preparations to raise an army and head north.
• May 1464, Battle of Hexham – Lord Montagu encountered the Lancastrian force, with the
support of Lords Greystroke and Willoughsby. Most of the rebels were killed, alongside
Somerset (who had encouraged anti-government uprisings), Lord Hungerford (Alnwick
Castle), etc. Lancastrian resistance in northern England had ended. The Lancastrian garrisons
in the Northumberland castles surrendered due to losing their main commanders in
Hexham. In July 1465, Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and Warwick’s decreasing influence (‘the Kingmaker’)
• May 1464 – Edward IV secretly married Elizabeth Woodville and was considered an
unsuitable match for a king. This was despite Warwick’s plans of marrying Edward to a
French princess, Bona of Savoy, demonstrating his declining influence over Edward. Some
historians suggest that this marriage caused the fall of the Yorkist dynasty. Elizabeth was
introduced as the new queen in September 1464.
• The marriage negatively affected some of Edward IV’s relationships, and had significant
political impacts. The Woodvilles were married off rapidly to members of the great families
of England. Some of these alliances angered Warwick, such as Elizabeth’s son marrying Anne
Holland despite Warwick’s own nephew already being betrothed to her. Anne Holland was
paid 4000 marks to accept this match. This meant that there were few suitable husbands for
Warwick’s daughters, Anne and Isabel Neville. Their only options for marriage were Edward
IVs brothers – Clarence or Gloucester – which Edward opposed due to fearing the power of
such alliances.
• The marriage exacerbated the development of court factions and discontent among the
nobility. A ‘court party’ began to develop, with the Woodvilles and ‘new men’ of Edward’s
reign, and Warwick’s loss of influence over Edward was again demonstrated. The new ‘court
party’ was hostile to Warwick and overshadowed his influence at court. The influence of the
Woodvilles over Edward caused their unpopularity.
• Edward IV’s court between 1461 and 1464 was dominated by the Nevilles. The influence of
the Nevilles decreased after Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, changing factions
within the aristocracy.
• Warwick was an example of the ‘overmighty subject’ during the 1460s and held several
positions such as the Captain of Calais and Admiral of England, resulting in a huge income
from many offices. His family members were also aggrandised eg George Neville becoming
the Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York.
• Warwick’s decreasing influence over Edward became evident. Rather than satisfying
Warwick’s aims of aggrandising his family in south Wales, Edward conferred the Earl of
Pembroke title on William Herbert, and dismissed George Neville from his chancellorship.
Edward wanted an Anglo-Burgundian alliance (which was also favoured by the Woodvilles),
whereas Warwick favoured an Anglo-French alliance. Treaties were signed with Burgundy in
November 1467, with Edward’s sister Margaret marrying the Duke of Burgundy, and Edward
planned to invade France in May 1468. Charles Ross suggests that Warwick was planning a
coup d’etat from late 1468, due to his refusal to accept a “subordinate role”.
Uprisings against Edward IV’s rule and Warwick’s betrayal
• Warwick persuaded Edward’s brother, the Duke of Clarence, to join him. Clarence did not
like his lack of power compared to his brother, who was king. Clarence aimed to marry
Warwick’s daughter, Isabel, after getting a papal dispensation from the Pope. Warwick
possibly intended to replace Edward IV with Clarence, as Edward and Elizabeth had not
produced a son by 1469.
• By 1469, Edward’s authority in England was threatened – there was discontent at the court
party of Woodvilles surrounding him, and Edward failed to carry out a French invasion
despite raising funds for it. A succession of uprisings developed in northern England: one led
by Robin of Redesdale in April, and another by Robin of Holderness. A rebellion in June 1469
had connections to Warwick’s agents, and involved Warwick’s nephew and cousin. This
rebellion also attracted support outside the Nevilles, acting as a propaganda machine and
claiming that Edward IV’s government had not addressed the grievances of Henry VI’s reign.
Many joined the rebels’ march south in July 1469.
• Edward IV reacted slowly to the rebellion and appealed to towns for men to support him. By
6 July 1469, Warwick had secretly travelled to Calais to celebrate the marriage of Clarence
and Isabel. Warwick and Clarence released their manifesto, and met their supporters in
Canterbury on 16 July.
• 26 July 1469, Battle of Edgecote – Pembroke and Devon’s men met Redesdale’s forces.
Pembroke and Devon’s men were overwhelmed by the rebel army. A small detachment of
Warwick’s men caused Pembroke’s men to break their ranks, resulting in Warwick’s victory.
Pembroke, Devon, and Earl Rivers were killed. Warwick captured Edward IV several days
later.
• Warwick began to issue government documents in Edward’s name. The nobility suspected
Warwick’s intentions as being self-aggrandisement, and many were still loyal to Edward.
There was a Lancastrian uprising in the north, and Warwick required the support of Edward
to suppress it. Afterwards, Edward was released and governed from mid-September 1469.
An uneasy truce and further rebellion
• Between November 1469 and February 1470, Edward attempted to build support and
isolate Warwick and Clarence, by redistributing royal patronage. This was due to Edward’s
court party being decimated, meaning that he could not easily build support. Edward had
the support of his brother, the Duke of Gloucester, who was the Constable of England and
justiciar of South Wales. Edward took away the title of the Earl of Northumberland from
John Neville, but promoted him to the title of Marquess of Montagu in March 1470.
• March 1470, Lincolnshire rebellion and Battle of Losecote Field – an initial factional dispute
that was escalated by Warwick and Clarence in order to place the latter on the throne. The
rebel army was dispersed on 12 March 1470, the Battle of Losecote Field. Warwick and
Clarence were declared traitors on 24 March, and they swiftly escaped from England to
France in May 1470. They had no support among the nobility, but some support among the
gentry, who Edward dealt with by confiscating their property.
• 22 July 1470, Treaty of Angers – the French king Louis XI persuaded Margaret of Anjou and
Warwick to form an alliance. Louis XI would support Warwick and Clarence’s return to
England to usurp the throne, whilst Margaret and Prince Edward would return to England
when Henry VI was re-instated as king. Prince Edward married Warwick’s other daughter,
Anne Neville. Warwick’s plan to reinstate Henry VI isolated Clarence, who was no longer
Warwick’s candidate to usurp the throne.
• A manifesto was released by the rebels to justify their support for Henry VI’s restoration.
Rebellion broke out again in the north, showing there was big support for Warwick. The
rebel party invaded England without resistance, due to Edward being in the north
suppressing another pro-Neville uprising. Warwick and Clarence landed at Devonshire in
September 1470, whereas Edward had been deserted by his troops.
• October 1470 – Edward fled with his supporters to the Low Countries and built an alliance
with the Duke of Burgundy, leaving the throne open to restore Henry VI. Henry’s restoration
(Readeption) caused trouble among the nobility, due to needing to return the land of Yorkist
lords to Lancastrian lords. Loyal Lancastrians also did not accept Warwick as a leader, with
huge support for Margaret of Anjou.
Edward IV’s return to England and crushing of Lancastrian opposition
• December 1470 – France’s declaration on Burgundy caused the Duke of Burgundy to support
Edward’s cause, granting £20 000 on 31 December. Edward’s return to the throne would
ensure England withdrew from the conflict with Burgundy. Edward gained 14 ships from the
trading confederation of the Hanseatic League. Edward’s small fleet of 36 ships and 1200
men set sail on 11 March 1471.
• The Readeption regime struggled to assert its position. Warwick controlled government
whilst awaiting Margaret’s return. Many of the political elite distanced themselves from the
Readeption government.
• March 1471 – Edward lands at Ravenspur, claiming that he wants to reclaim the Duchy of
York. Northumberland officially showed Edward support, meaning that Montagu was unable
to attack the king’s forces. Support for Edward eventually grew, with a large force from the
Midlands, until reaching Coventry. Edward persuaded Clarence back to his cause.
Meanwhile, Warwick’s indecision and diminishing support meant that Edward was able to
gain London as a strategic possession. London opened its gates to Edward on 11 April.
• 14 April, Battle of Barnet – Edward IV and Warwick’s forces meet at Barnet. Edward decided
to launch an attack, despite the thick fog obscuring vision. On the Yorkist side, Lords
Cromwell and Saye were killed, whereas the Lancastrians lost Exeter, Warwick, and the
Marquess of Montagu. Margaret decided to march to Wales to join forces with Jasper Tudor,
but was forced on to Tewkesbury.
• 4 May 1471, Battle of Tewkesbury – Edward won a decisive victory. Devon and Lord Wenlock
were killed, alongside Prince Edward. By 14 May 1471, all of the Lancastrian leaders were
killed and Margaret was in Edward’s custody.
• Some Lancastrian opposition remained after Barnet and Tewkesbury eg the Bastard of
Fauconberg attacking London on 12 May. Henry VI was killed on 21 May 1471. There were 2
Lancastrian claimants to the throne, who posed no threat to Edward IV – King John II of
Portugal and Henry Tudor (whose claim was weak and Edward made few attempts to make
him return to England).
