Wars of the Roses, by year

Henry's weaknesses

Conflict-avoidant (Courteney-Bonville feud, over stewardship of Cornwall)
Fiscal generosity (rapid elevations to nobility, 23 elevations in 17 years, Edward IV had 6)
£372,000 in debt
Normandy is v expensive to maintain

1436

Tax records show that Richard, Duke of York is the wealthiest man in England

November 1442

Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester found guilty of necromancy

1443

Henry VI grants Somerset a contiugency of men instead of sending York much needed men at Calais

April 1445

Henry marries Margaret of Anjou as a provision of the Treaty of Tours (Claims to Anjou and Maine surrendered, York is a critic of this treaty_

1445

York is not reappointed Captain of Calais, with the role instead going to Somerset, a parvenus

July 1447

York appointed Lieutenant of Ireland, virtual exile

March 1450

Suffolk impeached by Parliament but Henry ensures that is only to be exiled for 5 years, he is murdered by the St. Nicholas of the Tower
Lord Saye and Seal threatens to turn Kent into a deer forest
Adam Molyens killed

May 1450

Cade's Rebellion is launched, saw the lynching of Lord Saye and Seal, calls for England to be governed by its Dukes (YORK, NORFOLK AND BUCKINGHAM), pardoned by Margaret but then Buckingham leads Harvest of Heads

Later in 1450

York offers a proclamation, blames the state of the nation on Somerset and evil councilors, York has returned to "claim his rightful place in government and clear his name"

1451

Reading Parliament - compliant to Henry VI, awards money to Talbot to reclaim Gascony

March 1452 - Battle

Dartford
York marches to be recognised as heir with Egremont but is met with every great lord in England and begs forgiveness

Early July 1453

Henry orders a commission of Oyer and Termina to resolve the Percy-Neville feud but it is dominated by Neville retainers

July 1453

Henry dispatches the competent Shrewsbury but he falls at Castillon, marking the end of the English Empire in France

August 1453

Henry VI's illness begins

October 1453

Margaret gives birth to Prince Edward, she makes Somerset the godfather and excludes York from the christening

January 1454

Margaret publishes her Bill of Five Articles, arguing that she should be Regent, as is custom in France, while Henry is ill but is refused

March 1454

The Chancellor, Kemp, dies allowing York to be made Protector

Early 1454

Warwick and Somerset feud over the Glaumorgan lands but Henry is incapacitated and can't deal with it

York's first protectorate (starting March 1454)

Appointed himself Captain of Calais
Reduced King's household expenditure by £20,000 by December 1454
Appoints a Neville, Salisbury, as Chancellor
In May, Duke of Exeter rebels and York has him imprisoned
Confines Somerset to the Tower in November
Does not touch Margaret's household x

Christmas Day 1454

Henry recovers

April 1455

Henry called a council to be held in Leicester, to discuss threats to the king, Yorkists gather their retainers

May 1455 - Battle

First St Albans:
York Lancaster:
York Buckingham
Warwick Somerset (mort)
5000 2000
Hours of negotiation, Lanc wouldnt surrender Somerset, launched second protectorate

1455 (Couteney)

murders radfield, york strips earldom of devon, henry vi returns it in 1456

1456

York pushes for an Act of Resumption, hugely unpopular, forced to resign
Margaret moves the court to Coventry
Warwick made Captain of Calais

March 1457

Margaret forces York to swear fealty to Henry VI

August 1457

Court forced to return to London after French fleet of 4,000 raid the coast

March 1458

Great Council - Yorkists agree to pay reparations to the Beauforts and Percies
Loveday

May 1458

Warwick launches piracy against Spain and Hansa, Margaret demands he be stripped of his titles and the faction solidifies against him

June 1459

Margaret summons a Great Council in Coventry and attainders the Yorkists

1459 - Battle

Ludford Bridge
Trollope defects
Yorkists forced to flee
(Edward and Warwick to Calais, York to Calais)

July 1460 - Battle

of Northampton
Henry VI captured by Yorkists, Egremont killed
lancastrian gunpowder is maid useless by rain
the lancastrain front, led by edward grey, defects

December 1460 - Battle

Battle of Wakefield
Somerset. York (mort)
Dudley. Rutland(mort)
18,000 4,000
Margaret displays York's head on Micklegate Bar, Lord Scales killed

Late 1461

Margaret makes a deal with Mary of Guelders, Regent of Scotland

February 1461

Mortimer's Cross
owen tudor executed
parahelion
edward proves himself in combat

February 1461 - battle

second st albans
Margaret. Warwick
Somerset
Buckingham
Lancastrian victory
Commits chevuchee on the way south
Margaret retakes Henry VI
Road clear to London
Margaret, refused entry to London, falls back to Dunstable instead of being pinned to walls

March 1461

Edward, Earl of March declares himself Edward IV -) George Neville, Bishop of Ely confirms but archbishop refuses unless proven in battle

28th of March 1461 - Battle 1

FitzWalter ambushed by Clifford

29th of March 1461 - Battle 2

Edward supported left flank
Lanc 35,000 vs York. 30,000
Blizzard in Lancastrians' face
Norfolk showed up late

Later in 1461

Edward coronated proper
Margaret of Anjou flees into Scotland
By 1463, Warwick had captured all Lancastrian holdings in the North

1463 - forgiveness

forgiveness policy, Somerset and Ralph Percy forgiven

1463 - Scotland

Edward begins negotiating a treaty with Scotland

May 1464

the forgiven lancastrians (somerset, ralph percy) rebel at the battle of hexam and are executed by montagu, despite somerset and edward being lovers

May 1464 (Scotland)

Scottish treaty signed, Margaret forced to return to France under Louis XII

1465

Henry VI captured in Lancashire and sent to the tower, Margaret remained at large

September 1464

Warwick is away negotiating a match for Edward with Louis XI, Edward reveals he secretly married Elizabeth Woodville in 1464

Woodvilles elevated (1466)

Richard Woodville became Earl Rivers and Treasurer of England
John Woodville marries Catherine Neville, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk (Warwick's very rich aunt). John was 19, Catherine 65. ​
Catherine Woodville married Henry Stafford, the new Duke of Buckingham​
Anne Woodville married William Bourchier (son of Thomas Bourchier, the Earl of Essex) ​
Mary Woodville married William Herbert (the son of Edward's councillor William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke)​
Margaret Woodville married Thomas Fitzalan, the Earl of Arundal​
Eleanor Woodville married Anthony Grey of Ruthin, the Earl of Kent​
Thomas Grey was made Marquess of Dorset and married Anne Holland, the only child of Henry Holland

Summer 1467

Edward hosts a Burgundian emissary led by Anthony, Bastard of Burgundy

1468

Humiliated, Warwick leaves court

July 1469 (marriage)

Clarence secretly marries Isabelle Neville, bringing him into the Lancastrian faction

1469

Robin of Redesdale & Robin of Holderness rebellions

July 1469 (Edward)

Edward camps at Nottingham but he is outnumbered as Reedsdale advances from the North, Warwick from the South
Captured at Edgecote Moor

March 1470

Warwick stages another rebellion in Lincolnshire, rallying them at Losecoat field

22nd July 1470

Warwick alligns with Margaret of Anjou, Edward, Prince of Wales was married to Anne Neville

October 1470

Edward IV flees to Burgundy and Henry VI is returned to the throne

March 1471

Edward lands at Ravenspur, Edward claimed that he only sought to reclaim the Dukedom of York and lied that he had Northumberland's support, uses it to enter the City of York

20th March 1471

Edward stays at Pontefract, neither Montagu or Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland decide to attack him

25th March 1471

In Leicester, Edward's army grew when 3,000 of Hastings' men arrived and joined up. ​

3rd April 1471

Edward joins with Clarence just south of Warwick in Coventry, his 4,000 men met Edward's army (10,000 total). ​

10th April 1471

George Neville is forced to submit to Edward after trying to hold London for Lancaster

14 April 1471 - Battle

Battle of Barnet
Oxford's men were erroneously shot at by the Lancastrian centre commanded by Lord Montagu, as he mistook Oxford's Star with Rays for Edward's Sunne in Splendour
Montagu allegedly wore Edward's colours

4th May 1471 - Battle

Battle of Tewkesbury
Margaret attempted to cross into Wales to join her forces with the Welsh Lancastrians but Edward contacted the Lord Becham to hold the gates at Gloucester, so she was forced to advance to Tewksbury
Richard was able to outflank the Lancastrians led by Edmund Beaufort, the Duke of Somerset. Once Somerset's men had been dealt with, Richard attacked the rear of the Lancastrian line which broke apart and fled. (Somerset allegedly murdered Wenlock for betrayal) Many of the Lancastrian leaders were caught and killed including Edward the Prince of Wales. Margaret of Anjou was also captured.

Edward church tenths

£46,000 church paid between 1472-75

edward crown lands income

Earned £30,000 pa

Benevolences/Forced loans

Edward extracts "donations" during progresses
buying influence

August 1475

Treaty of Picquigny
Edward and Louis XII met, Edward's daughter and the dauphin would marry, and Edward would receive £15,000 and then £10,000 per annum
Edward didn't collect any unpaid taxes for this campaign and didn't collect tax again until 1482

July 1474

Treaty of London with Burgundy, both agree to invade France
Edward has coronation robes made
Collects taxes from Parliament,

1478

Clarence executed
(had Ankarette Tynwho executed in 1477)

29th August 1475

Treaty of Picquigny

October 1460 - (York's Claim)

York had begun asserting his claim to the throne proper (styles himself Richard Plantaganet), asks to be made King but is rejected by Parliament, Act of Accord adopted instead and York made heir instead

December 1482 (Treaty)

Treaty of Arras
Burgundy and France finally agree a Treaty with Burgundy, erasing Picquingy

Christmas 1482

Edward holds his Christmas court

April 1483

Edward IV dies, in a departure from his 1475 will which would make Elizabeth regent and creates Richard as L. Protector

10th April 1483

The royal council declares the coronation for May 4th, Woodvilles move to ostracise Richard, Elizabeth given great seal by LC Rotherham, Dorset declares they can enforce decisions w/o Richard

20th April 1483

Woodvilles acquiesce and call for Richard to lead the Royal Council but it had been argued that he should enjoy sovereign power, Council takes moderate line and elects Richard as leader

23rd April 1483

Richard pledges allegiance to Edward V at York and writes to the council reaffirming Edward's wish that he should be Protector

30th April 1483

Rivers, Vaughan and Grey arrested by Richard and sent to castles in the North, Richard pledges his loyalty to Edward V

April 1483 (SANCTUARY)

Elizabeth Woodville, after the arrest of Rivers, enters Sanctuary

May 4th 1483

Edward enters London and is hailed by assembled nobles

May 1483 (GEORGE NEVILLE)

Dies childless, Richard's legal claim to some Neville inheritance rested on his living

May 8th 1483

Royal Council meets and creates Richard LP until late June when Parliament can confirm out, HOWEVER, refuse to sanction arrests of Rivers, Vaughn and Grey

May 10th 1483

John Russel made LC, Rotherham fired for giving Great Seal to Elizabeth

May 15th 1483

Buckingham created Lord Constable, given vast swathes of welsh land and also given wardship of Anne, heiress of Exeter (confirmed July 15th, during Richard’s reign)

May 23rd 1483

Elizabeth refuses to leave sanctuary

June 8th 1483

Stillington plot

June 10th 1483

Gloucester rallies extra troops

June 13th-16th 1483

Hastings executed, Jane Shore publicly humiliated for infiedelity, and Prince Richard released

June 22nd 1483

Shaa: Bastard Slips shall take no root delcared, Richard offered throne by by Parliamentarians on the 25th, Rivers etc executed

July 1st 1483

6000 men camp outside London from York

July 6th 1483

Richard coronatedAs Richard III

July 14th 1483

Buckingham confirmed as Lord Constable and given vast swathes of Wales

Late July 1483

Richard III was in the north when he learnt of an unsuccessful attempt to free the royal princes from the Tower, fires were lit in London

September-October 1483

Buckingham's Rebellion:
-Rumours circulated that the Princes had been murdered
-11th October: Buckingham raises troops on the Welsh border
-Norfolk (Howard) defends London
-Rebellion declares for Henry T
-Henry lands with only 2 ships
-Buckingham captured on Oct 30

JANUARY 1484

The January Parliament

1484 Opposition

96 attainted, incl Margaret Beaufort, but 1/3 pardoned, Morton (B.of Ely fully pardoned in 1485), began banning livery and maintiance

1484 - TITLE

Titulus Regius, confirmed Richard III's passage to the throne
-Elizabeth was guilty of witchcraft
-Marriage occurred in secret, bans not read in public
-Edward IV already in plight troth to Eleanor Butler
-Condemned the "carnal lust" of Edward's court, alienating his allies

1484 LEGAL AND ECONOMIC

Benevolences illegal, jury members had own property over a certain value

March 1484

Richard pledges to protect Elizabeth's daughters, and they begin attending court

Autumn 1484

Anne of Suffolk betrothed to James of Scotland, creating an Anglo-Scottish peace

Situation with France under Richard III

Louis XI died in August 83, leaving a regency lead by Anne of Bourbon and fears of invasion, after Francis of Brittany's chief minister negotiated a deal with Richard, Henry fled to France