In this section

The City of York - Lancastrian or Yorkist?

During the second half of the C15th, the City of York was staunchly loyal to Richard III as the king. The city had often demonstrated its loyalty to the reigning monach, but had a special relationship with King Richard because of his close involvement with York during his good stewardship of the North prior to taking the throne. It is hardly surprising that during the conflict that we now know as the Wars of the Roses, the City of York saw itself as a defender of the Lancastrian's cause.

At the start of the Bosworth campaign in 1485, Richard III issued instructions at Nottingham castle to prepare for war and sent commissions of array to the county commissioners. On 8 July 1485, the sheriff of the shire had presented the mayor and council of the City of York with written instructions from the king. The council instructed these to be proclaimed throughout the city, ordering that "Every man of any craft within this city foresaid be ready defensibly arrayed to attend upon the mayor of this city and his brethren for safeguard of the same on the king's behalf".

The earl of Northumberland had responsibility for raising the northern levies but appears to have been somewhat derelict in this duty as on the 16th August the council of York decided that “John Spooner seriaunt (sic) to the mayor should ride to Nottingham to the King's grace to understand his pleasure as in sending up any of his subjects within this city to his said grace for the subduing of his enemies”. At the same meeting the wardens of the city where instructed to “search the inhabitants within his ward, that they have sufficient weapons and array for their defence and the well (sic) of this city.” A proclamation was also to be read similar to that instructed on the 8th August. Finally on the 19th August the council received the request from the King via John Nicholson, servant to the King and at once instructed that "80 men of the city defensible arrayed, John Hastings gentleman to the mace being Captain, should in all hast possible depart towards the kings grace".

The instruction states that the men should be ready at two o’clock to depart and receive their pay: "Every soldier should have 10s for 10 days, being 12d day.". This implies that the men from York were almost certainly mounted archers. The city had supplied such troops for the Scotland campaign of 1482 at the same wage. Furthermore the rate of pay for a mounted archer during Edward IV's 1475 invasion of France was also 12d a day. The pay of a knight was 2s a day and an archer 6d a day by comparison.

The role of these mounted archers at the Battle of Bosworth, which took place on the 22nd August 1485, is however somewhat doubtful. The distance between York and Market Bosworth is roughly 115 miles, and it is not certain whether these mounted men were ever able to reach Bosworth in time for the battle. If they did, it is certainly not recorded. Also, upon arrival they would probably have been arrayed with the Earl of Northumberland’s division or 'battle' and so would have taken little active part in the struggle anyway.

What is known is that news of the battle reached the city on the same day, and also that the next day, the 23rd, the city was informed by “Diverse persons and especially by John Sponer……. that king Richard late mercifully reigned upon us was through great treason of the Duke of Norfolk and many other that turned against him, with many other lords and nobles of this north parties, was piteously slain and murdered…”. On the same day the council also wrote to the Earl of Northumberland ask for his advice and help during this woeful time. His reply is not recorded and probably never arrived as he was imprisoned at this time for four months.

The City of York was quick to adjust to the changed situation and had no hesitation in denouncing Richard III and switching support to the new king, Henry VII. On 8th October 1485 the new king’s proclamation addressed to “diverse persons of the north parts of this our land… within our counties of Nottingham, York, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, our city of York and the bishopric of Durham and the town of Hull” officially pardonned the city. The document was presented to the council and on the 25th October the mayor and council swore an oath of allegiance to king Henry VII. They were duly followed by the other officials of the city on the 26th and from that time onwards the City of York was a firm supporter of the reigning monarch once more.

Sources

• York House Books 1461 – 1490 Volume 1 by Lorraine C Attreed
• The Medieval Soldier in the Wars of the Roses by Andrew W Boardman
• The Battle of Bosworth by Michael Bennett
• North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses By A J Pollard

Return to homepage