March 29 - The Battle of Towton

This Day in History: 29 March 2020

 

29 March 1461

 

559 years ago, today, the Battle of Towton took place, which was one of the many battles waged during the War of the Roses, resulting in Yorkist victory. Although the Lancastrian King, Henry VI, had given the right of succession to Richard, Duke of York, his wife, Queen Margaret, was not prepared to accept an arrangement that would deprive her son of his birth right. At the time, England was almost a country of two kings, Henry VI and Duke Edward of York, and so the matter would be settled on the battlefield. After the death of his father, Richard, at the previous Battle of Wakefield, the Yorkist Edward marched his followers to battle against Henry.

 

The two armies, both ranging around 30,000 men, confronted each other in the middle of a snowstorm, on an open field, between the villages of Towton and Saxton. The brutal fighting lasted for several hours, until towards the end of the day, as the Lancastrian line crumbled, and many were killed after they had surrendered. Due to this large loss, the Lancastrians were unable to create a field army for another three years. However, this did not stop King Henry and his family escaping to Scotland. This battle was possibly the largest and bloodiest battle every fought on English soil, as estimates of the dead range from 9,000 to 20,000. In 1996, a mass grave was uncovered that contained 46 skeletons, and the analysis of their injuries reflect the brutality of the battle.

 

Want to find out more about the Battle of Towton? Click here for more information, or here for a 45+ minute documentary on the battle.