1471 in History

Edward IV is deposed

Anne was taken first to Coventry and then to the house of her brother-in-law the Duke of Clarence in London, while her mother Anne Beauchamp, Warwicks wife, sought sanctuary in Beaulieu Abbey. When the crisis settled down and the Countess wished to be restored to her estates, Edward IV refused her safe conduct to plead her case; she wrote to Queen Elizabeth and several others to no avail

Edward IV has George Neville the Archbishop of York arrested

Edward & his brothers enter London & capture Henry VI

Murdered in the Tower of London, found dead in the oratory

The 2 Neville brothers bodies are laid to rest in the family vault at Bisham Abbey

By the end of April raises an army & enters Bristol

Beheaded by the Yorkists

Escapes to France after the Lancastrian defeat at the Battle of Barnet

Sets sail from The Netherlands to reclaim his throne

Sals with an army of Burgundians & Englishmen & 14 ships provided by Hanseatic towns

Lands with the pretense he has returned to reclaim the Duchy of York, heads for York

Reaches Coventry where he is able to offer Battle to the Earl of Warwick

George the Duke of Clarence deserts the Earl of Warwick & joins Edward IV

This record states: Although he had defeated the Neville brothers, Edward had little time to rest; Margaret landed at Weymouth on the day of the battle.

This record states: Despite the defeat at Barnet, Lancastrians who fled from the battle looked to the queen to restore their house to the throne.

This record states: She feigned a march to London while augmenting her army with recruits from Wales and the Welsh Marches.

This record states: The Lancastrian queen was disheartened by the news of Warwicks demise, but Somerset suggested that they were better off without the earl.

King Edward had learned of Margarets landing only two days after she arrived. Although he had given many of his supporters and troops leave after the victory at Barnet, he was rapidly able to muster a substantial force at Windsor, just west of London

The most dangerous Lancastrian force however, was that commanded by the Bastard of Fauconberg. As anticipated, he had landed at Sandwich and rapidly recruited a force from among the pro-Neville Kentishmen. Together with exiled Lancastrians and freebooters from several countries, his army may have numbered 16,000 or even 17,000 in total

She briefly wished to return to France, but Prince Edward persuaded her to gamble for victory.

Somerset and the Earl of Devon had already raised an army for Lancaster in the West Country.

Their best hope was to march northwards and join forces with the Lancastrians in Wales, led by Jasper Tudor.

While Margaret sheltered at nearby Cerne Abbey, the Duke of Somerset brought news of the disaster at Barnet to her.

Urged on by Louis XI, Margaret had finally sailed on 24 March. Storms forced her ships back to France several times, and she and Prince Edward finally landed at Weymouth in Dorsetshire on the same day that the Battle of Barnet was fought. Lands with a Lancastrian force in Weymouth, same day as the Battle of Barnet

Margarets army had reached Bath, on its way towards Wales. She turned aside briefly to secure guns, reinforcements and money from the city of Bristol

Edward IV is restored to the throne

Clarence's submission strengthens Edward IV by adding about 4,000 men to the Yorkist army.

This record states: He sent urgent messages to the Governor, Sir Richard Beauchamp, ordering him to bar the gates to Margaret and man the citys defences.

This record states: King Edward realised that the Lancastrians were seeking to cross the River Severn into Wales.

This record states: The nearest crossing point they could use was at the city of Gloucester.

This record states: When Margaret arrived in the morning of 3 May, Beauchamp refused Margarets summons to let her army pass, and she realised that there was insufficient time to storm the city before Edward's army arrived.

This record states: He sent urgent messages to the Governor, Sir Richard Beauchamp, ordering him to bar the gates to Margaret and man the citys defences.

This record states: King Edward realised that the Lancastrians were seeking to cross the River Severn into Wales.

This record states: The nearest crossing point they could use was at the city of Gloucester.

This record states: When Margaret arrived in the morning of 3 May, Beauchamp refused Margarets summons to let her army pass, and she realised that there was insufficient time to storm the city before Edward's army arrived.

This record states: He sent urgent messages to the Governor, Sir Richard Beauchamp, ordering him to bar the gates to Margaret and man the citys defences.

This record states: King Edward realised that the Lancastrians were seeking to cross the River Severn into Wales.

This record states: The nearest crossing point they could use was at the city of Gloucester.

This record states: When Margaret arrived in the morning of 3 May, Beauchamp refused Margarets summons to let her army pass, and she realised that there was insufficient time to storm the city before Edward's army arrived.

Marches Yorkists on London while Warwick is in Coventry

Clarence submits to Edward & increases the Yorkist army by 4,000

Death of Henry VI, assassinated, Edward reclaims the throne

Death of Edmund Beaufort, beheaded by the Yorkists

Murdered in the Tower of London, found dead in the oratory

The Lancastrians suffered a crushing defeat, and Wenlock died on the battlefield. He was allegedly killed by his own commander, the Duke of Somerset, who blamed Wenlocks indecisiveness for the defeat

Death of Richard Neville

Although he had defeated the Neville brothers, Edward had little time to rest; Margaret landed at Weymouth on the day of the battle.

At around 4 o'clock in the morning, both armies woke. Edward had planned for an early attack, however, and quickly roused his men to engage the Lancastrians. Both sides fired their cannon and arrows before laying into each other with polearms.

Despite the defeat at Barnet, Lancastrians who fled from the battle looked to the queen to restore their house to the throne

Edward exhibited the brothers naked corpses in St. Pauls Cathedral for three days to quell any rumours that they had survived, before allowing them to be laid to rest in the family vault at Bisham Abbey.

He brought Henry VI along to prevent the Lancastrians from retaking their king. The bodies of the two Neville brothers were brought back to London. They did not suffer the customary fate accorded to traitors quartering and display at the city gates.

Lancastrian scouts probed Barnet, which lay 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of London, but were beaten off.

On 13 April their main army took up positions on a ridge of high ground north of Barnet to prepare for battle the next day.

She feigned a march to London while augmenting her army with recruits from Wales and the Welsh Marches. The Lancastrian queen was disheartened by the news of Warwicks demise, but Somerset suggested that they were better off without the earl.

The morning fog was thick and the night movements of the two forces had displaced them laterally with each other. Neither group was facing the other; each was offset slightly to the right.

This displacement meant that the right end of either army could outflank the other by wrapping around the opposing left end. The Lancastrians were the first to exploit this advantage; Oxfords group quickly overwhelmed Hastings.

Warwick arrayed his army in a line from east to west, on either side of the Great North Road running through Barnet. Kills the Earl of Warwick & Lord Montagu, the Lancastrians are defeated. Kills the Earl of Warwick.

Warwicks army heavily outnumbered Edwards, although sources differ on exact numbers. Lancastrian strength ranges from 10,000 to 30,000 men, with 7,000 to 15,000 on the Yorkist side. Facing this disadvantage, Edward hurried to meet the Lancastrians with a surprise attack.

The Yorkists win the battle for access to London

Edward exhibited the brothers naked corpses in St. Pauls Cathedral for three days to quell any rumours that they had survived, before allowing them to be laid to rest in the family vault at Bisham Abbey.

He brought Henry VI along to prevent the Lancastrians from retaking their king. The bodies of the two Neville brothers were brought back to London. They did not suffer the customary fate accorded to traitors quartering and display at the city gates.

Lancastrian scouts probed Barnet, which lay 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of London, but were beaten off.

On 13 April their main army took up positions on a ridge of high ground north of Barnet to prepare for battle the next day. Warwick arrayed his army in a line from east to west, on either side of the Great North Road running through Barnet

Warwicks army heavily outnumbered Edwards, although sources differ on exact numbers. Lancastrian strength ranges from 10,000 to 30,000 men, with 7,000 to 15,000 on the Yorkist side. Facing this disadvantage, Edward hurried to meet the Lancastrians with a surprise attack.

Killed in battle by Edward VI

Commands the Lancastrian right

However, the Lancastrians made a feint towards Little Sodbury, about 12 miles (19 km) north-east of Bristol.

King Edward reached Cirencester.

Nearby was Sodbury Hill, an Iron Age hill fort which was an obvious strategic point for the Lancastrians to seize.

On hearing that Margaret was at Bristol, he turned south to meet her army.

When Yorkist scouts reached the hill, there was a sharp fight in which they suffered heavy casualties

Captured in battle by the Yorkists

By contrast, King Edward's army was composed mainly of mounted men, who nevertheless dismounted to fight on foot as most English armies did during this period.

Hearing from his "prickers" or mounted scouts of Margarets position, Edward drove his army to make another march of 6 miles (9.7 km) from Cheltenham, finally halting 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Lancastrians.

Most of their army were footmen, and unable to continue further without rest, and even the mounted troops were weary.

The Lancastrians knew they could retreat no further before Edward attacked their rear, and that they would be forced to give battle

The Yorkists crush Margaret of Anjou whose son & heir, Prince Edward, is killed. The Yorkists capture Margaret of Anjou after the Battle of Tewkesbury. At Tewkesbury, the tired Lancastrians halted for the night.

At Tewkesbury, the tired Lancastrians halted for the night. Most of their army were footmen, and unable to continue further without rest, and even the mounted troops were weary.

By contrast, King Edward's army was composed mainly of mounted men, who nevertheless dismounted to fight on foot as most English armies did during this period.

Hearing from his "prickers" or mounted scouts of Margarets position, Edward drove his army to make another march of 6 miles (9.7 km) from Cheltenham, finally halting 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Lancastrians. The Lancastrians knew they could retreat no further before Edward attacked their rear, and that they would be forced to give battle

Tewkesbury Abbey was just behind the Lancastrian centre. A farmhouse then known as Gobes Hall marked the centre of the Lancastrian position; nearby was "Margarets camp". Margarets only son Edward is killed & Henry VI is captured.

The Yorkists capture Margaret of Anjou after the Battle of Tewkesbury. The Lancastrians took up a defensive position a mile south of the town of Tewkesbury. To their rear were River Avon and the Severn.

Margaret of Anjou had returned to England with Anne Neville and Prince Edward in April, bringing additional troops. At the Battle of Tewkesbury, Edward IV crushed this last Lancastrian army. Prince Edward was killed in or shortly after the battle, and Anne Neville was taken prisoner

Helps restore Edward IV to the throne by defeating the Lancastrians

He was allegedly killed by his own commander, the Duke of Somerset, who blamed Wenlocks indecisiveness for the defeat.

The Lancastrian centre was commanded by Lord Wenlock.

The Lancastrians suffered a crushing defeat, and Wenlock died on the battlefield.

Unlike the other principal Lancastrian commanders, Wenlock had deserted the Lancastrian cause after the First Battle of Saint Albans, only to revert to the Lancastrians when he was deprived of the Lieutenancy of Calais.