Permanent historical factsheet

Battle of Barnet

England · Warfare / Wars of the Roses. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.

23Records
1471Date range
5Named people
1Places

Chronological records

1471

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th13 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th13 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th13 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th13 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th13 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

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.

Edward IV14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

The Yorkists win the battle for access to London

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

Killed in battle by Edward VI

John de Vere Oxford, 14th14 April 1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

Commands the Lancastrian right

John Neville Montague, 1st1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

Dies during the Battle of Barnet fighting for his brother Richard "the Kingmaker"

Richard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

Defeated & slain by Edward IVs forces

Richard III1471

Barnet · Warfare / Wars of the Roses

Helps restore Edward IV to the throne by defeating the Lancastrians

Names involved

Edward IVJohn de Vere Oxford, 14thJohn Neville Montague, 1stRichard IIIRichard Neville "Kingmaker" Warwick, 16th

Provenance

This factsheet is generated from stored World History Database records matching the country, broad category, detailed category and exact Event value shown above. Duplicate display records are collapsed; database wording is otherwise preserved. Source provenance varies by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.