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England · dynastic conflict · 1455–1485

Wars of the Roses Timeline 1455–1485

Follow the rival houses of Lancaster and York through the battles of St Albans, Wakefield, Towton, Barnet, Tewkesbury and Bosworth, alongside the kings, nobles and commanders who shaped the struggle.

Explore 512 original records from the World History Database. The corrected archive also includes 3 entries before 1455 and 27 entries after 1485; these retain their stored dates and descriptions rather than being silently removed.

512 historical records512 battle / event labels58 distinct names3 countries representedLancaster · York · Tudor
Two houses · one crown
1455
–1485
Lancaster · York · Tudor

Historical overview

From St Albans and Towton to Bosworth

Explore the conflict, changing royal power and aftermath.

1455: first battle of St Albans

The archive follows Henry VI, Richard, Duke of York, and the Neville family through disputes over royal authority and the first battle at St Albans.

1459–1460: renewed conflict

Blore Heath, Ludford Bridge, Northampton and Wakefield appear in the records, alongside campaigns around Calais, London and the struggle over succession.

1461: the Yorkist succession

The second battle of St Albans, Mortimer’s Cross and Towton form part of the recorded transition to the reign of Edward IV.

1464–1469: unrest and realignment

Hedgley Moor, Hexham and Edgecote Moor feature with the shifting loyalties of Warwick and other figures in the Yorkist and Lancastrian camps.

1470–1471: restoration and reversal

The records trace Edward IV’s exile, Henry VI’s restoration, renewed invasions, and the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury.

1483–1487: Bosworth and beyond

Richard III, Henry Tudor and the battle of Bosworth mark the late conflict. The supplied data also reaches the Stoke fighting and later claimants.

1455First St Albans1459Blore Heath · Ludford Bridge1460Northampton · Wakefield1461Mortimer’s Cross · Towton1469Edgecote Moor1471Barnet · Tewkesbury1485BosworthAfter 1485Stoke and later records

Major engagements in the archive

Major battles

Choose a battle or siege to see its matching records.

Chronological highlights

Lancaster, York and Tudor

Use these milestones to navigate the original record chronology.

1455First St Albans and succession disputes
1461Towton and the Yorkist monarchy
1471Barnet and Tewkesbury
1485–1487Bosworth, Stoke and later unrest
Permanent subject pagesExplore Wars of the Roses battles and peopleExplore 24 pages generated from 512 records.
13 archive records · 1455–1455First Battle of St AlbansThe opening fighting at St Albans in May 1455.13 archive records · 1459–1459Battle of Blore HeathYorkist and Lancastrian forces clash during the campaign of 1459.35 archive records · 1459–1459Battle of Ludford BridgeThe confrontation at Ludford Bridge and the Yorkist dispersal.4 archive records · 1460–1460Battle of NorthamptonThe 1460 engagement in which Henry VI was captured.3 archive records · 1460–1460Battle of WakefieldThe fighting near Wakefield and the death of Richard, Duke of York.3 archive records · 1461–1461Battle of Mortimer’s CrossThe Yorkist victory associated with Edward IV’s rise.6 archive records · 1461–1461Second Battle of St AlbansThe second confrontation at St Albans in February 1461.14 archive records · 1461–1461Battle of TowtonThe major battle fought in March 1461 during Edward IV’s campaign.3 archive records · 1464–1464Battle of Hedgley MoorFighting in Northumberland in the spring of 1464.6 archive records · 1464–1464Battle of HexhamThe 1464 battle and its consequences for Lancastrian commanders.5 archive records · 1469–1469Battle of Edgecote MoorRebellion and fighting during Warwick’s break with Edward IV.17 archive records · 1471–1471Battle of BarnetEdward IV’s forces fight Warwick in the spring of 1471.27 archive records · 1471–1471Battle of TewkesburyThe decisive fighting in May 1471 and its aftermath.20 archive records · 1485–1485Battle of BosworthThe 1485 campaign and the end of Richard III’s reign.3 archive records · 1487–1487Battle of Stoke FieldA later conflict recorded in the aftermath of Bosworth.22 archive records · 1459–1460Siege of CalaisThe struggle over Calais and associated Channel ports.33 archive records · 1452–1471Henry VIThe Lancastrian king and his role in the dynastic conflict.87 archive records · 1461–1475Edward IVThe Yorkist king and his campaigns, exile and restoration.33 archive records · 1452–1460Richard, Duke of YorkRichard, Duke of York, during the struggles leading to 1460.75 archive records · 1455–1471Richard Neville, the KingmakerRichard Neville, Earl of Warwick, in the wars and changing alliances.35 archive records · 1459–1476Margaret of AnjouMargaret of Anjou and the Lancastrian cause.16 archive records · 1459–1485Richard IIIRichard III during the later years of the dynastic wars.42 archive records · 1461–1499Henry VIIHenry Tudor’s rise, Bosworth and subsequent challenges.11 archive records · 1455–1485Jasper TudorJasper Tudor and the Lancastrian movement.
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Battle directory

512 exact event labels · 16 battle/siege collections · 512 source records

Featured battle collections

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People directory

38 surnames · 58 distinct names

Most represented

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Data provenance

Sources and further reading

Corrected historical event records from the World History Database.

Dates, names, countries, places, roles and event descriptions are reproduced from the corrected Warfare / Wars of the Roses records, with duplicate entries preserved. The installer uses this corrected export by default; optional PostgreSQL regeneration is available after the database has been updated.

Snapshot generated 2026-11-06. Records with unusual dates or differing descriptions are shown as stored, without independent historical verification.