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Day 11, July 12th
The BATTLE
of
TEWKESBURY!!!

The REAL Battle of Tewkesbury took place on May 4th, 1471.
(Click HERE to SKIP the following bit o’ history!)

The Battle of Tewkesbury completed a major phase of the “Wars of the Roses,” and temporarily put an end to Lancastrian hopes of regaining the throne of England. There would be fourteen years of peace before another political coup – in the form of Henry Tudor (Henry VII) – finally settled the dispute between these two dynasties.
At the time of Tewkesbury, the mentally unstable Lancastrian king, Henry VI of England, had just been deposed for a second time (and imprisoned in the Tower of London) by his rival, the Yorkist Edward IV of England, who throughout his career was never defeated in battle.
The Principal Tewkesbury Battle Commanders:
For LANCASTER:
Henry VI’s QUEEN, Margaret of Anjou; her 17-year-old son, Prince Edward (Henry VI’s last legitimate descendant); the Duke of Somerset; and Lord Wenlock (whom Somerset is alleged to have killed during THIS battle, as punishment for his fatal lack of initiative).
For YORK:
King Edward IV; his younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later to become King Richard III of England); and the Duke of Hastings.
On May 3rd, Somerset (Queen Margaret’s primary commander) decided to stand and fight at Tewkesbury, rather than risk a lengthy crossing of the Severn with exhausted troops. He had the choice of ground, and arrayed his 6,000 men to take advantage of it. Edward was slightly outnumbered, and his troops were also weary from their forced march to catch their opponents.
The next morning, in a field known as the "Bloody Meadow," Edward began the battle with heavy artillery bombardment. Edward would have been in serious trouble, had Somerset's center, commanded by Lord Wenlock, supported him. As it was, Somerset fought alone, and his forces were pushed back, as Edward advanced his troops to attack.
The Lancastrians, demoralized by the retreat of Somerset, offered little resistance to Edward – despite their numerical advantage – and their lines broke. The Yorkist advance pushed Somerset's men back into the town and the river, where many drowned trying to escape.
No quarter was given. Many were slaughtered during the retreat. Perhaps 2,000 Lancastrians died in the battle and on the banks of the Severn, as compared to about 500 of King Edward's men dead.
Somerset and many other Lancastrians fled to the nearby Tewkesbury Abbey, claiming sanctuary. But, their enemies are said to have pursued them even there.
One of the Battle of Tewkesbury casualties was Queen Margaret’s son, Edward, Prince of Wales. Though whether he died during or after the battle is uncertain, he remains the ONLY Prince of Wales considered to have died IN BATTLE.
The Battle of Tewkesbury Results:
All Lancastrian commanders, including Somerset, were summarily tried and executed shortly afterwards;
leaving Queen Margaret and her daughter-in-law, Anne Neville, as the king's most prestigious prisoners.
King Henry VI, already imprisoned in the Tower of London, was executed there a few days later.
Queen Margaret remained a prisoner in the Tower for four years, until ransomed by King Louis of France.
Edward's comprehensive victory at Tewkesbury stilled the voices of opposition – at least for a time. The country was weary of war, and for more than 20 years Edward ruled in (relative) peace.