Battle of Tewkesbury

The battles of Tewkesbury in the Gloucestershire, which took seat the May 4th 1471 supplemented a phase of the Guerre of the Two-Pinks and temporarily put an end to the hopes lancastriens to take again the throne of England. Fourteen years ago of peace before another political coup d'etat carried out by Henri de Bolingbroke, a Tudor, rule finally the argument enters the two dynasties while going up on the throne under the name of Henri VII.

At the time of Tewkesbury the mentally unstable king lancastrien Henri VI of England, came to be deposited for the second time by his rival, the Yorkiste Edouard IV of England, which during all its career was never beaten in a battle. This change in the circumstances intervened because of the interference of Richard Neville, count de Warwick, “the maker of king”, who supported initially Edouard then Henri. Warwick had now died (killed with the Bataille of Barnet three weeks before) and the remaining forces lancastriennes were led by the queen of Henri, Margaret of Anjou and their son ten seven year old Edouard of Westminster, Prince de Galles. If Margaret, returning to England with the shocking news of the final defeat of Warwick, had been able to join its ally Jasper Tudor, 1st Duc of Bedford, (uncle d' Henri Tudor), it would have had the possibility of being opposed to the forces yorkists of king Edouard. Its only hope was to cross the river Severn to Gloucester, and that it failed to make it when the access was refused to him by the governor yorkist of the city and the castle of Gloucester, Sir Richard Beauchamp.

The fate of Margaret depended on Edmond Beaufort, 4th Duc of Somerset, his last commander aguerri, but its capacities were not level of those of the king. The yorkists were higher out of artillery, but slightly fewer. They arrived at forced march on a position prepared for the six thousand men. Somerset was mistaken in its positions in battle sufficiently to allow the young brother of the king, Richard, Duc of Gloucester (later king Richard III of England), to attack its side.

Panic settles among the lancastriens reprocessing and Somerset would have killed one of its own commanders, the Wenlock lord, like punishment for its fatal lack of initiative. Some claim that there is evidence that Wenlock survives the day and was authorized to escape, however (until the recent rebellion of Warwick, Wenlock had been a captain Yorkiste for a long time). In a field known as “the pre bloody one”, it is known as that half of the forces of Somerset were massacred.

One of the victims was Edouard of Westminster, Prince de Galles, although it is not certain. He would be only prince de Galles of the History died in the combat. Others took refuge in the abbey. The abbot who celebrated a mass asked for their grace but much was trailed outside and cut the throat of. All the chiefs, including Somerset, were carried out summarily a little later leaving the Margaret queen and her daughter-in-law Anne Neville, like the most prestigious prisoners. The king Henri VI, already imprisoned in the Tour of London was assassinated a few days later.

Random links: