Francis Randle Twemlow

The Battle of Bloreheath 1459: the First Major Conflict of the Wars of the Roses Francis Randle Twemlow

The first battle of the great collision of British dynasties

For many students of the English medieval period, 'The Wars of the Roses' fought between the houses of York and Lancaster hold an especial fascination. In September of 1459 on a damp Sunday this momentous conflict-after years of tension, sparring and bloody encounters-finally ignited into full scale open hostility with the first battle of many before peace would finally be achieved by the death of Richard III at Bosworth and the crowning of Henry VII, as the first Tudor monarch in 1485. Bloreheath stands close to Market Drayton in the county of Shropshire. The Lancastrian Queen Margaret of Anjou, wife of the feeble minded Henry VI, ordered James Touchet, Lord Audley, to intercept a Yorkist army under Richard Neville, Lord Salisbury, and bring him to ruin before he could join forces with other Yorkists at Ludlow Castle. The Yorkists were vastly outnumbered and forced to fight a battle on ground not of their choosing by an enemy ensconced in a well chosen defensive position. Nevertheless, in a battle of remarkable drama, the Yorkists managed to secure an outstanding victory over their Lancastrian enemy which resulted in complete rout and the death of Audley. This fascinating concise study of the battle will intrigue all those interested in the period. Available in softcover and hardcover with dustjacket.