Chronological Outline of Events
7 August - The sea was good to Tudor and at eventide on 7 August he entered Milford Haven, the large sound on the south Wales coast. He anchored in the first inlet on the north shore and took over Dale Castle, which surrendered immediately. If he expected a welcome, he was disappointed, for no one came. Pembroke Castle, at the east end of the sound and controlled by Richard, was soon aware of the landing, although they erroneously reported that it was on the south shore at Angle. This would have meant that a direct march toward London was planned, whereas the north shore route would indicate a sweep around the wide Severn. The earl of Huntingdon and Lord Scrope were protecting the south, Rhys Ap Thomas the north.
On landing on British soil, Tudor became king in his own mind. He paused to knight many of his followers, including Chandée, James Blount, the jailor who had turned Oxford loose, and William Brandon, the lone named Tudor casualty at Bosworth. He sent letters out, styling himself king, and demanding support which, if denied, would be at the recipient's peril. Support Richard, and it is treason! It was outrageous, and even the pro-Tudor Croyland was shocked. Croyland had thought Richard's messages were terrifying, but now a non-king was even more threatening.15
8 August - Tudor traveled north 10 miles to Haverfordwest, where he received a good welcome from the local population. This would certainly cheer invaders, to know that their leader had some credentials. The next days saw him pass through Cardigan to Llanbadarn, hugging the coastline as he moved through wild country. His fleet reportedly followed, a line of retreat if disaster struck. But disaster did not strike; a frightening rumor or two but no one stood in his way.
10 August - Tudor reached Llanbadarn and was setting an excellent pace. So far few had joined, but all was peaceful around him.
11 August - Richard's awareness of the successful landing came late. Richard Williams was the Constable of Pembroke, and he was the only one of Richard's commanders that sent word. While at Bestwood, north of Nottingham, Richard learned that the enemy was ashore. This was good speed for the messenger, about sixty miles per day, and Richard could only continue to think that his western wall would stop Tudor. What he did not know was that Tudor was already at Machynlieth, racing north but preparing to turn east toward Shrewsbury and England, and he was already half way there. What Richard also did not know, was that he had no western defense.16
In 1483, Richard was acknowledged to have had a superb spy and scouting system, and he expected that he could keep tabs on Tudor easily. But scouts, if they go out twenty-five miles, must return with the news, another twenty-five miles, and, while they can travel at twice the speed of an army, the army will have moved twenty five miles closer that day. Eight days after the landing, Lord Strange told Richard of the massive defections, but on that same day, Tudor was at Shrewsbury. Only ten days after landing did Richard get a good fix on the rebels. With great shock, he found that they were in Litchfield.
12 August - Tudor entered Newton and his first big break came when Rhys ap Thomas joined him, doubling his manpower. At about this time, Sir William Stanley left his brother at Lathom and went home to Holt. He was in touch with Tudor, and seemed to know his route and timing. Sir William had his troops arrayed for the king, and now he prepared to use them - for Tudor.
14 August - Letters of mobilization now began to reach the king's loyalists. Both John Howard and Henry Percy responded quickly. Brackenbury in London rounded up those of questionable loyalty that Richard wanted brought north and prepared to leave the capital.
Tudor arrived at Shrewsbury late and found the gates shut against him. He camped nearby. In the morning, probably at the prompting of either Sir Gilbert Talbot or Sir William Stanley, the gates were open and Tudor passed quietly and quickly through the city.
15 August - Tudor entered Newport and was joined by Sir Gilbert Talbot with 500 men. Tudor had reached England unmolested and by now the sweet smell of success must have been in his nostrils. His army had doubled, no threat had come his way, and he was in the heart of 'his' kingdom. He had covered one hundred and fifty miles and so far had done everything right.
Sir William Stanley started to work his way east from Holt and arrived at Nantwich. He did not seem intent upon melding his troops with Tudor's, now or at any time, but they marched in the same direction on a converging course. His aloofness caused Tudor concern, but promises kept coming.
Lord Stanley left Lathom and began his march east. He did not meet with Tudor; as always, he was the neutral. Stanley had a great deal to lose if he sided too soon. Crossing a son-in-law who was suddenly king was unwise, but so was crossing a king who had just killed a son-in-law. He arrived at Newcastle-under-Lyme and paused.
There is a statement in a letter from John Howard to John Paston that implies that Richard observed the feast of Mary's Assumption while he did nothing to prepare for battle. This is not so, for it was on this day that Richard interrogated Lord Strange and learned the worst. He also received a letter from Lord Stanley that he would not come to Nottingham because he was ill.17 Lord Strange wrote to his father, asking him to come in. Richard sent out letters to sheriffs, telling them that Sir William and Sir John Savage were traitors.
16 August - John Howard assembled at Bury St. Edmunds for the march to Leicester. Due to short notice or no notice at all many did not show up, and he almost certainly left undermanned. Some, like the Pastons, preferred their former lord, Oxford, and didn't come.
A York city delegation showed up at Nottingham, asking if the king needed troops. Richard had apparently forgotten to notify his most ardent supporters. He sent them off with pleas for help.
Sir William Stanley moved his troops to Stone and met with Tudor at Stafford, which was Tudor's camp site.
17 August - Lord Stanley arrived at Litchfield on 17 August, square in Tudor's path. He might have stood his ground and fought, but he had no intention of doing so, and in truth he no longer had the power to stop Tudor. He vacated the town and moved toward Atherstone, giving up towns to the advancing Tudor. He also received his son's letter, saying that Richard knew of the Stanley treachery but also saying that he had sworn that Lord Stanley would remain true. He asked his father to come to Richard at once to spare his life.
18 August - Richard knew that Tudor had reached Litchfield and had been welcomed royally. At Litchfield, Tudor apparently obtained guns, although he may already have had some.
19 August - York city received Richard's plea for help and mustered at once. However, they decided to send only eighty men, a small contribution. In any case, it was too late. Nottingham was three days away, and Richard was moving further away each day on his way to Leicester and Bosworth, and the York city men could never catch up.
Lord Stanley was still at Atherstone, but with Tudor approaching he retreated on down Watling Street. He could tell Richard that he did not stop Tudor, but that he did everything that he could to slow him down. Or, if Tudor won, that he fooled Richard into thinking that he would fight.
Richard reached the assembly point at Leicester, which was a fairly short march from Nottingham. Howard, coming north, was either already there or just arriving . Brackenbury arrived, but told the sad story that his troops had all deserted, even inviting him to go along. Fabian states that Percy made slow speed toward Richard but, given the circumstances of the late notification, he actually responded quite quickly.
Richard had to decide at this point where he would try to intercept Tudor. He could go south to High Cross, which was closer, and that might give him another day to hope for reinforcements. He could go along a northerly route to Mancetter, on Watling Street, and stop Tudor there. This would be an advantage to the enemy, however, and there was the risk that Tudor would get there first and go on to London, leaving Richard with dust and defeat.
20 August - Tudor was near Atherstone, probably camped in the vicinity of Merevale. He was joined by Sir John Savage, and Sir William Stanley was also there briefly, but unlike Savage, he did not join forces with Tudor. Tudor's army was apparently low on supplies, for he began to forage heavily, and he later paid Atherstone, Witherly, Mancetter and Fenny Dayton for corn and crop damage to feed his men.
21 August - Richard decided on the more northerly route and followed Gartree Road out of Leicester, through Kirby Mallory and on to Sutton Cheney. His scouts told him that Tudor was turning off of Watling Street and was moving toward him, as a challenger must, since his French troops had not joined a marching society. Richard camped at Sutton Field, just north of Sutton Cheney and the ridge that separates this field from Redmore Plain. According to Croyland, the night was cruel to Richard. No doubt it was. He could only see his position as weak, of course; his western defense had been an illusion, his alert was too short, his muster too quick, the response too slow, and all the time the well seasoned rebellion unfolded as scripted. His Yorkist family had dwindled, disappearing in a flurry of burials. His only living son might also be staring into hostile faces, miles away at Calais. He had lost touch with true friends - Scrope, Tyrell, Lovell, Herbert - who guarded still against one who had already slipped by them. He knew his losses; gone were William and George Stanley, and probably Thomas as well, and Savage,
Talbot, Rhys, many of Brackenbury's recruits, scores of others. He could no longer claim numerical superiority. Delay was out of the question; he didn't know if more were coming to him, or if treachery would continue. A foreign army had come to kill him, and tomorrow would be decision day. Lord Stanley and his brother had arrived at Redmore Plain, possibly in a joint camp but still separate from Tudor and, like the French, off to the south.
After Atherstone, Tudor apparently knew Richard's path and decided to meet him rather than to race for London. He turned off of Watling Street and took the side road that led to Sutton Cheney. He camped just south of the ridge and Sutton Cheney, as close as he could get to the king's forces, in anticipation of an early morning battle the next day as either he or Richard crossed the ridge. The French troops camped at least a quarter of a mile away, to the south. They had exchanged artillery shots with Richard's scouts and decided on a separate flank attack on the van. Tudor was confident that the Stanleys would join him in the fight, but they, too, lined up separately. All was in readiness. Tudor still had one more surprise, yet another traitor, who was so close to Richard that he would line up with him on his left wing.
August 22 - Richard fought the last battle of his life on this day and the action is chronicled by the contemporary writers. The maneuvering began at dawn or earlier, and the actual fighting took over two hours (Vergil). Richard arrayed his whole army before the terrified rebels (Vergil) as he crossed from camp at Sutton Field (Hutton) to Redmore plain. Tudor, now to the east of Richard, faced him on Redmore (York city), the sun at his back and the morass on his right (Vergil). The king's van lined up to against Tudor, Oxford and Norfolk opposite each other (Croyland). Amyon Lays (Hutton) protected Tudors right flank as Talbot kept close to it (Vergil). Oxford was in command of the van, Savage and Talbot protecting his flank with cavalry (Vergil). Tudor, with a small group, trailed behind with a company of horse and footmen (Vergil). In front of Oxford were the Scottish archers under Sir Alexander Bruce (Lindsay). The French forces under Chandée, a quarter of a league away (Molinet), prepared to attack Norfolk's flank in order to avoid artillery fire (Molinet)
Richard's van was under Howard and Brackenbury, with Percy behind as a rear van (Molinet). At the moment of battle, Brackenbury turned on Richard (Lindsay) and joined Tudor, which caused York city to think that Howard had turned traitor (York records). Tudor advanced and Norfolk's van charged as soon as he passed the bog (Vergil). The French, under Chandée, struck at Howard's flank (Molinet), capturing and executing Howard (Molinet). Richard sought to reinforce the Howards, but Sir William Stanley charged Richard down a bank (Ballad of Bosworth Field), and Richard was suddenly struck down (Rous) and killed fighting manfully in the thickest press of his enemies (Vergil, Rous) at Sandeford (York city, Tudor). Royal survivors of the battle fled southward toward Dadlington, pursued by Lord Stanley (Molinet),and most of the casualties occurred then (Croyland, Molinet). By evening the victors were in Leicester celebrating (The Great Chronicle of London).