Following the defeat of the Yorkist army at Wakefield, a large Lancastrian army of about 12,000 men pillaged and plundered its way south towards London. At St Albans the Earl of Warwick and about 9.000 Yorkists encamped in and about the north of the town on Barnard's Heath and Nomansland Common. Here they constructed a number of defences including caltraps, spiked nets and pavises and awaited the arrival of the Lancastrian army. The attack did not come in the direction Warwick had anticipated: a large Lancastrian vanguard entered St Albans from the direction of Dunstable and chased the Yorkist rearguard out of the town. The main Yorkist army was then attacked from the flank and rear. Even so, most of the Yorkist army withdrew in good order amid the confusion. Warwick then marched west towards the approaching Yorkist army commanded by Edward, Earl of March. This left London to defend itself. When the Lancastrian army arrived outside the city walls the Londoners refused to open the gates. Without sufficient artillery the Lancastrians were forced to withdraw north to Yorkshire again.
 

Our thanks to Graham Turner for his permission to use our artwork. 

For more information on his work, his website is located at http://www.studio88.co.uk

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        Yorkists                                                         Lancastrians

William Lord Bonville, executed	Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset
Edward Lord Bourchier	John Lord Clifford
John Bourchier, Lord Berners, taken prisoner	Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon
Lord Charlton, taken prisoner	Henry Lord Grey of Codnor
Sir William Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel	Sir John Grey of Groby, killed in battle
William Gregory	Ralph Lord Greystoke
Henry VI, captured by Lancastrians	Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter
Sir Thomas Kyriel, executed	Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Sir Henry Lovelace, went over to Lancastrians	Robert Poynings, killed in battle
John Neville, Lord Montague, taken prisoner	Henry Lord Roos
Sir John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk	Sir William Tailboys, knighted
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick	John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury
William Neville, Lord Fauconberg	Sir Andrew Trollope, knighted
John De La Pole, Duke of Suffolk	Richard Willoughby, Lord Welles
Sir John Wenlock

ŠThe Richard III Foundation, Inc.

 

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