Siege of London (1471)
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The siege of London was an episode of the
Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
between 12 and 15 May 1471, in which adherents of the
House of Lancaster The House of Lancaster was a cadet branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. The first house was created when King Henry III of England created the Earldom of Lancasterfrom which the house was namedfor his second son Edmund Crouchback in 126 ...
commanded by
Thomas Neville Thomas Neville or variant spellings may refer to: * Thomas Neville (died 1460) (c. 1429 – 1460), Yorkist captain during the early years of the Wars of the Roses * Thomas Neville (died 1471) (1429–1471), rebel during the Wars of the Roses * ...
unsuccessfully attempted to storm the city and free
King Henry VI Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne a ...
, who had been imprisoned in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
by his rival
Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
of the
House of York The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, ...
. This confrontation, which was an epilogue to the recent battles of
Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) * Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
and
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Riv ...
, completed the final restoration of Edward IV and ensured the Yorkist hold on the throne.


Background

On 14 March 1471,
King Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
, of the
House of York The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, ...
, who had been in exile in
Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
since the defection the previous year of his former comrade-in-arms
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
, to the
House of Lancaster The House of Lancaster was a cadet branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. The first house was created when King Henry III of England created the Earldom of Lancasterfrom which the house was namedfor his second son Edmund Crouchback in 126 ...
, disembarked at
Ravenspurn Ravenspurn was a town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, which was lost due to coastal erosion, one of more than 30 along the Holderness Coast which have been lost to the North Sea since the 19th century. The town was located close to the ...
,
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
in order to retake the throne from his rival Henry VI. Successfully bypassing the army of Warwick's brother
John Neville, Marquess of Montagu John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu (c. 1431 – 14 April 1471) was a major magnate of fifteenth-century England. He was a younger son of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, and the younger brother of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick ...
, Edward continued on to the town of
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
, where he proclaimed himself king again, and then to
Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
, where he tried to engage the Earl of Warwick in battle before reinforcements arrived. Edward IV then headed for
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where he was welcomed with joy on 11 April by the population, which was generally in his favor. He hastened to secure the person of Henry VI, who was locked up in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
, before reuniting with his wife
Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...
and his children, who had taken refuge in the sanctuary of
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
since October. Pursued by Warwick's army, Edward faced his opponent at the
Battle of Barnet The Battle of Barnet was a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses, a dynastic conflict of 15th-century England. The military action, along with the subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury, secured the throne for Edward IV. On Sunday 14 April ...
on 14 April. The fighting took place in thick fog, inadvertently causing the Lancastrian troops to attack each other and triggering a rout in which Warwick and Montagu were killed. Back in London, Edward IV hardly had time to savor his success since he was informed on 16 April of the landing at
Weymouth, Dorset Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, on the English Channel coast of England. Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey, south of the county town of Dorchester, Weymouth had a population of 53,427 in 2021. It is the third l ...
of Henry VI's wife, Queen
Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (french: link=no, Marguerite; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England and nominally Queen of France by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Born in the Duchy of Lorrain ...
, and their son
Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Edward of Westminster (13 October 1453 – 4 May 1471), also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. He was killed aged seventeen at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Early life Edward was born ...
, who had been delayed in France by a storm and had not been able to bring reinforcements to Warwick in time: in fact they had landed on the very day of the battle of Barnet. Guessing that Margaret intended to rally reinforcements in Wales, Edward quickly assembled his army and left the command of London to his brother-in-law Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers. Delayed at
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
by the governor of the city who refused to let her in, Margaret of Anjou was forced to continue her journey northwards in order to cross the
River Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...
. The Lancastrian army was finally overtaken by the Yorkist army near
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Riv ...
and forced to fight there on 4 May. The
Battle of Tewkesbury The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses in England. King Edward IV and his forces loyal to the House of York completely defeated those of the rival House of Lancaster ...
was quickly sealed after the Lancastrians abandoned a strategic height, precipitating a rout in which Prince Edward was killed. On 11 May, Edward IV returned to Coventry where Margaret was brought to him as a captive. Despite Edward IV's triumph in eliminating or neutralizing the Lancastrian commanders at Barnet and Tewkesbury, many of Henry VI's supporters continued to resist. For example,
Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford (November 143121/26 December 1495), was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and a leading architect of his nephew's successful accession to the throne in 1485. He was from the noble Tudors of Penmynydd, Tudor f ...
, still had sufficient support in Wales, and Yorkshire rose against Edward IV after he left to confront Warwick at Coventry. However, the most dangerous Lancastrian forces were in
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, where
Thomas Neville Thomas Neville or variant spellings may refer to: * Thomas Neville (died 1460) (c. 1429 – 1460), Yorkist captain during the early years of the Wars of the Roses * Thomas Neville (died 1471) (1429–1471), rebel during the Wars of the Roses * ...
, a cousin of Warwick, had been tasked since January with patrolling the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
to intercept Edward IV's fleet. Before Barnet, Richard Neville had sent his cousin several messages asking him to go to Kent to raise reinforcements on behalf of the House of Lancaster. Unaware of the Lancastrian defeat at Barnet, Thomas Neville landed at
Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
before 3 May, by which time Edward IV had already been informed. He then had 300 men under his command that Geoffrey Gate had sent him from
Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
and was joined by Nicholas Faunt, the Lord mayor of
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
, who raised 200 men on his behalf, and others, so that his army quickly grew to nearly 3,000 men. The army recruited by Thomas Neville in Kent was mainly motivated by loyalty to Warwick or Henry VI, but many of the men in it probably joined in the hope of looting the capital.


Siege of London

On 8 May, Thomas Neville was at
Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
, from where he sent a letter to the London authorities asking them to let him enter the capital before he went to confront Edward IV. During the Wars of the Roses, London had let most armies pass through its walls, the only exception being in 1461 when the Lancastrian army led by Margaret of Anjou was denied access after its victory at the
Second Battle of St Albans The Second Battle of St Albans was fought on 17 February 1461 during the Wars of the Roses in England. It took place at St Albans in Hertfordshire, the first battle having been fought in 1455. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of W ...
. However, the circumstances were different ten years later, since Thomas Neville's letter arrived in London on 9 May, a few hours after a letter from Edward IV announcing his triumph at Tewkesbury was communicated to the city council. The authorities immediately informed Thomas Neville of their refusal to let him enter the capital, especially as they were mindful of the looting committed by soldiers from Kent during the restoration of the House of Lancaster the previous year, and began to prepare to resist a siege: the banks of the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
around the capital were equipped with cannons, while the citizens of the city received weapons. Edward IV was also informed of Neville's uprising and quickly ordered an army to be summoned to defend the capital, so that a week later he found himself with a force of 30,000 men under his command, according to
Warkworth's Chronicle The Warkworth's Chronicle, now stylized "Warkworths" ''Chronicle'', is an English chronicle formerly ascribed to John Warkworth, a Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Known from only two manuscripts, it covers the years 1461–1474 and provides in ...
. Despite the council's response, Neville continued on to London. The reason he persisted in a siege was probably the presence of Henry VI in the Tower of London: despite the death of his only son, his release would revive the cause of the House of Lancaster. Arriving at the head of his fleet near the Tower of London on 12 May, Neville organized an attack on
London Bridge Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...
and ordered his army to attack
Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
. However, this first attack was hardly conclusive and only resulted in the destruction of a bridge in Southwark and the damage of some shops in the St Katherines Precinct, to the east of the Tower of London. On 13 May, Neville changed tactics and moved further west, from where he intended to attack Kingston Bridge in order to take
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
. Nevertheless, Earl Rivers had anticipated this maneuver and had his troops patrol the Thames to protect the bridge. Informed of Edward IV's arrival in Coventry, Neville withdrew to Southwark to avoid being caught in a pincer movement and lined up his cannons with the aim of bombarding the Tower of London, where not only Elizabeth Woodville and her children were present, but also Henry VI. In response, Rivers ordered the intensive bombardment of Neville's positions. The most serious assault occurred on 14 May. On that day, Neville ordered a force of 3,000 men to advance through the densely populated St Katherines Precinct; the force advanced rapidly through the streets, looting shops and setting fire to
Bishopsgate Bishopsgate was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate gave its name to the Bishopsgate Ward of the City of London. The ward is traditionally divided into ''Bishopsgate Within'', inside the line wall, and ''Bishop ...
. However, reinforcements led by Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex, came to support the London militia; estimated at 4,500 men, they inflicted many losses on Neville's insurgents and pushed them back from the banks of the Thames, without however preventing them from taking 50 of Gould's butcher's oxen destined for the Tower garrison on their ships. Other insurgents succeeded in seizing the rampart that the defenders had just built to protect
Aldgate Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. It gives its name to Aldgate High Street, the first stretch of the A11 road, which included the site of the former gate. The area of Aldgate, the most common use of ...
; it was only recaptured by the London militia after a pincer assault. Some of the insurgents were trapped behind the portcullis and immediately massacred by the populace, while the others rushed back to their ships. Meanwhile, Neville removed his cannons from his ships and lined them up on the right bank of the Thames to cover some of his men, who again attacked London Bridge and set fire to the small buildings there, in order to clear a point of entry into the city without having to pass through a gate. Their attack continued as far as the tower guarding the drawbridge but was stopped by the garrison's artillery.


Lancastrian retreat and surrender

On 15 May, Neville returned to Southwark, while some of his troops, pursued by Ralph Josselyn's militia, retreated to
Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...
or Stratford, from where they boarded their ships to return to Kent. Other contingents, mainly those involved in the London Bridge attack, regrouped at
Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...
, awaiting instructions from their commander. It is possible that Neville was informed of the imminent arrival of Edward IV's vanguard, who had been warned on 13 May by Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, of the collapse of the Yorkshire uprising after the announcement of his victory at Tewkesbury and had dispatched on 14 May 1,500 men from Coventry to support Rivers. On 18 May, Neville took the direction of Sandwich with 600 men, in order to join his fleet, and ordered the garrison that Calais had sent him to cross the Channel again. The next day, the troops stationed at Blackheath also made their retreat. Having perhaps already begun negotiations with Edward IV, Neville withdrew to
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
and used his fleet as a bargaining chip. He finally surrendered on 27 May to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who had been asked to receive his surrender.


Aftermath

On 21 May 1471, Edward IV returned to London with his victorious army and his captive Margaret of Anjou. That same night, Henry VI died suddenly in the Tower, most likely assassinated at the instigation of Edward in order to eliminate any threat from the House of Lancaster, Neville's uprising having no doubt underlined the danger of leaving the deposed king alive. After knighting the London citizens (including William Hampton,
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...
the following year) who had distinguished themselves during the resistance to the siege, Edward did not stay long in London and led an expedition to Kent to pursue the rebels involved in the siege of London. The king's severity was excessive on this occasion: the Lord mayor of Canterbury Nicholas Faunt was sentenced to be
hanged, drawn and quartered To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under Edward III of England, King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the rei ...
on 29 May, and many executions or fines were carried out. However, it seems that the Earl of Essex himself was even more severe in
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
. As for Thomas Neville, he accompanied Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to
Middleham Castle Middleham Castle is a ruined castle in Middleham in Wensleydale, in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It was built by Robert Fitzrandolph, 3rd Lord of Middleham and Spennithorne, commencing in 1190. The castle was the childhood home of Ki ...
in Yorkshire to serve at his side. However, his loyalty to the House of York was quickly called into question and he was beheaded under obscure conditions on 22 September 1471, perhaps after an escape attempt. His head was then displayed next to that of Nicholas Faunt on London Bridge, both looking towards Kent.Santiuste


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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:London, Siege of 1471 in England Battles of the Wars of the Roses Conflicts in 1471