Richard III - First Battle of St. Albans

First Battle of St. Albans

May 22, 1455

The First Battle of St. Albans

The First Battle of St. Albans was fought on May 22, 1455. The battle traditionally marks the beginning of the Wars of the Roses. Richard, Duke of York along with Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick defeated the Lancastrians under the leadership of Edmund, Duke of Somerset who was killed.

The Lancastrian army of 2,000 troops arrived at St. Albans and began placing their troops along the Tonman Ditch and at Sopwell and Shropshire Lane. The Yorkist army of 3,000 camped in Keyfield to the east. After several hours of negotiations between the rival commanders, Richard, Duke of York, decided to attack.

The First Battle of St Albans was a victory for York and Warwick. York captured the King restoring himself to power. Somerset, Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland and Lord De Clifford fell during the rout.

Yorkists Lancastrians

James Baskervillle of Eardisley, Herefordshire	Ralph Babthorpe of Babthorpe, Yorkshire (killed in battle)
Edward Brooke of Holditch, Suffolk	Edmund Beaufort, Somerset (killed in battle)
William Bourchier of Brampton, Devon	Sir Henry Beaufort, Earl of Dorset, wounded
Edward Bouchier, Essex	James Butler, Wiltshire
Henry Bouchier of Pleshey, Essex	Thomas Clifford of Skipton Craven, Yorkshire (killed in battle)
Christopher Conyers of Sokebourne, Durham	Richard Cotton of Hampstall Ridware, Staffordshire (killed in battle)
John de Clinton of Amington, Warwickshire	Sir Thomas Courtenay, Earl of Devon, captured
Walter Devereux of Weobley, Herefordshire	Bertine Entwisell of Entwisell, Lancashire
Ralph Fitzrandolph of Spennithorne, Yorkshire	Robert Harcourt of Stanton Harcourt, Oxford
Thomas Lumley of Lumley, Durham	Richard Harrington of Westerley, Lancashire (killed in battle)
Richard Hamerton of Hamerton, Yorkshire	Richard Harrowden of Harrowden, Northamptonshire (killed in battle)
Thomas Harrington of Hornby, Lancashire	Henry Plantagenet, (Henry VI), captured
James Metcalfe of Nappa, Yorkshire	William Neville, Lord Fauconberg, captured
John Middleton of Belsay Castle, Northumberland	Thomas Packington of Hampton Lovett, Worcestershire
Christopher Moresby of Moresby, Cumberland	Thomas Percy of Egremont Castle, Cumberland
Thomas Mountford of Hackforth, Yorkshire	Henry Percy of Alnwick, Northumberland (killed in battle)
John Mowbray of Framlingham, Suffolk	John Radcliffe of Smithills, Lancashire (killed in battle)
Richard Neville of Middleham, Yorkshire (Earl of Westmoreland)	Thomas Roos of Rockingham, Northamptonshire
Richard Neville of Middleham, Yorkshire (Earl of Warwick)	Ralph Shirley of Shirley, Sussex
William Neville of Skelton, Yorkshire	Henry Stafford of Stafford, Staffordshire (killed in battle)
Robert Ogle of Choppington, Northumberland	Lord Humphrey Stafford of Stafford, Staffordshire
William Oldhall of Hunsdon, Herefordshire	Edmund Sutton of Dudley, Worcestershire
William Parr of Carlisle	John Sutton of Dudley, Worcestershire
Thomas Parr of Kendal, Westmoreland	Thomas Tresham of Rushton, Northamptonshire
John Parr of Westminster, Westmoreland	Thomas Thorpe of Thorpe, Northumberland
James Pickering of Ellerton, Yorkshire	Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond
Edward Plantagenet, (Edward IV), Middlesex	Jasper Tudor of Hatfield, Anglesey
Richard, Plantagenet of Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire (Duke of York)	John Wenlock of Wenlock, Shropshire
William Pudsey of Selaby, Durham	Philip Wentworth of Nettlestead, Suffolk
Thomas Rempston of Warren, Huntingdon	Richard West of Hempston-Cantilupe, Devon
Henry Retford of Lincolnshire
John Savile of Thornhill, Yorkshire
James Strangeways of Whorlton, Yorkshire
Walter Strickland of Sizergh, Westmoreland
Thomas Vaughan of Hergest, Herefordshire
James Wandesford of Kirklington, Yorkshire
Richard Grey of Powis, Powis

Additional reading on the Battle of St. Albans

Boardman, Andrew, The First Battle of St. Albans 1455, The History Press Ltd., 2006

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