Battle of Worksop
Encyclopedia
Battle of Worksop was a skirmish during the Wars of the Roses
, near the town of Worksop
, Nottinghamshire
on 16 December 1460, part of the campaign which led to the Battle of Wakefield
on 30 December.
There is very scant evidence of what happened during this event and the only contemporary account comes from William of Worcester in his book Annales rerum Anglicarum, in which he stated:
(Edmund at this time was not actually the Duke of Somerset, this position being held by his elder brother Henry Beaufort
. Edmund succeeded to the title only when Henry was executed in 1464.)
Beaufort had marched from Corfe Castle
, Dorset
and was heading north towards the rest of the Lancastrian army which had been based in Hull
before moving onto Pontefract
. It is not known how many men Beaufort had at Worksop as he had split up his cavalry and footmen at Exeter move more quickly to the north.
It is supposed that York's men had diverted off the Great North Road to get to Sandal Castle
, though it is not clear why they went via Worksop. The area was under Lancastrian control, with the closest area securely held by the Yorkists being at Doncaster
There was widespread flooding at the time which would have made travelling difficult and food hard to find. A market was held in Worksop every Thursday and scouting parties may have been sent there to look for supplies. The most plausible reason however would have been to check on the Lancastrian forces situated around the town or for retribution towards Worksop Manor
, where the Earl of Shrewsbury
and his younger brother Christopher Talbot had been killed at the Battle of Northampton
on 10 July that year. Revenge was certainly in order as the Earl of Shrewsbury had been given Richard of York's land in Wakefield in 1459. Also Richard of York had a personal vendetta against the Earls of Somerset, ever since the 2nd Duke of Somerset's
disastrous handling of the final campaigns of the Hundred Years' War
.
There is no physical evidence of the battle except perhaps a section of skull in Worksop Priory
with a bodkin arrowhead lodged firmly in it. This is visible to members of the public and located in the north aisle of the church towards the west end. This may however be c.13th century though
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, near the town of Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
on 16 December 1460, part of the campaign which led to the Battle of Wakefield
Battle of Wakefield
The Battle of Wakefield took place at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire in Northern England, on 30 December 1460. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses...
on 30 December.
There is very scant evidence of what happened during this event and the only contemporary account comes from William of Worcester in his book Annales rerum Anglicarum, in which he stated:
The Duke of York, with the Earl of Salisbury and many thousand armed men, were going from London to York, in December 1460, when a portion of his men, the van, as is supposed, or perhaps the scouts… were cut off by the people of the Duke of Somerset, Edmund BeaufortEdmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset, 6th Earl of Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, 3rd Earl of Dorset was an English nobleman and military commander during the Wars of the Roses....
at Worksop.
(Edmund at this time was not actually the Duke of Somerset, this position being held by his elder brother Henry Beaufort
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset was an important Lancastrian military commander during the English Wars of the Roses. He is sometimes numbered the 2nd Duke of Somerset, since the title was re-created for his father after his uncle died...
. Edmund succeeded to the title only when Henry was executed in 1464.)
Beaufort had marched from Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and was heading north towards the rest of the Lancastrian army which had been based in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
before moving onto Pontefract
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
. It is not known how many men Beaufort had at Worksop as he had split up his cavalry and footmen at Exeter move more quickly to the north.
It is supposed that York's men had diverted off the Great North Road to get to Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Sandal Magna, a suburb of the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, overlooking the River Calder. It was the site of royal intrigue, the opening of one of William Shakespeare's plays, and was the source for a common children's nursery rhyme.-The...
, though it is not clear why they went via Worksop. The area was under Lancastrian control, with the closest area securely held by the Yorkists being at Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
There was widespread flooding at the time which would have made travelling difficult and food hard to find. A market was held in Worksop every Thursday and scouting parties may have been sent there to look for supplies. The most plausible reason however would have been to check on the Lancastrian forces situated around the town or for retribution towards Worksop Manor
Worksop Manor
Worksop Manor is a stately home in the Dukeries area of Nottinghamshire. Traditionally, the Lord of the Manor of Worksop may assist a British monarch at his or her coronation by providing a glove and putting it on the monarch's right hand and supporting his or her right arm.Worksop Manor was the...
, where the Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, 3rd Earl of Waterford, 9th Baron Talbot, KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury and Elizabeth Butler....
and his younger brother Christopher Talbot had been killed at the Battle of Northampton
Battle of Northampton (1460)
The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460.-Background:The Yorkist cause seemed finished after the previous disaster at Ludford Bridge...
on 10 July that year. Revenge was certainly in order as the Earl of Shrewsbury had been given Richard of York's land in Wakefield in 1459. Also Richard of York had a personal vendetta against the Earls of Somerset, ever since the 2nd Duke of Somerset's
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
disastrous handling of the final campaigns of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
.
There is no physical evidence of the battle except perhaps a section of skull in Worksop Priory
Worksop Priory
Worksop Priory is a Church of England parish church and former priory in the town of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham....
with a bodkin arrowhead lodged firmly in it. This is visible to members of the public and located in the north aisle of the church towards the west end. This may however be c.13th century though