This letter from Francesco Coppino to Master Lorenzo of Florence is one of the earliest written records relating to the aftermath of the Battle of Wakefield. Coppino was Bishop of Terni, and a legate who…
This letter from Antonio de la Torre to the Duke of Milan provides a very early written record of what had been said about the Battle of Wakefield. It is written from London and based…
Antonio de Turi [see note at foot of page] was a diplomat. As England descended into chaos, he wrote to his masters on the Continent to try and elicit diplomatic changes which would improve the…
In the aftermath of the Battle of Wakefield the Earl of Warwick was quick to reassure his European contacts that the Yorkist cause was not lost. He wrote to the Pope on 11 January 1461…
Richard Neville 16th Earl of Warwick was viewed as key to the fortunes of the Yorkist faction in early 1461 by foreign commentators. This is noted frequently by men such as Francesco Copino, Bishop of…
Antonio de la Torre was a diplomat who served the papacy and the Duke of Milan. His letters from the period illustrate the political ambitions of the Church, Milanese, and those with whom he interacted…
News of the Battle of Wakefield was sufficiently important for it to be relayed by Ambassadors at Courts on the Continent. In this example, from the Milanese Ambassador to the French Court, the news is…
On 20 February 1461 Francesco Coppino the Bishop of Terni and Apostolic [Papal] Legate wrote from Brill [Brielle] in the Netherlands. Whilst this letter contains little as to events in England, it does illustrate the…
Political and military tension within England was a matter of concern for continental powers. This resulted in news being sent to the continent by diplomats, or through merchants, to emissaries of many of the major…
As the Lancastrian army made its way north following it’s victory at St. Albans and it’s brief stay outside the walls of London, rumours and fears took hold in some quarters. Whilst it is known…