Dunstanburgh Castle

27 December 1462: Dunstanburgh surrenders

Remarkably the North Eastern Castle of Dunstanburgh surrendered to the Yorkists the day after Bamburgh surrendered. It marked a significant change in the fortunes of both sides in the north east as it, for a period at least, meant that the whole area was in Yorkist hands.

The Castle of Dunstanburgh, on the Northumberland coastline, was commanded by three men who had been attained by Edward IVs first parliament. Henry Beaufort, Sir Henry Lewis, and Sir Nicholas Latimer had all fought against Edward IV.

For them to surrender was courageous, they would undoubtedly have heard of the no prisoner’s policy enacted at Towton and must have been wary of the consequences of their capture.

By late 1462 the politics of the region demanded a degree of leniency though. For Edward IV or the Earl of Warwick, to have actual control over the region, they needed the local population’s compliance. Executing these men, or indeed the Earl of Northumberland who had surrendered the day before, would simply antagonise the locals and make land management incredibly difficult.

So not only were the three men treated with leniency, but the custody of the castle was also actually given to the Earl of Northumberland, rather than a Yorkist Lord.

It may seem odd given that had he, or Somerset, been captured at Towton they would probably have faced execution. It reflects a need to manage a problematic part of the country with continuity in mind whilst retaining systems against Scottish incursions.

Dunstanburgh, like Bamburgh, soon reverted to the Lancastrian cause and had to be besieged again.