On 18 March 1471 Edward gained admission to the City of York after having landed at Ravenspur on 14 March. His army was by no means assured of victory as it made its way through northern England in the spring of 1471. One of his objectives was to gain the support of the City of York and the sympathies of locals. It was a delicate scenario, this region had been implicated in revolts against him in 1469 and was home to many of the Neville’s retainers.
Limited resistance to Edward’s force
Lord Montagu offered limited resistance. The Earl of Northumberland had avoided any intervention. Yet Edward’s army at around 1200 men was small and vulnerable.
He sought support from the City of York. But initially, the gates remained closed to him. Edward drew upon several devices to gain entry, albeit with just 17 guards to accompany him inside the walls.
Entry as Duke of York
He was granted permission to enter the City on the basis that his business was to claim his rightful Ducal title. This enabled the City to retain an element of neutrality, preventing any bloodshed at it’s walls or gates and not openly defying either Edward, or the northern lords who dominated the area and whose loyalties were mixed.
Perhaps more persuasive were letters from the Earl of Northumberland, he held sway over much of the region.
From York to London
From York, Edward recruited loyalists from the North of England and set about creating the army that was to go on to regain the crown following successes at Barnet and Tewkesbury. Edward gambled on the loyalties of men in the North, and it paid off.
His policy towards Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, paid dividends in that he could enter the heart of Yorkshire relatively unchallenged. From that point onwards, he was able to recruit and plan his assault on the Lancastrian regime. Once again, he was to achieve his goal incredibly quickly.
Image Credit
Bootham Bar, York c 1800, anonymous watercolour. Via York Press.