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 relayed on 1 February 1461. It has taken over a month for information to reach the Ambassador, for it to be considered, then forwarded to the Duke of Milan’s Secretary. Given the timescale, it is possible that the Milanese Ambassador has heard news from several sources.
Prospero de Camulio is of the opinion that the Duke of York was killed through sheer hatred of him from his enemies, rather than it being a considered political action: “the Duke of York seems rather to have been slain out of hatred for having claimed the kingdom than anything else“. Interestingly, the Milanese are of the opnion that there have been ‘other battles subsequently’ in the period between the Battle of Wakefield and the writing of this letter: which predates the Second Battle of St. Albans by several weeks. This presents a curious interpretation that rather than their being one single clash in Yorkshire in late 1460, that there may actually have been several. Of course this may be a result of mixed messages being received, but it does bear some resemblance to some lesser known sources which hint at there being more than one clash at Wakefield and/ or in the region.
Duke of York ‘seems… to have been slain out of hatred”
Milanese Ambassador to the French Court, 1 February 1461
62. Prospero de Camulio, Milanese Ambassador to the French Court to Cicho Symoneti, Secretary to the Duke of Milan.
The news from England is that the queen has recently fought with the Duke of York and taken York, which is a fine city. The king and the Earl of Warwick thought that the forces of the duke and of the earl’s father and brothers were sufficiently strong, but they were defeated, and there were slain the duke, his son, the Earl of Warwick’s father and his two sons and 12,000 to 16,000 men. Many others, the numbers unknown, were slain in other battles subsequently; it is said to amount to thousands. When the king heard this he was much moved, although the Duke of York seems rather to have been slain out of hatred for having claimed the kingdom than anything else. It was decided that the Earl of Warwick should go to avenge the affront, and he has gone with 60,000 combatants; some say more. Things remain in the balance, and so the Dauphin considers that I must not at present think of going to do anything in England, and just the same with the Burgundians.
Ghent (Genepre), 1st. February, 1461.
[Italian; the words in italics deciphered.]
Notes:
The Lancastrians had not ‘taken’ York. The City had a lot of Lancastrian sympathisers in and around it with adjacent lands held by men who had not wavered in their loyalty to the Lancastrian cause led by Queen Margaret. [Most notably: Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland, John 6th Baron Clifford].
Figures for the numbers slain at Wakefield and for the number of men arrayed by the Earl of Warwick can not be taken as fact. Other sources suggest much different numbers and all are thought to exaggerate.
Richard Neville 16th Earl of Warwick had not departed London for St. Albans by the date this letter was written. Other letters within this Milanese collection note his departure being on 14 February.
Featured Image
Queen Margaret placing a Paper Crown on the Head of the Duke of York. Beside the gate of a castle, the queen placing a crown on the Duke of York’s head, held by a guard at left; in an octagon; illustration to a ‘History of England’. 1803. Etching and engraving. British Museum.
Further Reading
The Battle of Wakefield page includes recent research along with the traditional account. The Battle of Towton page contains a range of source material outlining the changing narrative over time. The Milanese papers are extensive, with a selection of relevant documents indexed here. An overview of the traditional narrative of the Battle of Wakefield, or the Battle of Towton, with notes on more recent thinking. For recent research and academic commentary about this period, see the Substack posts by Dr. David Grummitt.