During the 15th century Wars of the Roses, in the struggle for power between the rival houses of Lancaster and York, an army of 5,000 Yorkists under the command of the Earl of Salisbury were intercepted whilst marching south to join forces with Duke of York.
The newly recruited 10,000 strong Lancastrian force under the command of Lord Audley advanced, but were decimated as they crossed marshy ground.
Click here for a battlefield map.
Key Facts:
Date: 23rd September, 1459
War: Wars of the Roses
Location: Near Market Drayton, Shropshire
Belligerents: Lancastrians and Yorkists
Victors: Yorkists
Numbers: Lancastrians 10,000, Yorkists 5,000
Casualties: Lancastrians 2,000, Yorkists 1,000
Commanders: James Tuchet, the 5th Baron Audley (Lancastrians), Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (Yorkists)
More Battles in the Wars of the Roses
| The First Battle of St Albans | 22 May, 1455 |
| Battle of Blore Heath | 23 September, 1459 |
| Battle of Northampton (1460) | 10 July, 1460 |
| The Second Battle of St Albans | 17 February, 1461 |
| Battle of Towton | 29 March, 1461 |
| Battle of Barnet | 14 April, 1471 |
| Battle of Tewkesbury | 4 May, 1471 |
| Battle of Bosworth Field | 22 August, 1485 |
| Battle of Stoke Field | 16 June, 1487 |
| Background to the Wars of the Roses |
