On 10 July 1460, a Yorkist force under the Kingmaker, Earl of Warwick approached the defensive encampment of the Lancastrian King Henry VI in the grounds of Delapré Abbey, Northampton.
Despite the large number of forces involved on either side, and in spite of the superior Lancastrian defensive position, the encounter was exceptionally short with very little bloodshed.
When Warwick’s forces reached the Lancastrian right flank, the defenders under the command of Lord Grey of Ruthin simply laid down their arms and allowed the Yorkists to enter the king’s camp.
After action lasting barely 30 minutes, King Henry was captured and several leading Lancastrian noblemen were killed.
Many foot soldiers drowned attempting to escape the overrun encampment by swimming the rain-swollen River Nene. And the reason for Lord Grey’s treachery …he had been promised Yorkist support in a property dispute that he was having!!
Click here for a battlefield map.
Key Facts:
Date: 10th July, 1460
War: Wars of the Roses
Location: Northampton, Northamptonshire
Belligerents: Lancastrians and Yorkists
Victors: Yorkists
Numbers: Lancastrians unknown, Yorkists unknown
Casualties: Lancastrians around 300, Yorkists unknown
Commanders: Richard ‘The Kingmaker’ Neville (Yorkists), King Henry VI of England (Lancastrians)
Location:
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 |
