Battle of Wakefield
Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, UK
What happened
Richard of York, who claimed the English throne, left Wakefield with his followers and was ambushed by Lancastrian forces. He was captured, and he and his leading supporters lost their lives. Most sources say York, his son Edmund, Earl of Rutland, and the Earl of Salisbury were beheaded at Pontefract. The fight was more of a skirmish than a full battle.
Why it matters
It removed Richard of York, the leading Yorkist claimant to the crown. It also began a pattern of victors killing their rivals' families, which made the Wars of the Roses more bitter.
What came next
His son Edward of March won at Mortimer's Cross weeks later and was soon proclaimed King Edward IV.
Did you know?
In 1476 Edward IV had his father reburied with great ceremony at Fotheringhay, the Yorkist family church.
Timeline
- 10 Jul 1460Battle of Northampton.
- 29 Dec 1460Battle of Wakefield.
- 2 Feb 1461Battle of Mortimer's Cross.
- 29 Mar 1461Battle of Towton.
- 1476Richard of York is reburied at Fotheringhay.