The Battle of Stoke Field: Where Yorkist Hope Went to Die (Again)

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Did you know that just a few miles from Newark, in the sleepy village of East Stoke, and a place I often walk my dog, the final proper punch-up of the Wars of the Roses took place?

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Yep, on June 16th, 1487, the Yorkists gave it one last go… and it went about as well as hedgehog in a hailstorm

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A little bit of background to start eh?

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The Wars of the Roses were caused by the protracted struggle for power between the dynasties of the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the competing House of York (white rose). It was basically a decades-long family feud between two branches of the royal Plantagenet family.

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It was a decisive engagement between the forces of Henry VII, the first Tudor king, and the Yorkist supporters of Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne. Despite Henry VII's victory at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 (which plopped him right on the throne) ending Richard III's reign and established the Tudor dynasty…..but……. those pesky Yorkists just wouldn’t quit.

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The Battle was an attempt to unseat King Henry VII in favour of a 10 year old boy called Lambert who was definitely not Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick but was dressed up like him anyway. He was the puppet of John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, a proper Yorkist bigwig who fancied the crown for himself but thought “Let’s use the kid instead.”

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On to the battle

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The Yorkist forces, numbering around 8,000, included German and Swiss mercenaries provided by Margaret of Burgundy. They took up a defensive position on Rampire Hill (refer to the pix for this)

Henry VII's army, led by the Earl of Oxford, was slightly larger, with about 15,000 men.

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The hill they formed up on is known as Burrand Furlong and a stone put there by Newark Archaeological and Local History Society (NALHS) in 1987 marks the spot where Henry VII supposedly planted his standard after the battle. We believe Henry VII's army to have been around 15,000, with John de Vere, Earl of Oxford leading the vanguard of around 6,000 who approached along the Upper Fossse, which crossed what is now Syerston Airfield and continues along Humber Lane and down into the village.

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The main battle, led by Henry VII, probably consisted of around 6,000 with the rearguard, led by Lord Strange. It might be worth mentioning the Irish Kerns, who were poorly armed and armoured. One account speaks about them being shot through with arrows 'like hedgehogs'..

 

Grim!

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Other key persons involved were Martin Schwartz, leader of the mercenary Landsknechts and Thomas Fitzgerald, leader of the Irish, both of whom were killed.

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The battle ended in a decisive victory for Henry VII. The Yorkist forces were routed, with many killed in the fighting or pursued and cut down as they fled. Key Yorkist leaders, including the Earl of Lincoln, were killed, effectively ending organized Yorkist resistance.

And that imposter, Lambert Simnel? He was captured… and given a job in the royal kitchens. No, really. From fake prince to pot washer. Classic Tudor mercy.

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The Battlefield witnessed the death of up to 7,000 soldiers and the river is said to have ran red with their blood.

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Absolute. Bloody. Scenes!!!!

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The Red Gutter is said to be the area where the massacre took place, although it is unclear whether this natural escarpment is so called due the blood split there during the battle or whether it derives its name from red clay deposits.

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The Battle of Stoke Field is often considered the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. It solidified Henry VII's hold on the throne and marked the end of major Yorkist attempts to reclaim it. The victory also helped to secure the Tudor dynasty's future, allowing Henry VII to focus on consolidating his rule and stabilizing the kingdom in relative peace…..Well…..until Henry VIII started Lopping off heads willy nilly