1460: 10 July - Northampton

Immediately after Blore Heath the Yorkists were dispersed near Ludlow without a battle, owing to the treachery of a large part of their army. York himself retired to Ireland, Salisbury and Warwick to Calais. The Queen summoned a parliament and Henry gave his assent to a bill of attainder against all the principal Yorkist leaders. At the end of June, the Calais exiles made a landing in Kent, seized Sandwich and, gathering support, entered London on 2 July. Here they were joined by almost all the Yorkist peers and their retainers. An army of some 30,000 men was assembled, with a part of it left to blockade the Lancastrian held Tower the remainder, under Lord Warwick, set out to meet the King. The court had been in Coventry; but on learning of the Yorkist advance the King moved to Northampton, and here, on 10 July, Warwick found the Lancastrian army under the Duke of Buckingham entrenched in a meadow just South of the town.

The Duke had less men than Warwick, but his position was a strong one and his earthworks were lined with artillery. The first attack, on a three-battle front, was repulsed; it seemed that the position was too formidable a one for any frontal assault to succeed. Indeed, had it not been for the treachery of Lord Grey of Ruthen, holding the left of the Lancastrian line, Warwick might never have had the victory. But when Grey let in the Earl of March (York’s son and later Edward IV) he quickly rolled up the Lancastrian line, allowing Warwick’s attack in the centre to succeed. The casualties were not high, but as at St. Albans many of the Lancastrian leaders (including Buckingham, Shrewsbury and Egremont) were killed. The King was captured and once more led back to London.