This is a timeline that covers the entirety of the Wars of the Roses A-Level course. It was written by an A* student and provides detail that will aid students in their understanding of the syllabus. The document is 10 pages, providing necessary information.
Wars of the Roses Timeline
1449 – Act of Resumption
o Act of Parliament intended to recover lands given away to Henry VI’s favourites as reward for
service.
o Undermined the King’s authority and ability to offer land as reward and was also humiliating.
1450 – Suffolk was killed after Parliament had used him as a scapegoat for disastrous foreign policy
in France. Henry VI had intervened to reduce his sentence from execution for treason to five years
banishment but his boat was intercepted across the Channel
15 April 1450 - Defeat of English army at Formigny
12 August 1450 - Defeat of the English army at Cherbourg and the complete loss of Normandy
1450 – Cade’s rebellion
o Rebels led by Jack Cade in Kent had a petition for the king, addressing concerns such as an
inquiry into the loss of land in France, greater political equity, Gloucester’s ‘murderer’ brought
to justice, King to live of his own (debt of £372,000 inc. at £20,000 pa).
o 9 January - death of the Bishop of Chichester at the hands of the mob
o 19 June - demands for the arrest of Lord Saye and others accused by rebels
o 25 June - Henry VI abandoned London
o Wanted York, Buckingham and Exeter appointed to the royal council
o They stated they had no desire to depose the king but they gathered an army of 46,000 including
gentry, 2 MPs and 3 sheriffs.
o In early July (3-5), London fell into rebel hands for a few days but the rebels were soon stopped
by the inhabitants of London and the army.
o A number of courtiers, including Lord Say, the treasurer, were captured and executed
o King ran away to Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, leaving the archbishop and most of the
council sheltering in the Tower – bad leadership, exposed his inability to act in a crisis
o Cade’s inability to keep control of his undisciplined army, together with the resentment of
Londoners soon forced him to disperse his troops and abandon the cause
o Cade was killed on 12 July, his head being impaled on spikes
o January 1451 - Henry, Somerset and nobles hold courts in Kent to punish rebels
Somerset was acting on behalf of the king with the approval of the nobility while York
was excluded from power
September 1450 - Return of York
o Cade’s supporters using the Yorkist name and advocated for York allowed for suspicions to arise
that York was implicated in the rebellion
o York soon returned to England, likely to declare loyalty and try to win political favour from the
King who was scared by Yorkist supporters
o His return was greeted with enormous public support and he soon rallied an ‘army’ several
thousand strong
o He marched on London and demanded to see the king, to whom he pledged his loyalty but also
harangued for the misgovernment of the country
o Shortly afterwards, he presented the king with a list of personal demands regarding payments of
monies owed and recognition of his position as heir presumptive, together with a list of more
general grievances echoing those contained in Cade’s manifesto
Henry VI admitted him onto the council but refused to abandon Somerset
o Returning to London, York brought 3,000 armed retainers with him however, while he
dominated Parliament, Somerset remained dominant on the council
o Despite attempts to impeach Somerset through parliament and the submission of a petition
concerning York’s position as heir apparent, it became clear he wasn’t going to budge
1451 - English lost control of Gascony
1452 - Dartford Incident
o York raised an army and met the king at Dartford, but submitted in the face of a stronger royal
force
o Only two noblemen joined York, the rest stood with Somerset
o This was only after an assurance from the king that he would arrest Somerset that York gave in
and dispersed his army
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