Second Battle of St Albans
|
|
The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on February 22, 1461 near the town of St Albans. With the defeat and death of the Richard, Duke of York the previous December at the Battle of Wakefield, and York's son and heir busy in the west,(where the Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought a few days before, the way was clear for the Lancastrians (led by Queen Margaret ) to march south towards London, pillaging and sacking as they went.
The Lancastrians were intercepted near St Albans by forces commanded by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Warwick had his men set up an array of defenses, including ditches and spikes, but was surprised by the direction from which the Lancastrian's arrived - from Dunstable rather than from Luton - and was defeated.
The Lancastrians captured Henry VI, who supposedly spent the battle sitting under a tree, singing. But they did not press their advantage by marching south to London. The reasons are not clear; it may be that their reputation for pillaging had preceded them as the Londoners would not open their gates.