Kendall's description and notes of the death of Edward Prince of Wal

Dear All -



Here is Kendall's description of the battle. I am including the description
of the events before the death of Prince Edward, because it is remarkable to
think that this was Richard's first major battle, and he was not only brave,
it appears he was a keen strategist as well. And he was just eighteen years
of age.



BTW, it wasn't too long ago that we had a discussion about where the "van"
or "vanguard" would have been lined up for battle. From Kendall's
description elsewhere, it does appear that the vanguard at Tewkesbury (which
Richard was leading) was on the right side of the Yorkist forces:



"Early next morning Richard of Gloucester, again commanding the vanguard,
marched northwestward across this inhospitable country to take up a position
facing the Duke of Somerset on the Lancastrian right wing. The King followed
his brother into the centre of the line, opposite Prince Edward, the son of
Margaret, and Lord Wenlock, the friend of Warwick. Hastings, with the
rearguard filled up the position to the right until his flank touched the
Swillbrook.



"Richard at once led an assault. But the 'foul lanes' and many hedges made
it impossible for him to get at the enemy. There followed a fierce exchange
of arrows, with some cannon fire. Then Somerset, perceiving that his foes
were checked, decided upon a bold stroke. Concealed by the hedges and
thickets, he led his army westward to the slope of the wooded knoll and
charged down upon the Yorkist left flank. Coolly Richard rallied his men.
Though they gave some ground they did not fall into panic. Once he and his
captains had reformed their line to face Somerset, they pressed the attack
so vigorously that the Lancastrians began to fall back. At this moment a
small band of spears, whom King Edward had stationed on the knoll for just
such an emergency, descended upon Somerset's rear shouting as if they were
an army. Confused by this diversion and shaken by the fierce assault of the
Duke of Gloucester, Somerset's men wavered, then broke in headlong flight
towards the Avon. The pursuit which followed has given the name of 'Bloody
Meadow' to this ground.



"When Edward perceived that his brother had routed the Lancastrian right
wing, he himself attacked the centre, while Richard swung round upon its now
unprotected right flank. As Prince Edward was experiencing his first bitter
taste of battle, the Duke of Somerset rode up to Lord Wenlock in a fury,
cried that Wenlock had deliberately betrayed him by not supporting his flank
attack on Richard's wing, and with a single blow of his battle-axe cleft
Wenlock's skull. Beholding their leaders butchering each other as King
Edward and the Duke of Gloucester splintered their line, the Lancastrian
centre crumbled into flight. Many were drowned trying to cross the Avon;
many fell beneath the swords of the closely pursuing Yorkists; some hid
themselves in the abbey or the town. Swept away by the rout and spurring
toward Tewkesbury in terror, Prince Edward was overtaken by a detachment
commanded by the Duke of Clarence. Though the youth cried for succor to the
man who had shortly before been his ally, he was immediately slain. Clarence
was no doubt eager to assert his new-found loyalty." (pgs. 102-103)



Here are Kendall's notes about the passage:



2 "No less than seven contemporary sources offer unanimous testimony that
Prince Edward 'was slain on the field,' i.e. in the pursuit.

1) The Arrivall, admittedly Yorkist in viewpoint, says simply that
'Edward, called Prince, was taken, fleeing to the townwards, and slain, in
the field' (p. 30)

2) The Croyland chronicler, although a councilor of King Edward's, was a
learned churchman and he wrote his account after the death of Richard, when
he was free to say what he pleased (for the identity of this chronicler, see
Appendix II, p. 432). Although his statement is not couched in the clearest
terms, he indicates that the Prince, as the Arrivall declared, was slain in
the field. Gairdner supports this interpretation (Hist. Croy. Chron., p.
555).

3) Warkworth, a contemporary chronicler who cannot be accused of Yorkist
bias, says that the Prince was overtaken in the pursuit and slain even as
'he cried for succor to his brother-in-law, the Duke of Clarence' (p. 18).

4) Clarence himself, who would not be likely to feel any scruples in
reporting to a friend exactly how the Prince died, wrote, two days after the
field, that 'Edward, late called Prince,' and 'other estates, knights,
squires, and gentlemen were slain in plain battle' (HMC, Rutland, I, p. 4).

5) Commynes says that Prince Edward was 'killed on the field.' (I, p.
220).

6) A paper written, apparently, immediately after the battle lists as 'Ded
in the Field' a number of lords headed by 'Edward that was called Prynce'
(P.L., III, pp. 8-9).

7) The Tewkesbury Chronicle - of which Professor Myers has kindly reminded
me - 'in an account of the battle probably written soon afterwards, and in a
spirit rather hostile to Edward IV, merely states that Prince Edward was
slain in the field' (Myers) See C.L. Kingsford, English Historical
Literature in the Fifteenth Century, pp. 376-78.

I have followed Warkworth in attributing the Prince's death to Clarence,
because Warkworth's statement accords well with the character of Clarence
and the nature of the battle. Since Richard and the King were leading the
assaults against the centre of the Lancastrian line, it seems likely that
Clarence, perhaps commanding the reserve, would be in a better position to
mount as horse and lead the pursuit than his brothers who were in the thick
of combat."



Looking at all the contemporary testimony, including Clarence's own
statement, which did not claim responsibility for killing the Prince of
Wales, I cannot see why PMK, whom I respect and appreciate, would have laid
responsibility at Clarence's feet - even if it's the kind of thing he might
do.



Tomorrow I'll try to get the death of Henry VI done.



Loyaulte me lie,



Johanne



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Johanne L. Tournier



Email - jltournier60@...

or jltournier@...



"With God, all things are possible."

- Jesus of Nazareth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~