Editing Battle of Wakefield (section)

==Events of the year preceding Wakefield==
After an uneasy peace during which attempts at reconciliation failed, hostilities broke out again in 1459. Richard of York once again feared indictment for rebellion by a Great Council dominated by his opponents.{{sfn|Goodwin|2012|p=116}} He and the Nevilles concentrated their forces near York's stronghold at [[Ludlow Castle]] in the [[Welsh Marches]] but at the confrontation with the much larger royal army which became known as the [[Battle of Ludford]], some of Warwick's contingent from the garrison of [[Calais]], led by experienced captain [[Andrew Trollope]], defected overnight. York and the Nevilles promptly abandoned their troops and fled. The next day, the outnumbered and leaderless Yorkist army surrendered.{{sfn|Weir|2015|p=230}}

York went to Ireland, where he had unchallenged support, while Salisbury, Warwick and York's eldest son [[Edward IV of England|Edward, Earl of March]], made their way to Calais, where Warwick was [[Constable of Calais|Constable]]. They narrowly forestalled the new [[Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset|Duke of Somerset]] who, with Trollope, had been sent to regain it.{{sfn|Weir|2015|pp=232–233}} Lancastrian attempts to reassert their authority over Ireland and Calais failed, but York and his supporters were declared traitors and [[attainder|attainted]]. The victorious Lancastrians became reviled for the manner in which their army had looted the town of Ludlow after the Yorkist surrender at Ludford Bridge, and the repressive acts of a compliant [[Parliament of Devils]] which caused many uncommitted peers to fear for their own property and titles.{{sfn|Seward|2007|pp=71–72}} The country remained in disorder.

In 1460, the Nevilles invaded England through a foothold they had already established at [[Sandwich, Kent|Sandwich]] and rapidly secured London and the South of England where Warwick had popular support. Warwick and March then advanced north to engage Henry's army in the Midlands. At the [[Battle of Northampton (1460)|Battle of Northampton]], part of the Lancastrian army defected and the rest were decisively defeated.{{sfn|Hicks|2010|p=153}} Henry was captured on the battlefield for the second time. He was taken to London, and confined in the [[Bishop of London]]'s palace.{{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=141}} [[George Neville (bishop)|George Neville]], Bishop of Exeter, was appointed Chancellor of England and [[Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex|Viscount Bourchier]] (another of York's brothers in law) was appointed Treasurer.{{sfn|Ross|1974|p=27C}}

The Duke of York landed in [[Chester]] some weeks later and made his way to London with much pomp. Entering [[Parliament of England|Parliament]], he attempted to claim the throne, but was met with stunned silence. Even his close allies were not prepared to support such a drastic step.{{sfn|Seward|2007|p=82}} Instead, after the [[House of Lords]] had considered his claim, they passed the [[Act of Accord]], by which Henry would remain king, but York would govern the country as Lord Protector. Henry's son was disinherited, and York or his heirs would become king on Henry's death.{{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=142}} The powerless and frightened Henry was forced to assent.

===Lancastrian moves===
When the Battle of Northampton was fought, Queen Margaret and her seven-year-old son Edward had been at [[Eccleshall Castle]] near [[Stafford]]. After many adventures with brigands and outlaws,{{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=143}} they fled via [[Cheshire]] to [[Harlech Castle]] in North Wales, where they joined Lancastrian nobles (including Henry's half-brother [[Jasper Tudor]] and the [[Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter|Duke of Exeter]]) who were recruiting armies in Wales and the [[West Country]]. They later proceeded by ship to [[Scotland]], where Margaret gained troops and other aid for the Lancastrian cause from the queen and regent, [[Mary of Guelders]], in return for the surrender of the town and castle of [[Berwick upon Tweed]].{{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=144}}

At the same time, other Lancastrians were rallying in [[Northern England]]. Many of them, including the [[Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland|Earl of Northumberland]] and Lords [[John Clifford, 9th Baron Clifford|Clifford]] and [[Thomas Ros, 9th Baron Ros|Ros]], had estates and influence in the north. They were later joined by the [[Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset|Duke of Somerset]]{{#tag:ref|Somerset had been besieging Calais, but was outwardly reconciled to Warwick on 8 August 1460 and allowed to return to England.{{sfn|Clark|2016|p=224}}|group=nb}} and the [[Thomas Courtenay, 6th/14th Earl of Devon|Earl of Devon]], who brought their forces from the West Country.{{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=143}} Northumberland, Clifford and Somerset were the sons of York's and Salisbury's rivals who had been killed at St. Albans. The Lancastrian forces mustered near [[Kingston upon Hull]], and were said (in ''Gregory's Chronicle'', a near-contemporary account) to number 15,000. A substantial part of these forces encamped at [[Pontefract]] began pillaging York's and Salisbury's estates nearby.{{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=143}}

===York's response===
Faced with these challenges to his authority as Protector, York despatched his eldest son Edward to the Welsh Marches to contain the Lancastrians in Wales and left the Earl of Warwick in charge in London. He himself marched to the north of England on 9 December, accompanied by his second son [[Edmund, Earl of Rutland]], and the Earl of Salisbury. He tried to bring a train of artillery under "one called Lovelace, a gentleman of Kent"{{sfn|Clark|2016|p=229}} but bad weather forced the artillery to return to London.

York's and Salisbury's army was said by some to number 8,000 to 9,000 men, but by others to be only a few hundred strong, as York intended to recruit local forces with a [[Commission of Array]].{{sfn|Dockray|Knowles|1992|p=8}} He had probably underestimated both the numbers of the Lancastrian army in the north and the degree of opposition he had provoked by his attempt to seize the throne. On an earlier expedition to the north during his first protectorship in 1454, he and the Nevilles had easily subdued a rebellion by the Percys and the Duke of Exeter.{{sfn|Clark|2016|pp=120–125}} In 1460, not only had almost every other northern peer joined the Lancastrian army, but York's nominal supporters were also divided. The Nevilles were one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the North and in addition to controlling large estates, the Earl of Salisbury had held the office of [[Lord Warden of the Marches#Warden of the Eastern March|Warden of the Eastern March]] for several years. However, in the [[Neville–Neville feud]], the cadet branch of the family headed by Salisbury had largely disinherited and eclipsed the senior branch (sometimes referred to as the "northern Nevilles"){{sfn|Rowse|1966|p=143}} under his great-nephew, the [[Ralph Neville, 2nd Earl of Westmorland|Earl of Westmoreland]]. Westmoreland had spent several years trying to recover his lands.{{sfn|Clark|2016|p=50}} He had since become too ill, perhaps with some mental disorder, to play any active part. His younger brother, [[John Neville, Baron Neville|John Neville of Raby]], had much to gain by York's and Salisbury's destruction.{{sfn|Goodwin|2012|pp=145–146}}

The Lancastrians were still being reinforced. On 16 December, at the [[Battle of Worksop]] in [[Nottinghamshire]], York's vanguard clashed with Somerset's contingent from the West Country moving north to join the Lancastrian army, and was defeated.{{sfn|Warner|1972|p=49}}