Second Battle of St.Albans

• • MOA - marched to London to reclaim Henry
  • Met at St Albans by – Warwick, DoNorfolk, Earls of Arundel + Suffolk - confident in force as it contained veterans of the Hundred Years’ War - e.g. Lord Fauconberg
  • Warwick just been elected a knight of the Garter (8th Feb 1461) + had possession of the king
• • Forces = untrained BUT had modern weapons – cannon, handguns, palisades with loopholes, nets with nails, caltrops + pikes
  • Plan = bombard Lanc. force thwarted.  
  • 17th Feb 1461 – Lanc. forces moved too quickly for Warwick + outflanked his defences - Tried to rally BUT forces disbanded quickly
  • Total and bloody defeat - several Yorkists captured and executed
  • Warwick + Norfolk escaped westwards
  • London was abandoned + left open to Lancs
  • Henry was back in Lanc. hands