The
Battle of Hexham 1464
by John Watson (Hobilar 36)
The
Battle
As
is often the case details of the battle itself are scarce.
Numbers involved are at best likely to have been no more than
at Hedgeley Moor, around five to six thousand on each side.
(Warkworth suggests four thousand for Montagu). This is based
on Montagu suffering few losses in that battle and on Somerset
being able to replace his losses, which were probably not
great, as Montagu had not been in a position to pursue the
defeated Lancastrians. At worst Somerset may only have had
about five hundred men, having failed to rally recruits to
Henry's banner after the debacle at Hedgeley Moor. If the
lower figure is correct it goes a long way to explaining the
speed with which the battle was completed. However, with more
than thirty prominent Lancastrians being executed in the aftermath
I think that the lower figure is too small. I am inclined
to believe that the Lancastrians were outnumbered, contributing
to the demoralisation of their right wing, but I have no evidence
to support this view. I would suggest that Somerset may have
been outnumbered by 3 to 2 or 2 to 1. Furthermore Montagu's
troops were almost certainly of a higher quality.
On
learning from his scouts that the Yorkists were nearby Somerset
ordered his army out of the camp and formed up in three battles
with their backs to Devils Water on fairly level ground. Most
historians suggest that this was to the west of Linnels Bridge
(Map 1) although there has been a suggestion that it was to
the east of the bridge on Swallowship Hill (Map 2).
Dorothy
Charlesworth's argument for the eastern site is quite persuasive
and fits in with some of the earlier physical descriptions
of the site. The strategic benefits of the eastern site are
that it would give Somerset a good view of Montagu's approach
and that it guarded the three crossing points over Devils
Water into Hexham. The location would fit in with the retreat
of the Lancastrian right across a ford but does not fit so
well with the suggestion that Somerset's men were suprised
by Montagu's approach. It also assumes that Somerset's aim
was to bring Montagu to battle by blocking his route to Hexham.
This suggests to me that he must have had a good strategic
grasp of the situation and felt he had sufficient troops to
deal with the threat posed by Montagu. Whatever the strategic
value of the eastern site or the possibility that it was fought
on the western side of the bridge, it was a poor site as there
was little or no chance of escape in the event of a defeat.
If the Lancastrians lost it would be decisive.
Whichever
side of the bridge the battle was fought it seems that Somerset
formed up in three battles. The right was commanded by Lords
Roos and Hungerford, the centre by Somerset and the left by
Sir Ralph Grey, (if he was present at all) and Sir Humphrey
Neville. On the Yorkist side Montagu commanded the bulk of
the force in the centre whilst Lord Willoughby and Lord Greystoke
commanded smaller detachments on the right and left respectively.
As
previously stated the battle is thought to have taken place
iarly in the day and this view is supported by the fact that
Somerset was executed in Hexham on the same day. Montagu's
force charged down on the Lancastrians as soon as the former
were in battle formation. It appears that Roos, Hungerford
and the men on the Lancastrian right thought the sight of
Montagu's Yorkists frightening enough and fled the field over
a ford before a blow was struck, much like Hedgeley Moor.
This can have done nothing for the morale of the remaining
Lancastrians who were now outnumbered and quickly pushed back
into the Devils Water. Many were drowned or crushed trying
to get down the steep banks of the river and most of those
that could not escape were captured. There were few battlefield
fatalities.
The
battle was soon over and it remained only to round up the
ringleaders and deal with them. None of King Edward's famous
conciliatory spirit was shown by Montagu who had at least
thirty Lancastrians executed in the days following the battle.
These included Somerset who was executed in Hexham the same
day, Roos and Hungerford, who were found hiding in a wood
the day after, and who were executed in Newcastle two days
later. Sir William Tailboys, who probably was not at the battle,
was captured with two thousand pounds of Henry's war chest
and was executed on 2Oth July 1464.
Percy
was eventually captured and executed after the only real siege
of the war at Bamburgh. Edward brought up a siege train including
three large guns, Dijon, London and Newcastle. The Earl of
Warwick offered terms to the garrison of the castle, but not
to its commanders Sir Ralph Grey and Sir Humphrey Neville,
who not surprisingly refused the terms on behalf of the garrison.
As a result the siege guns began to reduce the castle and
it is said that a missile from Dijon smashed into Sir Ralph's
chamber seriously injuring him. This allowed Sir Humphrey
Neville to negotiate a settlement and in return for handing
over Grey, Neville and the garrison were allowed to leave.
Grey was tried and executed on 1Oth July 1464 before the Earl
of Worcester, Constable of England, in Doncaster. Neville
fled to Scotland and was eventually executed in 1469.
Others
known to have been involved include the following
The
Yorkists:-
Sir Thomas Talbot of Bershall, Sir Thomas Borough of Gainsborough,
Sir Richard Welles of Welles, Sir John Middleton of Belsay
Castle, Sir Henry Neville of Heversham, Lord Scrope of Bolton
and possibly Sir John Tempest of Gosberkirk.
The
Lancastrians:-
Sir John Pennington of Muncaster, Sir Humphrey Neville of
Brancepath - executed 1469, Sir Thomas Hungerford of Rowden
- captured, executed 1469, Sir Thomas Ross of Rockingham (son
of Lord Roos), Sir William Stock of Warmington - attainted,
Sir Edmund Mountford of Henley-on- Thames, Sir Philip Wentworth
of Nettlestead - executed, Sir Robert Hungerford of Heytesbury
- executed, Sir Thomas Reresby of Thrybergh - executed, Sir
Thomas Wentworth - executed, Sir Thomas Finderne - executed,
Sir Edmund Fish - executed, Edmund Fitzhugh - executed at
Hexham, Miles Bradshaw - executed at Hexham, Walter Hunt -
executed at Hexham, Black Jack - executed at Hexham, Edward
de la Mare - executed at Newcsatle, Nicholas Massam - executed
at Newcastle, William Pennington - executed, Ward of Top cliff
- executed, Oliver Wentworth - executed, William Spilar -
executed, Thomas Hunt (footman of Henry VI) - executed, Sir
Thomas Hussey - executed at York, Thomas Gosse - executed
at York, Robert Merlynn - executed at York, John Butler -
executed at York, Roger Water (Henry VI's janitor) - executed
at York, Thomas Fenwick - executed at York, Robert Cockfield
- executed at York, William Bright - executed at York, William
Dawson - executed at York, John Chapman - executed at York,
John Chapman - executed at York, Richard Cawerum - executed
at York John Russel - executed at York, and Robert Conqueror
- executed at York.
All
those executed at Hexham and York were within ten days of
the battle and so were either involved in the fighting itself
or in the campaign.
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