1461 in England - Events

Events

• 1460
  • 15 January - French raid Sandwich, Kent and capture the royal fleet.
  • 10 July - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Northampton, Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and Edward, Earl of March defeat a Lancastrian army and seize King Henry VI.
  • 10 October - Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York claims the throne in London.
  • 24 October - Parliament passes the Act of Accord, proclaiming Richard of York as the heir to the throne.
  • 30 December - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Wakefield, a decisive Lancastrian victory is won and Richard of York is killed.
• 1461
  • 2 February - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, Yorkist troops led by Edward, Earl of March defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper.
  • 17 February - Wars of the Roses: At the Second Battle of St Albans, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick's army is defeated by a Lancastrian force under Queen Margaret, who recovers control of her husband.
  • 4 March - Edward, Earl of March proclaimed as King Edward IV of England in London.
  • 28 March - Wars of the Roses: The indecisive Battle of Ferrybridge is fought.
  • 29 March - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Towton, the bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil, the Earl of March defeats Queen Margaret to make good his claim to the English throne.
  • 25 April - Henry cedes Berwick upon Tweed to Scotland.
  • 28 June - Coronation of King Edward IV.
  • Cirencester Grammar School is founded by Lawrence Booth, Prince-bishop of Durham.
• 1462
  • 25 October - Queen Margaret leads an abortive invasion of northern England with French support.
• 1463
  • 8 October - Truce of Hesdin ends French support for the Lancastrians.
  • Importation of foreign playing cards banned to protect English manufacturers.
• 1464
  • 25 April - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Hedgeley Moor, Yorkist forces under John Neville defeat Lancastrians under Sir Ralph Percy, who is killed.
  • 1 May - Edward IV secretly marries Elizabeth Woodville. He keeps the marriage a secret until 14 September.
  • 15 May - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Hexham, Neville defeats the Lancastrian army.
  • 11 June - Fifteen year-truce with Scotland signed.
• 1465
  • May - Coronation of Elizabeth Woodville as Queen Consort.
  • 24 July - Former King Henry VI is captured by Yorkist forces and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
  • Reform of the coinage, including introduction of the Angel and the Rose Noble.
  • Re-foundation of Queen's College, Cambridge by Queen Elizabeth.
• 1466
  • Foundation of St. Bartholomew's School, Newbury, Berkshire.
• 1467
  • Archbishop George Neville dismissed as Chancellor of England.
• 1468
  • 3 July - marriage of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy to Margaret of York, sister of Edward IV.
  • 29 July - Hansa merchants expelled from London; Anglo-Hanseatic War breaks out with the Hanseatic League.
  • First recorded English use of the rack in torture.
• 1469
  • June - A Lancastrian revolt led 'Robin of Redesdale' spreads from Yorkshire to Lancashire.
  • July - Earl of Warwick joins the rebels.
  • 26 July - Wars of the Roses: Lancastrian victory at the Battle of Edgecote Moor.
  • 29 July - King Edward arrested and imprisoned after his army abandons him.
  • September - Edward released following widespread rioting.