The Commons in the Wars of the Roses
This collection of articles highlights the ongoing research of our House of Commons 1461-1504 section, exploring the individuals, events and themes relating to the dramatic history of the later 15th century.
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John, Lord Clifford, ‘the butcher’ and the killing of Edmund, earl of Rutland, at the battle of Wakefield, 30 December 1460
In the 15th Century, the killing of rival faction leaders were commonplace, especially throughout the Wars of the Roses. However,…
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Parliamentary Elections in the Fifteenth Century
As the UK prepares to go to the polls for the 2024 General Election, modern politicians continue their campaigns across…
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A King’s Sister buried in a Shropshire church: Elizabeth of Lancaster, sister of Henry IV, at Burford
For Women’s History Month, Dr Simon Payling from our Commons 1461-1504 project discusses the life of Elizabeth Lancaster, the sister of Henry IV,…
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The Tomb of Sir Richard and Eleanor Croft in Croft Church, Herefordshire
Sir Richard Croft’s career spanned the entirety of the Wars of the Roses; he was able to adapt and maintain…
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A last roll of the dice? Richard III’s pardon to John Morton, 16 August 1485
On 16 August 1485, King Richard III issued a pardon to an old adversary, John Morton, bishop of Ely. Dr…
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‘No deed of shame so foul’: the treachery of Edmund, Lord Grey of Ruthin, and the battle of Northampton, 10 July 1460
On 10 July 1460 the Battle of Northampton was fought. This was a major battle in the Wars of the…
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Funding the defence of the realm (or not…)
As questions of defence spending continue to be discussed in the chambers of Westminster, here Dr Hannes Kleineke, editor of…
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Parliament and the Politics of intimidation in Medieval England
As some of our previous blogs demonstrate, Medieval parliamentarians were no stranger to acts of physical violence. However as Dr…
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Parliament and the removal of a political leader: a fifteenth-century example
Despite Westminster’s image as the home of Parliament, throughout our project there are many examples of members gathering in other…
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‘Make good your ways and your habits’: Edward IV’s first Parliament of 1461-2
During the winter of 1461, Edward IV’s first Parliament began. Dr Hannes Kleineke, editor of our Commons 1461-1504 project explores…
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‘He knewe the slaightes, stratagems, and the pollecies of warlike affaires’: Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury, and the battle of Blore Heath
On 23 September 1459 the battle of Blore Heath took place. In today’s blog, marking the anniversary of the battle,…
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‘It was the dissimulation of this one man that stirred up that whole plague of evils which followed’: William Catesby, Speaker in the Parliament of 1484, and the accession of Richard III
On 25 August 1485 William Catesby, Speaker of the House of Commons, was executed. But what brought about the downfall…