Battle of Bramham Moor
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Bramham Moor was the final battle in the Percy Rebellion of 1402 – 1408, which pitted the Earl of Northumberland
, leader of the wealthy and influential Percy family, against the usurper King of England
, King Henry IV
. The Percys had previously aided Henry IV in his coup d'etat
of his cousin King Richard II
in 1399.
had fallen out in the aftermath of the Battle of Homildon Hill in 1402, a victory over an invading Scottish
army by an English force led by Northumberland which succeeded in capturing a large number of Scottish nobles. As was the tradition of the day, a captured noble could buy his freedom though a ransom, and Percy stood to make a large sum of money from his success. However, King Henry was suffering a financial crisis due to the chaotic state of affairs following the coup, wars in Wales
as well as Scotland, and the disobedience of several parts of the country still loyal to the deposed (and murdered) Richard II.
Seeking to aid his ailing Treasury as well as impose his authority on Northumberland, which was ruled as almost a private fief by the Percys, he demanded the handover of the hostages, offering a token reimbursement in their place. The infuriated Percy declared his support for a different pretender to the throne, Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, and marched against Henry until he was defeated and his son Henry 'Hotspur' Percy killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
in 1403. Retreating to Scotland, Percy emerged again in 1405 to further defeat before attempting one final time to seize the throne, gathering together an army of lowland Scots and loyal Northumbrians and marching south once more toward York
.
, south of Wetherby
, his army was met by a force of local Yorkshire
levies and noble retinues which had been hastily assembled to meet the force, led by the High Sheriff of Yorkshire
Sir Thomas Rokeby
. The exact sizes and compositions of the contending armies are not known, but the armies were far smaller than the thousands who had gathered at Shrewsbury, the rebels failing to gain widespread support or receive aid from other rebellious factions, such as Wales, where Owain Glyndŵr
's rebellion was collapsing.
The course of the battle itself is not well documented either. The action seemingly followed the course of many medieval battles where armies and generals were evenly matched: A violent melee in the centre of the field with little tactical direction. Percy is said to have positioned his men carefully and awaited Rokeby's arrival at 2.00pm when battle was instantly joined. It is likely that as with other battles of the era between primarily English and Scottish forces, the outcome was largely decided by English use of the longbow
to thin the enemy ranks before charging with their main body.
After the battle a number of the rebels were executed, including the Abbot of Hailes
(near Gloucester), who was dressed in full armour. The Bishop of Bangor was spared because he was wearing his vestments.
was mortally wounded early in the action and later died), and the Earl himself died fighting a furious rearguard action as his army was routed. Very few of his soldiers escaped the pursuit and returned to Scotland. The Bardolf estates were forfeited, and the power of the Percy family was shattered. The north of England became the domain of their political rivals, the Neville family, whose leader Ralph had become a preferred royal ally and was strengthened as the Earl of Westmoreland. The Percys would later make a comeback and regain their previous standing through a different branch of the family during the Wars of the Roses
. A cross was erected on the supposed spot where the Earl fell, the base of which was removed to the entrance of a wood lying close to Toulston Lane. A memorial stone and an information board were erected on Paradise Way, Bramham by Bramham Parish Council and formally opened by the 12th Duke of Northumberland in 2008 to commemorate the 600th anniversary.
Earl of Northumberland
The title of Earl of Northumberland was created several times in the Peerages of England and Great Britain, succeeding the title Earl of Northumbria. Its most famous holders were the House of Percy , who were the most powerful noble family in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages...
, leader of the wealthy and influential Percy family, against the usurper King of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, King Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
. The Percys had previously aided Henry IV in his coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of his cousin King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
in 1399.
The Percy Rebellion
King Henry and Henry Percy, 1st Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England. His mother was Mary of Lancaster, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and...
had fallen out in the aftermath of the Battle of Homildon Hill in 1402, a victory over an invading Scottish
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
army by an English force led by Northumberland which succeeded in capturing a large number of Scottish nobles. As was the tradition of the day, a captured noble could buy his freedom though a ransom, and Percy stood to make a large sum of money from his success. However, King Henry was suffering a financial crisis due to the chaotic state of affairs following the coup, wars in Wales
Wales in the Late Middle Ages
Wales in the Late Middle Ages covers the period from the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in late 1282 to the incorporation of Wales into the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.-Death of Llywelyn:...
as well as Scotland, and the disobedience of several parts of the country still loyal to the deposed (and murdered) Richard II.
Seeking to aid his ailing Treasury as well as impose his authority on Northumberland, which was ruled as almost a private fief by the Percys, he demanded the handover of the hostages, offering a token reimbursement in their place. The infuriated Percy declared his support for a different pretender to the throne, Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, and marched against Henry until he was defeated and his son Henry 'Hotspur' Percy killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
in 1403. Retreating to Scotland, Percy emerged again in 1405 to further defeat before attempting one final time to seize the throne, gathering together an army of lowland Scots and loyal Northumbrians and marching south once more toward York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
.
Bramham Moor
At Bramham MoorBramham cum Oglethorpe
Bramham cum Oglethorpe, more well known as just "Bramham", is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England.- Overview :According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,715...
, south of Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
, his army was met by a force of local Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
levies and noble retinues which had been hastily assembled to meet the force, led by the High Sheriff of Yorkshire
High Sheriff of Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of Yorkshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. A list of the sheriffs from the Norman conquest onwards can be found below...
Sir Thomas Rokeby
Thomas de Rokeby (High Sheriff)
Sir Thomas de Rokeby was a 15th century English soldier, Knight of the Shire and High Sheriff of Yorkshire.He was born into a well-known north Yorkshire family with a seat at Mortham on the banks of the Tees....
. The exact sizes and compositions of the contending armies are not known, but the armies were far smaller than the thousands who had gathered at Shrewsbury, the rebels failing to gain widespread support or receive aid from other rebellious factions, such as Wales, where Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
's rebellion was collapsing.
The course of the battle itself is not well documented either. The action seemingly followed the course of many medieval battles where armies and generals were evenly matched: A violent melee in the centre of the field with little tactical direction. Percy is said to have positioned his men carefully and awaited Rokeby's arrival at 2.00pm when battle was instantly joined. It is likely that as with other battles of the era between primarily English and Scottish forces, the outcome was largely decided by English use of the longbow
English longbow
The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, is a powerful type of medieval longbow about 6 ft long used by the English and Welsh for hunting and as a weapon in medieval warfare...
to thin the enemy ranks before charging with their main body.
After the battle a number of the rebels were executed, including the Abbot of Hailes
Hailes Abbey
Hailes Abbey is two miles northeast of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England.The abbey was founded in 1245 or 1246 by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, called "King of the Romans" and the younger brother of King Henry III of England. He was granted the manor of Hailes by Henry, and settled it with...
(near Gloucester), who was dressed in full armour. The Bishop of Bangor was spared because he was wearing his vestments.
Aftermath
Percy was defeated, his ally (Thomas Bardolf, 5th Baron BardolfThomas Bardolf, 5th Baron Bardolf
Thomas Bardolf, 5th Baron Bardolf was a baron in the Peerage of England, Lord of Wormegay, Norfolk, of Shelford and Stoke Bardolph in Nottinghamshire, Hallaton , Leicestershire, and others, and was "a person of especial eminence in his time"...
was mortally wounded early in the action and later died), and the Earl himself died fighting a furious rearguard action as his army was routed. Very few of his soldiers escaped the pursuit and returned to Scotland. The Bardolf estates were forfeited, and the power of the Percy family was shattered. The north of England became the domain of their political rivals, the Neville family, whose leader Ralph had become a preferred royal ally and was strengthened as the Earl of Westmoreland. The Percys would later make a comeback and regain their previous standing through a different branch of the family during the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. A cross was erected on the supposed spot where the Earl fell, the base of which was removed to the entrance of a wood lying close to Toulston Lane. A memorial stone and an information board were erected on Paradise Way, Bramham by Bramham Parish Council and formally opened by the 12th Duke of Northumberland in 2008 to commemorate the 600th anniversary.