came the furrows overflowed with mingling blood and water. The slain
were buried in vast pits; and there is a strange legendary belief that
the roses which so persistently flourish upon the field, and the
petals of which are pure white, slightly flushed with red, sprang from
the commingling blood of the partisans of the red and white roses.
Edward was duly crowned, but his throne was threatened by the plots of
the Lancastrians, although he kept the headsman's axe steadily at
work. In 1462 the Scots caused some trouble in the North; and, towards
the close of the year, Margaret appeared in arms, but precipitately
retired without being able to make head against the King.
In 1464 Margaret again appeared in the North, when the gallant Sir
Ralph Percy was slain on Hedgeley Moor, fighting for the red rose. The
battle of Hexham followed a rout of the Lancastrians, whose leaders,
Somerset, Ross, and Hungerford, were executed.
Sir Ralph Grey having betrayed Bamborough Castle to the Queen, and
then defended it against Edward, was executed at Doncaster.
Margaret escaped, but Henry ultimately fell into Edward's hands, and
was committed to the Tower.
XIII.--YORKSHIRE UNDER THE TUDORS.
Edward IV. disgusted the Earl of Warwick by espousing Elizabeth, widow
of Sir John Grey, of Groby, and the Yorkshire rising, known as the
Thrave of St. Leonard, followed. The defeat and death of the royal
captains, the Earls of Devon and Pembroke, was succeeded by Edward's
confinement in Middleham Castle, and his escape to the Continent, when
Warwick restored King Henry to the throne. On the 14th March, 1471,
Edward landed at Ravenser Spurn and defeated Warwick at the battle of
Barnet, when the king-maker and his brother Montacute were slain. On
the day of Barnet, Queen Margaret, her son and his bride, landed at
Weymouth, and the battle of Tewkesbury was fought on the 4th May, when
Prince Edward was slain, and Queen Margaret captured. Edward was now
firmly fixed upon the throne, and in 1478 he requited the numerous
treacheries of his brother Clarence by procuring his condemnation on a
charge of high treason. Clarence perished in the Tower, either being
drowned in a butt of wine, or permitted to drink himself to death. On
the 9th of April, 1483, Edward IV. departed this life, leaving two
sons, Edward and Richard. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, promptly
appeared upon the scene, seized Lord Rivers, the Queen's brother, and
Lord Grey, her son, and sent them to Pontefract, where they were
executed. Procuring possession of the persons of his nephews, he
caused them to be murdered, and usurped the throne. Nemesis followed
him; he lost his only son, and was defeated and slain at Bosworth
Field by Henry Tudor, who espoused Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV.,
and was crowned under the title of Henry VII. Richard had proclaimed
John De-la-Pole, Earl of Lincoln, heir presumptive to the throne, but
this unfortunate nobleman was slain at the Battle of Stoke, ostensibly
fighting in the cause of the Pretender, Lambert Simnel. The wars of
the Roses were now ended, and Henry concluded the series of diabolical
tragedies by obtaining the condemnation and execution of the Earl of
Warwick, Clarence's son, and the lineal heir to the throne. He was
judicially murdered on the 24th November, 1499.
Henry's love of gold led to a revolt in Yorkshire, A.D. 1489, when the
people, furious against the imposition of a tax, murdered the Earl of
Northumberland, and took up arms; to be defeated and severely
punished.
Henry VIII. succeeded to the throne, and by the suppression of the
monasteries roused the indignation of the Yorkshire people, who made
an armed remonstrance, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. But for the
moderation of the people, Henry's throne might have been overturned,
and His Majesty requited their loyalty by wholesale executions, and by
hanging Sir Robert Constable over the Beverley gate at Hull, and
executing Robert Aske at York. Another of the leaders, Lord Darcy, was
executed on Tower Hill.
The reign of Edward VI. witnessed a tumultuary outbreak at Seamer,
consequent upon changes that had been made in the forms of religious
worship. It was promptly put down by troops from York, and the
ringleaders were executed.
During the reign of Queen Mary there was some little excitement in
Yorkshire, consequent upon Sir Thomas Wyat's insurrection, when
Thomas, son of Lord Stafford, seized Scarborough Castle, and paid with
his life for the daring exploit.
The nation was sorely disturbed by the complications resulting from
the lust and religion of Henry VIII., when Elizabeth ascended the
throne, and Her Majesty's interference with the affairs of Scotland,
and her imprisonment of Mary Stuart, added to the difficulties of the
position.
The Northern Rising, headed by Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland,
and Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, occurred in November, 1569,
and was promptly suppressed, and followed by the customary severities.
Fortunately royal lines die out, and with Elizabeth the Tudors ceased;
but only to entail upon the nation the wars and revolutions resulting
from the follies of the Stuarts.
XIV.--THE BATTLE OF TADCASTER.
A.D. 1642.
When Charles I. visited Hull in 1639, he was most loyally received by
the people; but his second visit, on the 23rd of April, 1642, ended in
a bitter disappointment, and brought on the resort to arms. His power
had waned, the Star Chamber was a tyranny of the past; Stafford was
surrendered to the block, and Laud was in prison.
Before Charles reached the town, he was requested to defer his visit,
and on appearing before the Beverley gate, he found it closed, the
drawbridge raised, shotted cannon frowning upon him, pikemen and
musketeers holding the ramparts.
Sir John Hotham dare not for his life admit the King. Vain the orders,
the threats, the persuasions of Charles; he was compelled to retire,
after commanding the garrison to hurl the traitor over the walls. Sir
John was deeply distressed; he had heard himself proclaimed a traitor
by the royal heralds, who sounded trumpets before the walls.
On the 3rd of June, the nobility and gentry of Yorkshire met the King
on Heworth Moor, and from that day the nation was virtually in arms.
On the 2nd of July, the Royalists occupied Hull Bridge, and the
"Providence" entered the Humber with military stores for the King.
Hotham attempted to capture the stores, but his troops were driven
back, and the munitions of war were carted to York, being escorted by
a large force of the King's friends.
Shortly after Hull was besieged, and the banks of the river being cut,
the country around was submerged. Batteries were erected and the town
cannonaded, but with little effect. As the month waned, sorties were
organised, and the royal lines penetrated. One day the foot were
scattered and the royal cavalry had to retire to Beverley.
Reinforcements from London encouraged Sir John Meldrum, who assisted
in the defence, in repeating the sorties. On one occasion the Earl of
Newport was hoisted out of his saddle by a cannon ball, and hurled
into a ditch. He was with difficulty rescued, being reduced to a state
of insensibility. The siege was raised.
At Nottingham, on the 25th of August, Charles raised his standard. It
was blood-red, bore the royal arms, quartered, with a hand pointing to
the endangered crown, and the motto, "Give to Cæsar his due." It was
almost instantly levelled with the ground as a sudden blast of wind
swept with a weird moaning across the face of the hill.
Cumberland maintained the King's cause in the loyal North, and to
counteract his influence, Parliament appointed Lord Fairfax to the
command of the Northern forces, his son, Sir Thomas, acting as General
of Horse.
Various skirmishes ensued, Fairfax operating from his head-quarters at
Tadcaster. On one occasion the loyal city of York was insulted by one
of Fairfax's officers, who fired a pistol in Micklegate Bar.
At Wetherby, the younger Fairfax was surprised by Sir Thomas Glemham,
but the explosion of a powder magazine induced the Royalists to draw
off. Sir Thomas was in great peril, being repeatedly fired upon at
close quarters. Major Carr, of the King's army, was slain, and the
Parliamentarian Captain Atkinson was mortally wounded, his thigh being
fractured by the repeated blows of pistols.
The Earl of Newcastle assuming the command of the Cavaliers, attacked
Fairfax at Tadcaster. A bridge over the Wharfe led to the main street
of Tadcaster, and Fairfax cast up a breastwork to command this bridge,
while he posted musketeers in a number of houses that flanked the
position. The attack commenced on the morning of Tuesday, the 7th of
December, eight hundred Parliamentarians withstanding the numerous
army of Newcastle. When Fairfax beheld Newcastle's cavaliers marching
down the York Road, and over the fields on each side, he resolved to
evacuate the town, perceiving the impossibility of holding it against
so numerous an enemy. It was, however, too late to retire in the face
of the enemy, and the troops had barely time to occupy the position at
the bridge before Newcastle made a determined attack upon them.
Planting two demi-culverins to command the bridge, and hurrying up his
infantry, Newcastle opened the ball at eleven o'clock. For five hours
the cavaliers attacked, and the Parliamentarians as gallantly defended
the position.
Again and again the King's men came steadily on, with pikes in the
front, and the musketeers firing and reloading with the most
determined courage; but ere they could reach the breastwork the brave
men of Nunappleton and Denton, and the stout-hearted burghers of
Bradford and Bingley, smote them with a storm of shot, shattered and
thinned their ranks--sending them back to re-form and renew the attack
with the same obstinate but unavailing courage. After a while the
fight slackened, the Royalists lining the hedges and maintaining a
brisk exchange of shot with their adversaries.
It was important that Newcastle should effect a lodgment within the
lines of defence by carrying the houses on the river banks, and
several desperate attempts to effect this were made. Some fierce
conflicts resulted, and many men were slain. At length Newcastle
carried one of the houses that commanded the main body of the
Parliamentarians. In this strait, Major-General Gifford was ordered
forward to retake the lost positions. Some heavy fighting at close
quarters ensued, and pike and sword were red with blood, and the soil
cumbered with the slain and wounded, before the stubborn Royalists
were driven out, and the buildings re-occupied.
As the shades of evening closed over the mournful scene of slaughter
and confusion, Newcastle sent forward another party against one of
the houses. It was his last effort, and was gallantly made; but the
hail of bullets smote so fiercely in the face of the division, that it
was driven back in confusion, with some loss of men, including Captain
Lister, a young and promising officer, whose death was deeply
lamented.
Newcastle drew off, intending to renew the attack on the following
morning. Upwards of a hundred dead and wounded men were left upon the
field.
Lord Fairfax retained the honours of the field, but was compelled to
retire his forces, and accordingly occupied the town of Selby. His
position was extremely precarious, and he was deeply distressed by the
necessity of leaving the towns of the West exposed to the attacks of
their powerful enemies.
XV.--THE BATTLE OF LEEDS.
A.D. 1643.
On the 14th December, Sir Thomas Fairfax and the gallant Captain
Hotham sallied out of Selby, and stormed Sherborne, to come back on
the spur, closely pursued by the enraged Goring.
Sir William Savile, of Thornhill, compelled Leeds and Wakefield to
surrender; and on Sunday, December 18th, attacked Bradford with 200
foot, six troops of dragoons, and five of horse. A spirited engagement
ensued, and the Royalists were beaten off. Shortly after, Sir Thomas
made a night-march through the Royalist lines, and entered Bradford
with 300 foot and three troops of horse.
Reinforced by numerous recruits Sir Thomas resolved to attack Sir
William Savile, who was strongly entrenched in Leeds. The approaches
from the Bridge and Hunslet Lane were defended by breastworks, and two
demi-culverins commanded the long, broad Briggate, or principal
street.
On Monday, January 23rd, 1643, Fairfax summoned the town with 2,000
clubmen, 1,000 musketeers, six troops of horse, and three of dragoons
at his back. Sir William Savile rejoined by a gallant defiance, having
1,500 foot and 500 horse posted in the town. Sir Thomas had formed his
troops in two divisions to storm both sides of the town, and they
advanced to attack as a snow-storm burst over the moor.
The watchword was "Emanuel," and with sounding trumpets Sergeant-Major
Forbes and Captain Hodgson fell on at the head of five companies of
foot and one of dismounted dragoons. They were saluted with a volley
of musketry, all but inoperative. The musketeers had aimed too high.
The roar of battle rose at the end of Ludgate, when Sir William
Fairfax and Sir Thomas Norcliffe assaulted the entrenchments, and was
answered from the south side of the river, where the stormers were
fighting their way to the south end of the bridge. Here they
established themselves, and flanked the defenders of the works at the
north-end of the bridge, who were holding Forbes and his stormers in
check. Sir William Savile ordered up one of the demi-culverins, and
planted it upon the bridge, to arrest the Parliamentarian advance.
Maitland, who led the attack, despatched a party of dragoons to the
waterside, and compelled the defenders of the lower breastwork to
retire, when Forbes occupied the deserted position. Schofield, a
minister of Halifax, celebrated this success by singing a verse of the
lxvii. psalm; and as it was concluded the cheers of the dragoons
announced the evacuation of the upper breastwork. Still singing the
psalm, Forbes charged up the Briggate, and captured the
demi-culverins. Here they were met by Sir William Fairfax, who had
gallantly forced his way into the town.
Fairfax had stormed three positions, and captured Leeds, after three
hours of close fighting. His conduct was highly eulogised.
Sir William Savile and the Rev. Mr. Robinson swam their horses across
the Aire, and escaped. Unhappily Captain Beaumont was drowned in the
attempt.
Fairfax lost about twenty men, and took 460 prisoners, the two
demi-culverins, a number of muskets, and fourteen barrels of
gunpowder. The prisoners were allowed to depart on engaging not to
arm against Parliament.
Sir Thomas Fairfax being in delicate health returned to the
head-quarters at Selby. Newcastle withdrew from Wakefield, and
concentrated his army at York, leaving the country between Selby and
the West open to the Fairfaxes, who occupied Howley Hall, between
Wakefield and Bradford.
XVI.--THE BATTLE OF WAKEFIELD.
A.D. 1643.
While the Fairfaxes held Selby, Queen Henrietta landed at Bridlington,
where she was briskly cannonaded by Vice-Admiral Batten, whose
ungallant conduct was generally reprobated. Fairfax offered her
Majesty an escort of Yorkshire Parliamentarians.
The plots of the Hothams closed Hull to the Fairfaxes, and they
resolved to march to Leeds, a distance of twenty miles, although
exposed to a flank attack. Sir Thomas drew off the enemy by marching a
division in the direction of Tadcaster, thus enabling Lord Fairfax to
carry the main body to Leeds.
The Royalists believed that Sir Thomas had designs upon York, and
Goring followed hot upon his track, and on Whin Moor, near the village
of Seacroft, charged his rear and right flank, and dispersed the
Parliamentarians, of whom a few were wounded or slain, and many were
captured.
After a sharp pursuit and some shrewd blows, Sir Thomas Fairfax and
Sir Henry Foulis reached Leeds with a few troopers.
Chiefly for the purpose of obtaining prisoners for the exchange of his
captured soldiers, Sir Thomas resolved to make an attempt upon
Wakefield, then held by Goring with seven troops of horse and six
regiments of foot. Outworks, trenches, breastworks, and several cannon
defended the town.
The Royalist officers were given to drinking and playing at bowls, and
although aware of Fairfax's advance, he found some officers in liquor
when the attack began. Doubtless this refers to the few; the majority
would be on the alert like gallant and loyal gentlemen.
At midnight on Saturday, the 20th of May, Sir Thomas marched from
Howley with 1,500 horse and foot, drawn from the garrisons of Leeds,
Bradford, Halifax, and Howley. At four o'clock, he approached
Wakefield, to find the enemy on the alert. Driving a body of horse out
of Stanley, he assailed Wrengate and Northgate. Major-General Gifford,
Sir Henry Foulis, Sir William Fairfax, and other brave officers,
supported Sir Thomas. The stormers were saluted by a hot fire from
muskets and cannon, but suffered little thereby. Undaunted by their
hot reception, the stormers faced the hail of shot and fell on with
pike and musket, capturing the works and turning the guns upon the
enemy. Driving the cavaliers before him, Fairfax cleared the streets,
capturing, with many others, General Goring, Sir Thomas Bland,
Lieut.-Colonel Sir Geo. Wentworth, Lieut.-Colonel Saint George,
Lieut.-Colonel Macmoyler, Sergt.-Major Carr, Captains Carr, Knight,
Wildbore, Rueston, Pemberton, Croft, Ledgard, Lashley, Kayley, and
Nuttall; Captn.-Lieut. Benson, Sergt.-Major Carnabie. Left wounded in
Wakefield, upon their engagement to be true prisoners, Lieutenants
Munckton, Thomas, Wheatley, Kent, Nicholson; Ensigns Squire, Vavasor,
Masken, Lampton, Ducket, Stockhold, Baldwinson, Davis, Carr, Gibson,
Smathweight, Ballinson, Watson, Smelt, Hallyburton, and Cornet Wivell.
Too weak to retain his conquest, Fairfax marched off in triumph with
his prisoners, captured cannon, colours, arms, ammunition, etc.
London greatly rejoiced on receiving news of the victory. Parliament
ordered public thanksgivings to be observed in the city; and in the
churches and chapels narratives of the action were read.
The following is the official account of the battle, as made to Lord
Fairfax:
"On Saturday night, the 20th of May, the Lord General Fairfax
gave orders for a party of 1,000 foot, three companies of
dragoons, and eight troops of horse, to march from the garrison
of Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, and Howley; Sir Thomas Fairfax
commanded in chief. The foot were commanded by
Sergt.-Major-General Gifford and Sir William Fairfax. The horse
were divided into two bodies, four troops commanded by Sir
Thomas Fairfax, and the other four troops by Sir Henry Foulis;
Howley was the rendezvous, where they all met on Saturday last,
about twelve o'clock of night; about two next morning they
marched away, and coming to Stanley, where two of the enemy's
troops lay, with some dragoons, that quarter was beaten up, and
about one-and-twenty prisoners taken. About four o'clock in the
morning we came before Wakefield, where, after some of their
horse were beaten into the town, the foot, with unspeakable
courage, beat the enemies from the hedges, which they had lined
with musketeers, into the town, and assaulted it in two places,
Westgate and Northgate, and after an hour and a half fight, we
recovered one of their pieces, and turned it upon them, and
entered the town at both places at one and the same time. When
the baracadoes were opened, Sir Thomas Fairfax, with the horse,
fell into the town, and cleared the street, when Colonel Goring
was taken by Lieut. Alured, brother to Captain Alured, a member
of the house; yet in the Market Place there stood three troops
of horse and Colonel Lampton's regiment, to whom Major-General
Gifford sent a trumpet with offer of quarter, if they would lay
down their arms. They answered they scorned the motion. Then he
fired a piece of their own ordnance upon them, and the horse
fell in among them, beat them out of the town, and took all
their officers, expressed in the enclosed list, twenty-seven
colours of foot, three cornets of horse, and about 1,500 common
soldiers. The enemy had in the town 3,000 foot and seven troops
of horse, besides Colonel Lampton's regiment, which came into
the town after he had entered the town. The enemy left behind
them three pieces of ordnance, with ammunition, which we
brought away.--Signed, Thomas Fairfax, Henry Foulis, John
Gifford, William Fairfax, John Holmes, Robert Foulis, Titus
Leighton, Francis Talbott."
XVII.--THE BATTLE OF ADWALTON MOOR.
With an army of 12,000 men at his back the Marquis of Newcastle was
bound to clear Yorkshire of the Parliamentarians. Having stormed
Howley Hall, he marched upon Bradford, halting on Adwalton Moor on the
29th of June, 1643; making a careful disposition of his army, and
placing his artillery in position, as though apprehensive of an attack
from his active and daring opponents.
The audacity of the Fairfaxes was justified by their desperate
position. Hull was closed to them by the defection of the Hothams; the
open towns of the West were exhausted, and they were surrounded by
enemies in the heart of a hostile country.
While Newcastle was encamping on Adwalton Moor, Fairfax was preparing
to march upon him at four o'clock on the following morning. The
excitement in Bradford was intense. The success of Fairfax could
alone deliver them from the hands of the Royalists, who were deeply
exasperated against the stubborn burghers.
The march of the Parliamentarians was delayed until eight o'clock, in
consequence of the tardiness or treachery of Major-General Gifford, if
we may believe the grumblings of Sir Thomas Fairfax, who was doubtless
impatient to be at the enemy.
The main body of the Cavaliers was posted before the hamlet of
Adwalton, and a "Forlorn Hope," as the advanced guard was called, held
the Westgate Hill, half a mile distant from the army.
Here Fairfax dealt his first blow, and swept the Cavaliers before his
advancing army. So first blood was claimed, and scattered on the turf
lay the mangled forms of many brave men, their cold, still faces
looking doubly pallid and sad in the bright morning sunshine.
Jutting out from the main road by Westgate Hill, Hodgson's Lane led up
to Newcastle's position, and entered Warren's Lane, opening on the
moor from Gomersal.
Lord Fairfax, with 3,000 men against 12,000, had to fight a defensive
battle, and lining the hedges at the head of Warren's Lane with
musketeers, he ordered Gifford to move down Hodgson's Lane upon
Newcastle's position.
The ground was scarcely occupied before twelve troops of cavalry swept
across the moor, trumpets sounding, armour clashing, and the long,
thin rapiers flashing back the morning's sun. Ere they reached the
Roundheads, the muskets flashed from the hedge-rows, and as the white
smoke drifted on the breeze, and the loud report rang out, the gallant
Cavaliers retired with thinned and disordered ranks, leaving Colonel
Howard and many other gallant men dead upon the field. Again they
charged, again broke before the deadly fire of the musketeers, leaving
another colonel upon the field. Then Fairfax charged, and bore them,
sorely buffeted and cut-up, before his strong riders, until they found
protection beneath the muzzle of their cannon.
Gifford was handling his infantry with such address that Newcastle's
spirits drooped, and he thought of commanding a retreat. But he had
bold, strong gentlemen beneath his banners, and Colonel Skerton,
heading a stand of pikes, broke Gifford's ranks, and made deadly work
as the royal horse followed his charge. The Parliamentarians were not
allowed time to rally, but were driven into Bradford.
Sir Thomas had no order to retire, and was not aware of the defeat of
his father's command. For some time he maintained his ground, and
succeeded in carrying his troops into Halifax.