Visits to Fields of Battle, in England, of the Fifteenth Century / to which are added, some miscellaneous tracts and papers upon archæological subjects

by Richard Brooke

No. IV.

Proclamation by Henry VII., for enforcing order and discipline in his Army; and Extract from a Journal of the March and Proceedings of Henry VII. previously to the Battle of Stoke; from a manuscript in the Cottonian Library.—Lelandi Collectanea, vol. iv. p. 210.

“The King our souveraigne lorde straytly charge and comaunde, that no maner of man, of whatsoever state, degre, or condition he bee, robe ne spoyle any chyrche, ne take oute of the same any ornament theron belonging, nor touche ne sett hande on the pixe wherein the blessed sacrament is conteynede, nor yet robbe ne spoyle any maner man or woman, upon peyne of deth. Also that no maner of persones ne persones whatsoever they bee make no quarell to any man, nor sease nor vex ne troble any man by body or goodes for any offense, or by color of any offence hertofor doon or comyttede agenst the roial Majestie of the King our saide souveraigne lorde, withoute his auctoritie and especial comaundement geven unto hym or theym, that so doon in that behalfe upon peyne of deth. Also that no maner of persones ne persones whatsoever they bee, ravishe no religios woman, nor mannes wiff, doughter, maydene, ne no mannes ne womans servaunt, or take, ne presume to take, any maner of vytayll, horsemet, nor mannes mete, withoute paying therfor the reasonable pryce therof, assisede by the clerke of the market or other the king’s officers therfor ordeynede, upon peyne of deth. Also that no maner of persones ne persones, whatsoever thay bee, take uppon theym to logge theymsilfs, nor take no maner of logging, ne harbygage, but suche as shal be assignede unto hym or theym by the King’s herbygeours, nor disloge no man, nor chaunge no logging after that he be assignede, without advyse and assent of the said harbygeours, uppon peine of imprisonment and to be punyshede at the wille of our saide souveraigne lorde. Also that no maner of man, whatsoever he bee, make no quarell with any other man, whatsoever be bee, for no maner of cause, old ne newe; ne make no maner of fray, within the hooste ne withoute, upon peyne of imprisonment and to bee punishede according to ther trespas and defautes. And if ther happen any suche quarell of affray to be made by any evyll disposede personnes, that then no maner of man, for any acquentaunce or filiship that they bee of, take noo parte with no suche mysdooers in any suche affrayes or quarells, upon peyne of imprisonment and to be punyshed at the King’s wille. But that every man endevor hymsilf to take al suche mysdooers and brynge theym to the marshalls ward, to be punyshed according to ther desertes. Also that no maner of personne, whatsoever he bee, hurte, troble, bete, ne lette no maner of personne, man, woman, or childe bryngyng any vitayle unto the Kings hooste, upon payne of imprisonment and his bodye to bee at the Kings wille. And over this, that every man, being of the reteyne of our saide souveraigne lorde, at the furste sounde or blaste of the trumpet to saddil hys hors; at the 2d doo brydell; and at the 3d be redy on horsebake to wayte upon his highnesse, upon peyne of imprisonment. Also, that no maner of personne, whatsoever he bee, make no skryes, showtings, or blowing of hornesse in the Kings hooste after the wache bee sett, upon peyne of imprisonment and his bodye to be at the Kings wille. Also, that no vagabonde, nor other, folowe the Kings hooste, but suche as be reteynede, or have maisters within the same, upon peyne of imprisonment and to bee punyshede in example for other; and that no coman wooman folow the Kings hooste, upon payne of imprisonment and openly to be punyshede in example of al other. Also, whansoever it shall please the King our souveraigne lorde to comaunde any of hys officers of armes to charge any thing in his name, by hys high comaundement, or by the comaundement of his counstable or marshall, that it be observed and kept, upon payne of imprisonment and his body to be punyshed at the Kings pleasure.

“From thens” [Kenilworth] “the King procedede to Coventrye, wher the Bishop of Wynchester toke his leve and went to the Quene and the Prince, and the substance of his companye waytede upon the King, under the standerde of his neveu th Erle of Devonshir. From Coventrie the King remeved unto Leycester, wherby the comaundement of the mooste Reverende Fader in God, th Archbishop of Canterbury, then Chanceller of England, the Kings proclamations were put in execusion. And in especyal voydyng comen women and vagabonds, for ther wer imprisonede great nomber of both. Wherfor ther was more reste in the King’s hooste, and the better rule. And on the morow, which was on the Monday, the King lefte ther the forsaide Reverende Fader in God and roode to Loughborough; and the saide Lorde Chancellors folks were commyttede by his neveu, Robert Morton, unto the stander of th Erle of Oxinforde, in the fowarde. And at Loughborough, the stokks and prisonnes wer reasonabley fylled with harlatts and vagabonds. And after that were but fewe in the hooste unto the tyme the felde was doon. On Tewsday the King remevede and lay al nyght in the felde, under a wode called Bonley Rice. And on the Wednesday the King’s marshalls and herbigers of his hoste did not so welle ther diligence that way, for when the King remevede ther was no propre grounde appoyntede wher the Kings hooste shulde logge that nyght hen following, but it was a royal and a marvelouse faire and a wele tempered day. And the King, with his hooste, wandrede her and ther a great espace of tyme, and so came to a fayre longe hille, wher the King sett his folks in array of batell, that is to say, a bow and a bill at his bak, and al the fowarde were wele and warely loggede under the hille to Notyngham warde. And when the King hade sene his people in this fayr array, he roode to a village 3 myles a this side Notingham, on the highway syde, wher in a gentilmannes place his grace logede. And in that village, and in a bene felde to Notingham warde, lougede al his batell; whiche evening wer taken certeyn espies, whiche noysede in the contrey that the King had ben fledde. And sume were hangede on the ashe at Notyngham Brygge ende. And on the morowe, whiche was Corpus Christi day, after the King had harde the dyvyne servyce in the pariche chirche, and the trumpetts hadde blowne to horse, the King, not letting his hoste to understand his entente, rode bakewarde to see, and also welcome the Lord Strannge, whichc brought with hym a great hoste, inow to have beten al the Kings enemies, only of my Lorde his faders th’ Erle of Derbye folks and his. And al wer fayre embaytailled, whiche unknowne turnyng to the hooste, causede many folks for to marvaille. Also the Kings standerde and muche cariage folowde after the King, unto the tyme the King was advertysede by Garter King of Armes, whom the King comaunded to turne them al ageyn, whiche so dide theym al in bataile on the hef heder side of the great hille a this side Notingham, unto the tyme the King came. That nyght the Kings hooste lay under the ende of all that hille towarde Notingham to Lenton warde, and his fowarde befor hym to Notyngham Bruge warde. And th Erle of Derbyes host on the Kings lifte hand to the meadowes besides Lenton. And that evenyng ther was a great skrye, at wiche skrye ther flede many men; but it was great joy to see how sone the King was redye and his true men in array. And from thens, on the Friday, the King, understanding that his enemyes and rebelles drew towards Newarke warde, passing by Southwelle and the furside of Trente, the King with his hoste remevede thedarwards, and logged that nyght beside a village callede Ratcliff, 9 miles oute of Newarke. That evening ther was a great skrye, whiche causede many cowards to flee; but th Erle of Oxinforde, and al the nobles in the fowarde with hym, wer sone in a good array and in a fayr bataile, and so was the King and al the very men that ther wer. And in this estrye I harde of no man of worship that fledde but raskells.

“On the morne, which was Satirday, the King erly arros and harde 2 masses, wherof the Lorde John Fox, Bishop of Excester, sange the ton; and the King had 5 good and true men of the village of Ratecliff, whiche shewde his grace the beste way for to conduyt his hoost to Newark, whiche knew welle the countrey, and shewde wher wer marres, and wher was the river of Trent, and wher wer vilages or grovys for bushements, or strayt weyes, that the King might conduyt his hoost the better. Of whiche guides the King gave 2 to th’ Erle of Oxinforde to conduyt the fowarde, and the remanent reteyned at his pleasure. And so in good order and array, before 9 of the clok, beside a village called Stook, a large myle oute of Newarke, his fowarde recountrede his enemyes and rebells, wher by the helpe of Almighty God, he hadde the victorye. And ther was taken the lad that his rebells callede King Edwarde, whos name was indede Lambert, by a vaylent and a gentil esquier of the Kings howse, called Robert Bellingham. And ther was slayne th’ Erle of Lincoln John, and dyvers other gentilmen, and the Vicount Lorde Lovell put to flight. And ther was slayne of Englishe, Duche, and Irishemen M IIII. And that day the king made 13 baneretts and LII knyghts, whose names ensueth.

“Theis bee the names of the baneretts:

Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir John Cheyny, Sir William Stow,

Theis III wer made byfor the batell.

“And after the batel were made the same day:

Sir John of Aronndell, Sir Thomas Cokesay, Sir John Forstin, Sir Edward Benyngfelde, Sir James Blount,

Sir Richard Crofte, Sir Humfrey Stanley, Sir Richarde de la Ver, Sir John Mortymer, Sir William Trouthbek.

“The names of the knyghts made at the same bataill:

Sir James Audley, Sir Edward Norres, Sir Robert Clifforde, Sir George Opton, Sir Robert Abroughton, Sir John Paston, Sir Henry Willoughby, Sir Richard Pole, Sir Richard Fitzlewes, Sir Edwarde Abrough, Sir George Lovell, Sir John Longvile, Sir Thomas Terell, Sir Roger Bellyngam, Sir William Carew, Sir William Trouthbeck, Sir Thomas Pooll, Sir William Vampage, Sir James Parker, Syr Edwarde Darell, Sir Edwarde Pykerynge, Sir Thomas of Wolton, Syr William Sandes, Syr Robert Brandon, Syr Mores Barkley, Sir John Dygby,

Sir James Harrington, Syr John Devenyshe, Sir John Sabarotts, Sir Thomas Lovell, Sir Humfrey Savage, Sir Antony Browne, Sir Thomas Grey, Sir Nicholas Vaux, Sir William Tyrwytt, Sir Amyas Pallet, Sir Rauff Langforth, Sir Henry Bould, Sir William Redmyll, Sir Thomas Blount, Sir Robert Cheyny, Sir John Wyndan, Sir John A. Musgrove, Sir George Nevell, Sir Raf Shirley, Sir William Litilton, Sir William Norres, [315a] Syr Thomas Hanseide, Sir Christofer Wroughton, Syr Thomas Lyn, Sir Moses Aborough, Syr Thomas Manyngton.