[94c] Kindly communicated by the Rev. William Jepson Newman.
[95a] Politely communicated by Colonel Grant, R.A., in 1854.
[95b] A representation of the spur is given in the Archæologia, vol. ii. plate 20.
[96] Ralph Lord Dacre, slain at the battle of Towton, was the son and heir of Thomas Lord Dacre, of the North, (according to Dugdale’s Baronage, vol. ii. p. 23; vol. iii. p. 244; there was another family called Lord Dacre, of the South, of the name of Fynes or Fienes), and succeeded his father in the title, in the thirty-sixth year of Henry VI. After the battle of Towton, Ralph Lord Dacre was attainted by the act of attainder of the 1st of Edward IV., and all his possessions were forfeited to the crown; viz., “the mannor of Barton, and moiety of the mannor of Hoffe in com. Westmorl; as also the Castle of Naworth, with the manners of Irthington, Dacre, Kirke Oswald, Farlam Blakenwayt, Lasyngby, Brampton, Burgh upon the Sands, Aykton, Roclyffe, Glasenby, Blockhall, and Castel-Caryot. in com. Cumbr: and the mannors of Halton, Fyshwike, Eccleston, and Over-Kellet, in com. Lanc.” (Dugdale’s Baronage, vol. ii p. 23.) To him succeeded in the title, his brother, Sir Humphrey Dacre, Knight, who conducted himself so submissively and usefully to the House of York, as to make his peace with Edward IV., and had the office of Master Forester of the forest of Inglewood, in Cumberland, conferred upon him for life, in the ninth year of Edward IV., and he afterwards held several other important offices. He was one of the persons included in the act of attainder of 1st Edward IV., passed against the Lancastrians who took a part in the battle of Towton. He, however, succeeded in getting the attainder against himself reversed by the act of 12th and 13th of Edward IV. Rot. Parl. vol. vi. A.D. 1472–3, fo. 43. Humphrey Lord Dacre, was one of the lords who, in the Parliament Chamber in the eleventh year of Edward IV., swore to be faithful to Prince Edward, eldest son of Edward IV. In the second year of Richard III., he was constituted Warden of the Marches; and having been summoned to Parliament in the twenty-second year of Edward IV., and first of Richard III., died in the first year of Henry VII.
[97] Whitaker’s Loidis and Elmete (History of Leeds), vol. i. fo. 156.
[98a] Amongst others, I have to express my thanks to John Kendall, Esq., of Towton Hall, for both oral and written communications on the subject. I was induced, for the sake of accuracy, both to see and write to him for information respecting the field of battle, and he was good enough to read over the paper upon it, as originally drawn, and to make a few corrections in it, and also to favour me with some notes which I have incorporated into the account.
I have also to thank the Rev. Dr. Carter, of Saxton Parsonage, for his kindness and attention, in giving me some useful information, and for taking the trouble of reading over the part of this paper, which related to Saxton Church and Churchyard.
[98b] Dr. Whitaker’s Loidis and Elmete (History of Leeds), vol. i. fo. 157.
[99a] It is certain that at Towton, the archers were originally placed in front of the other troops, and it seems naturally to follow, that when the main bodies came to close quarters, the archers would be withdrawn to the rear. If so, that would make a very considerable difference in the extent of the front of each army. I am informed that in modern warfare, the space usually allowed for each foot soldier is about one foot nine inches, and for each horseman in marching order, about four feet six inches.
[99b] Henry Percy, third Earl of Northumberland, of that family, was the son of Henry, second Earl of Northumberland, slain at the first battle of St. Alban’s, in 1455, and of Eleanor, second daughter of Ralph Neville, first Earl of Westmoreland, and was brother of Thomas Percy, Lord Egremont, slain at the battle of Northampton, in 1460.