April 12th 1471: Good Friday

Three supporters who rushed to Edward’s side

(Street Banners of Tewkesbury)

Edward’s family reunion was a very short one. Emerging from Baynard’s castle on Good Friday morning he set to work on the next stage of his campaign. London was now secure, and his attention turned to the threat posed by the Earl of Warwick. The ‘Arrivall’ described the night and morning:

From thence, that night, the King returned to London, and the Queen with him, and lodged at the lodgings of my lady his mother where they heard divine service that night, and upon the morn, Good Friday; where also, on the morn, the King took advice of the great lords of his blood, and other of his counsel, for the adventures that were likely for to come.

London came to life as word got around and Yorkist supporters emerged from sanctuary. Commyns said that more than 2,000 had been in sanctuary, including 400 ‘men of quality’. Men came flocking to Edward’s side. Amongst them was Sir Ralph, brother of Sir William, Lord Hastings, Sir John, Lord Howard and Sir Humphrey Bourchier with large numbers of men at arms.

The ‘Arrivall’ also considers the strategy of the Earl of Warwick:

The Earl of Warwick, …. took their way after the King, supposing verily to have had right great advantage upon him by one of the two ways; either, that the city should have kept the King out, which failed ; or else, in case he were received in, he should there [have] kept and observed the solemnity of Easter, and, if he so did, he thought suddenly to come upon him, take him, and destroy him, and his people [to have] dissevered, but the King, well advised of this evil and malicious purpose, did great diligence to reconnoitre him, or he might come near to the city, as far from it as he goodly might.

If Warwick really thought that Edward would be so fully engaged in Easter observance that he’d leave himself open to a surprise attack, then he’d learned nothing about Edward in their long acquaintanceship. This sounds more like propaganda than fact. Warwick must have been well aware that pitched battle was imminent.