April 20th 1471: A guessing game

Starting Points of the Armies

King Edward had arrived at Windsor. Unsure of the direction which Queen Margaret’s army would take, the castle was in a good geographical position to cover both of the likely options. Edward’s spies were out and keeping an eye on movements out of Exeter, looking for signs and reporting back to Windsor.

And, for so much as they at that season were in an angle of the land, and needs they must take one of the two ways, that is to say, either to come straight to Salisbury, and so, that way, towards London ; or else, along by the sea-coast into Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent, and so to London, to make in the way their people the more in number; or else, they, not thinking themselves to be of puissance likely to have a doo with the King, and, therefore, peradventure, would draw northwards into Lancashire and Cheshire, trusting also to have in their way the assistance of Welshmen, by the mean of Jasper called Earle of Pembroke, which, for that cause, had been afore sent into the country of Wales, to array them, and make them ready to assist that party at their coming.

For which considerations, the King caused great diligence to be done by mean of espies, and by them he had knowledge, from time to time, of their purposes in that behalf. If they would have taken eastwards their way, his intent was to encounter them as soon as he might and the further from London that should be to him possible, for the intent that they should assemble no might out of any country but where they then were, but, for so much as he understood well they took the other way, towards northwest, he hasted him, with his host, all that he might, upon the purpose that he had taken to stop them their way and passage into those parties whereunto their desire was to go, and to make them the more mighty, which passages of likelihood either must be at Gloucester, or else at Tewkesbury, or further off at Worcester. And, algates [in any case], the King lay so that, would they or no, he needs should now engage them, or stop them, and put them back.

The ‘Arrivall’ sets out the possibilities. As well as watching and anticipating the movements of the Lancastrians, Edward was faced with the task of rebuilding his army.