March 14th 1471: Landfall in Yorkshire
Ravenspur (Spurn Head) as it is today
Landing in Holderness wasn’t the end of King Edward’s troubles. It was clear that people were not happy, though the ‘Arrivall’ says that out of the love they had for his father the Duke of York they would be pleased to see him reclaim that title. He held a council to consider crossing to Lincolnshire, but as that meant returning to sea, albeit for a short journey, there was no support for that. He made his way towards York but was confronted by Sir John Westerdale, the vicar of Keyingham (he was a ‘Pope’s knight, not a King’s knight) and a gang of men. They were satisfied by Edward’s assertion that he was only interested in his inheritance as the Duke of York. Edward wasn’t as forgiving, and took retribution later, as Warkworth’s Chronicle explains:
And after that, as he was so trobled in the see, that he was fayne to londe in Yorkeschyre at Ravenys-spore; and there rose ageyns hym alle the cuntre of Holdernes, whose capteyne was a preste, and a persone in the same cuntre called Sere Jhon Westerdale, whiche aftyrwarde for his abused disposycion was casten in presone in the Marchalse at Londone by the same Kynge Edwarde: for the same preste mett Kynge Edwarde and askede the cause of his landynge; and he answeryde that he came thedere by the Erle of Northumberlondes avyse, and schewede the Erles lettere y-send to hym, &c. undere his seale; and also he came for to clayme the Duchey of Yorke, the whiche was his inherytaunce of ryght,
The choice or route became a problem when his fore-riders reported that the city of Hull would close its gates against him, and offer firm resistance. He went by way of Beverley, but on that route as well he was confronted, this time by Martin de la See of Barmston but again the argument was put that he was reclaiming his inheritance and was able to move on.
It was a long journey from Ravenspur to York.