March 19th 1471: Tadcaster
A reconstruction of Pontefract Castle
Once a Lancastrian stronghold, now held by Montagu, whose loyalty was unclear
…. and all his felawshipe, that night, when he and all his feloshipe abode and were refreshed well to they had dyned on the morne, and than departed out of the cite to Tadcastar, a towne of th'Erls of Northumbarland, x mile sowth-wards. (The ‘Arrivall’)
On the morning of Tuesday 19th March, King Edward, or the Duke of York as he was styling himself, left the City of York, filing out through the Micklegate Bar, following the old Roman road to the south. Their first leg was the fairly short and easy march across the Vale to the town of Tadcaster, bridging point of the River Wharfe. Tadcaster was part of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland’s estate, which made it a potential flash point for Edward. The Earl was an unknown quantity. Recently restored to the Earldom he was being courted by Warwick, who had written instructing him to attack Edward’s party. It must have been a tense arrival, over the narrow bridge into the town, but nothing happened. The little army spent the night there and early next morning moved on towards Wakefield and Sandal Castle, the home of the Dukes of York. Passing Pontefract was another fraught experience, because the Marquess of Montagu, Warwick’s brother was in residence. No move was made against him, though.
The ‘Arrivall’ observed ‘For his sitting still caused the city of Yorke to do as they did, and no wers, and every man in all those north parts to sit still also, and suffer the King to pass as he did, notwithstanding many were right evil disposed of them self against the King, and in especial, in his quarrel. Wherefore the King may say as Julius Cesar said, he that is not against me is with me.’