Blore Heath 1459 : Protagonists

The Lancastrian leader was born in 1400, and served under King Henry V in France during the Hundred Years War. By the time of the battle, he had inherited large estates in Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, and was known to have strong Lancastrian sympathies. It is likely that these loyalties were derived from a long-standing grievance against Yorkist lords, who were questioning the legitimacy of his wife's inheritance. He was killed at Blore Heath in 1459, with a cross marking the spot on which he fell. Audley was buried in Darley Abbey, close to his Derbyshire Manor house of Markeaton.

John Sutton, Lord Dudley
	Sutton was the second-in-command of the Lancastrians at Blore Heath. He was Lord of Dudley in South Staffordshire, and also of Malpas in Cheshire. Sutton was a man of distinction, having carried the standard at the funeral of Henry V, and acted as Lieutenant of Ireland amongst other capacities for Henry VI.

The following list has been compiled by Blore Heath expert Mark Hinsley, and is based on all available resources.

Lancastrian lords, knights and men-at-arms present at the Blore Heath 1459

Surname	Name	Status	Title	Seat	County	Fate

CERTAIN
Touchet	James	Lord	Lord Audley	of Heleigh	Staffs	KILLED
Sutton	John	Lord	Lord Dudley	of Dudley	Worcs	Wounded, Captured
Venables	Hugh	Kt	Lord of Kinderton	of Kinderton	Cheshire	KILLED
Troutbeck	William	Kt		of Brimstage Hall, Wirral	Cheshire	KILLED
Done	John or Jenkin	Kt		of Utkinton	Cheshire	KILLED
Done	Richard	Esq		of Crowton	Cheshire	KILLED
Fitton	Thomas	Kt		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	Wounded, Captured
Dutton	Thomas	Kt		of Dutton	Cheshire	KILLED
Dutton	Peter	Esq		of Dutton	Cheshire	KILLED
Egerton	John	Kt		of Egerton	Cheshire	KILLED
Leverson	Walter	Burgess		of Wolverhampton	Staffs	Wounded, left for dead
Archer	Reginald	Yeoman		of Sutton	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Aynesworth	William	Miller		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Bosdon	Thomas	Knave ?		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Bosdon	Hugh	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Bothe	Henry	Yeoman		of Yaton	Cheshire
Bosdon	Matthew	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Bosdon	Richard, Jr	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Cashe	Lawrence	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Cashe	Thomas	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Chaunteler	John	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Davenport	Roger	Esq		of Bromshall	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Fitton	Richard	Esq		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Fitton	William	Esq		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Fitton	Edward	Esq		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Fitton	Edward	Esq		of Pevere	Cheshire
Fitton	John	Esq		of Pownall	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Fitton	John,Jnr	Esq		of Pownall	Cheshire
Fitton	Thomas	Esq		of Pownall	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Fitton	Robert	Esq		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Grey	John	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Greves	John	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire
Hamond	Roger	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Hasilhurst	Roger	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Henshawe	Hugh	Yeoman		of Sydington	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Henshawe	John	Husbandman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Heghrode	John	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Hordron	Edmund	Yeoman		of Bosley	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Johnson	Henry	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Johnson	Thomas	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Kelsall	John, Jr	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Kelsall	Thomas	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Leghes	John	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Ley	Thomas	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Lyon	William	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Massy	Richard	Esq		of Podyngton	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Massy	Richard	Esq		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Mainwaring	Robert	Esq		of Mobberley	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Mainwaring	Ralph	Esq		of Mobberley	Cheshire
Mainwaring	Ralph, son of Hugh	Esq		of Mobberley	Cheshire
Maynwaring	James	Esq		of Mobberley	Cheshire
Newton	John	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire
Nicson	John			of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Passe	Henry	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Passe	Lawrence	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Passe	Richard	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire
Passe	Thomas	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Pernyll	James	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire
Pernyll	William	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Pownall	Hugh	Yeoman		of Pownall	Cheshire
Rode	Thomas	Esq		of Rode	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Shirwall	Richard	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire
Shirwall	Roger	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Smalwode	Roger	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Staneland	John	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Stafford	Henry	Esq		of Bothoms Hall	Derbys	KILLED ?
Stede	John	Shepherd		of Sutton	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Stubbes	Hugh	Yeoman		of Gawsworth	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Stubbes	Lawrence	Yeoman		of Yaton ?	Cheshire
Stubbes	Thomas	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Sutton	John, son of John	Yeoman		of Sutton	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Sutton	John,Jnr	Yeoman		of Sutton	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Thornycroft	John	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Waynwright	Stephen	Yeoman		of Rode	Cheshire
Warde	Edward	Esq		of Capesthorne	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Whiteacres	James	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Westbroke	Laurence	Cook		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire
Westbroke	Richard	Yeoman		of Gawsworth ?	Cheshire

Highly Probable
Molineux	Richard	Kt	Lord Sefton	of Liverpool	Lancs	KILLED
Carrington	George	Kt	Lord Carrington	Carrington	Cheshire
Bostock	Adam	Kt		of Bostock	Cheshire
Bostock	Adam	Esq		of Bostock	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Bostock	Ralph	Esq		of Bostock	Cheshire
de la Bothe	Robert	Kt		of Wilmslow	Cheshire	possibly wounded
Bromley	John	Kt		of Badington	Cheshire
Calveley	Hugh	Kt		of Lea	Cheshire
Downes	Robert	Kt		of Shrigley	Cheshire	Wounded ?
Dutton	John	Esq		of Dutton	Cheshire
Dutton	John	Esq		Hatton	Cheshire
Egerton	Hugh	Esq		Wrinehill, Nr Madeley	Staffs
Fynderne	Thomas	Kt		Findern	Derbys
Gresley	John	Kt		of Drakelow	Derbys
Hampden	Edward	Kt		of Gt Hampden	Bucks
Hampden	Thomas	Esq		of Gt Hampden	Bucks
Holford	William	Esq		of Holford	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Legh	John	Kt		of Booths	Cheshire	KILLED ?
Stanley	John	Kt		Elford & Pipe	Staffs
Uttyng	Thomas	Kt		Rydal ?	Lancs ?	KILLED ?

Probable
Beaumont	Henry	Kt		Wednesbury	Staffs
de la Bothe	William	Kt		of Dunham	Cheshire
Cockayne	John	Esq		of Ashbourne	Derbys
Delves	John	Kt		of Delves	Staffs
Everingham	Thomas	Kt		Newhall	Leics	Wounded ?
Eyton	Nicolas	Kt		Eyton	Shrops
Hampton	John	Esq		of Stourton	Worcs
Mainwaring	Roger	Kt	Lord Kermincham	of Peover	Cheshire
Mainwaring	Ralph ?	Kt		of Ightfield	Shrops
Sutton	Edmund	Kt		Dudley	Staffs
Tunstall	Richard	Kt		Thurland	Lancs
Whittingham	Robert	Kt		Salden	Bucks
Kenrick	John			Ashley	Staffs	KILLED
Mackworth	Henry	Knight		of Mackworth	Derbyshire	?
Bromley	Randle	Squire		Badyngton	Cheshire	?

Possible
Beaumont	John	Kt		Coleorton,	Leics
Beresford	Antony	Esq		Fenny Bentley	Derbys
Bradhaigh	John	Kt		Haigh, Nr Wigan	Lancs
Bulkeley	William	Kt		of Bulkeley	Cheshire
Cockayne	John	Esq		Ashbourne	Derbys
Daniel	Thomas	Esq		of Acton	Suffolk
Eyton	Roger	Esq		Ruabon	Powys
Hardern	John	Kt		of Hardern	Cheshire
Hesketh	Thomas	Kt	Lord Hesketh	Rufford	Lancs
Holland	Henry	Esq	Bastard of Exeter
Norreys	William	Esq		Speke	Lancs
Norreys	John	Esq		Bray	Berks
Shirley	Ralph	Kt		Staunton Harold	Derbys
Staunton	Thomas	Esq		of Barrow on Soar	Leics	Wounded ?
Vernon	Roger	Esq		of Haddon	Derbys
Vernon	William	Esq		of Haddon	Derbys
Vernon	Richard	Kt		of Shipbroke	Cheshire
West	Reginald	Kt	Lord de la Warr		Lancs
Bromley	Richard	Squire		Barkersford	Cheshire	?

Suggested, but unlikely
Holland	Henry	Duke	Duke of Exeter			Probably with the King
Bromflete	Henry	Lord	Lord Vescy		Sussex
Beaumont	Viscount	Visct	Viscount Beaumont	of Folkingham	Lincs	Probably with the King
Neville	John	Kt		of Raby	Durham	Absentee landlord of Blore, no other connection
Troutbeck	John	Kt		of Brimstage	Cheshire	Already dead

Yorkists

The Neville battle pennon

Richard Neville, Lord Salisbury
	Neville was the leader of the victorious Yorkist forces at Blore Heath. He was a similar age to Audley, having been born in 1399, making him 58 years of age at the time of the battle. Like Audley, he had served in France in the early part of the 15th century, under the command of King Henry V. He had been a key figure in the battle of St Albans, four years earlier.

Yorkist lords, knights and men-at-arms present at the Blore Heath 1459

Surname	Name	Status	Title	Seat	County	Fate

Certain
Neville	Richard	Kt	Earl of Salisbury	Middleham	Yorks
Neville	John	Kt			Yorks	wounded, subsequently captured
Neville	Thomas	Kt		of Thornton Bridge	Yorks	wounded, subsequently captured
Conyers	John	Kt		Hornby	Yorks
Harrington	Thomas	Kt		Hornby	Lancs	wounded, subsequently captured
Parr	Thomas	Kt		Kendal	Lancs
Kynaston	Roger	Kt		Hordley	Shrops
Stanley	William	Esq		Holt	Cheshire
Meeryng	Thomas	Esq		Tong (Nr Ilkley)	Yorks

Highly Probable
Harrington	James	Kt		Brierly	Lancs	subsequently captured
Savile	John	Esq		Thornhill	Yorks
Evereus	John	Esq		?		subsequently captured
Rokeby	Ralph	Esq		Rokeby	Yorks	subsequently captured
Ashton	Thomas	Esq		Ashton	Lancs	subsequently captured
William	Bowes	Esq		Streatlam	Durham
Conyers	Richard	Esq		Marske	Durham

Probable
Thomas	Derwent	Esq		Carlisle	Cumberland
Legh	Piers	Esq		of Lyme Park	Cheshire
Wandesford	Thomas	Esq		East Lutton	Yorks


Possible
Wriottesley	Walter	Kt			Staffs
Metcalfe	John	Kt		of Nappa	Yorks
Lumley	Marmaduke	Kt		of Lumley	Yorks
Ogle	Robert	Kt		of Ogle	Northumberland
Strangeways	John	Kt
Pickering	James	Kt

Suggested but unlikely
Plantagenet	Richard	Kt	Duke of York
Devereux	Walter	Kt		Weobley	Herefordshire
Wenlock	John	Kt		Much Wenlock	Shrops
Hamerton	Richard	Kt		of Hamerton
Middleton	John	Kt		of Belsay	Northumberland
Mountford	Thomas	Kt		of Hackforth
Conyers	Christopher	Kt		of Sokeborne	Durham
Pullen	Ralph	Kt		of Spofforth	Yorks

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