A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



executed in Cheapside, his son-in-law Cromer, the former sheriff of Kent, 

 who had been committed to the Fleet prison for extortion," 1 was led out 

 by the rebels to Mile End, and there, without any judgement, his head 

 was smitten off in Cade's presence. 188 Cade and his followers seem then 

 to have returned to the City bearing the heads of Cromer and Lord Say 

 on poles to London Bridge. 



Middlesex suffered but little during the Wars of the Roses, having 

 no great baronial houses to lose, and being overshadowed by London's 

 predilection for the White Rose. Except for the passage of armies to 

 and from London, and in 1461, when the county was in danger 

 of devastation after the second battle of St. Albans, the tide of war did 

 not come very near our boundaries during the early part of the war. 

 On the latter occasion, the known hostility of the Londoners deterred 

 the queen from nearer approach to the city. 184 On 25 February, 1461, 

 Edward of York entered London, and the men of all the neighbouring 

 counties flocked to his standard. On 2 March an enthusiastic crowd 

 offered him the crown at Clerkenwell, and he was crowned on the follow- 

 ing day at Westminster. 186 Four years later Henry VI was brought a 

 prisoner to London after his capture in Lancashire. He was met on 

 24 July by the earl of Warwick at Islington, 186 where his gilt spurs 

 were struck from his feet, and he was taken in bonds and under strong 

 escort to the Tower. 187 The short period of his restoration in 1471 

 brought about the most important battle to which Middlesex can lay 

 claim. 



Edward of York landed in March of that year after his brief exile. 

 He was proclaimed king at Nottingham, and marched towards London, 

 closely followed by the earl of Warwick. London admitted the Yorkist 

 army on Maundy Thursday (11 April). 188 Warwick hoped that Edward 

 would keep Easter in London, and that he might then take him by 

 surprise. In this, however, he was disappointed. Edward allowed his 

 forces to rest on Good Friday, but on the Saturday set out to meet the 

 enemy. 129 Knowing that his throne hung upon the forthcoming battle, 

 he spared no pains to render his army efficient. ' Harness, weapons, 

 horses, all engines, instruments meet for the war, he neither forgot nor 

 slackly furnished. What shall I say more ? He determined clearly to 

 spend all his riches, yea all that he could imagine upon the chance of 

 this battle ; firmly believing that this conflict should knit up all his 

 labour and bring him to quietness.' 130 Henry VI, again dethroned and a 

 prisoner, went in his train, both as a precaution against treachery in his 

 rear, and as a protection in case the battle should go against him. 131 



111 Engl. Chrm. Three Fifteenth Cent. Cbron. (Camd. Soc.), 67. IM Ibid. 



1M Chrm. ofRic. II, &c. (ed. Davies), 107 ; Whethamstede, Reg. (ed. Hearne), i, 391. 

 * Pink, Hist, of ClerkenweU, 612-13. 

 " Three Fifteenth Cent. Chnn. (Camd. Soc.), 80. 



la Holinshed, Chrm. iii ; Hall's Cbron. 285 ; Ramsay, York and Lane, ii, 317. 

 " Chrtm. of the White Rose (Camd. Soc.), 58 ; Ann. of Edw. IV, 18. 



" Warkworth, Chnn. (Camd. Soc.), 15 ; Three Fifteenth Cent. Chrm. (Camd. Soc.), 184 \Chnn. 

 of the White Rose, 61. Hall, Chrm. 295. 



" Ibid ; Warkworth, Chrm. 15 ; Chrm. of the White Rose, 6l. 



26 



