1464: 25 April - Hedgeley Moor

In the years 1462 and 1463 the Lancastrians were continually stirring up trouble in the North of England; with Queen Margaret travelling between Scotland and France attempting to gain assistance (sometimes successfully) for Henry’s declining cause. But the Duke of Somerset and Sir Ralph Percy surrendered Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles respectively on Christmas Eve 1462 in return for free pardons, and later Somerset swore allegiance to Edward and was rewarded with high office. Although these castles (and Alnwick as well) were later retaken by the Lancastrians they were soon isolated. With Henry a wandering fugitive, Margaret driven overseas and the Scots ready to treat with Edward, there were hopes of a permanent peace. However, Margaret was working hard in Lorraine to organize a fresh conspiracy in the North of England, and Somerset quite suddenly betrayed the trust that Edward had shown him and raised the northern counties for Henry. Warwick marched North to subdue the rebellion and Montagu was sent to the border to escort the Scottish commissioners to York, to discuss a renewal of the peace treaty. On his way to Newcastle with a small escort, he narrowly escaped an ambush laid for him by Somerset. A few days later, now with a larger force, he was attacked at Hedgeley Moor, some seven miles South of Wooler, by Somerset and Percy.

It is not likely that either side had many troops in the brief engagement that followed, and the opponents were probably fairly evenly matched. But when Sir Ralph Percy fell leading Somerset’s van the Lancastrians appear to have lost heart and fled the field, leaving Montagu to proceed unimpeded.