Lord Wenlock WotR Banners and flags 1471

These are the second set of flags that I was commissioned to make for Greg, for the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. Once again Greg has given me permission to share the flags on my blog. The first two flags are drawn  from Hobilar booklets while the last two are alternative versions, using the same distinctions.

 During the Wars of the Roses, Lord Sir John Wenlock initially fought for the House of Lancaster in the First Battle of St Albans on 22 May, 1455, but his relationship with Warwick led him to subsequently change sides, and it was as a Yorkist that he served as Speaker of the House of Commons later that year in the parliament of 1455. By the Battle of Blore Heath in 1459 Wenlock fought for the House of York. He also fought under the Yorkist banner in the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, the Second Battle of St Albans and the Battle of Towton.

Having successfully besieged the Tower of London for Edward of York, he was part of the latter's triumphal entry into London in 1461 and was elected a knight of the garter a few days after. Later in the year he received appointment as Chief Butler of England and was made Baron Wenlock. In 1464 he helped Lord Hastings capture Dunstanburgh Castle.

He continued to undertake diplomatic missions for Edward IV, and had command of Calais for him (possibly as deputy of Warwick). When Warwick defected to the Lancastrian camp, Wenlock did not immediately follow him back, however his sympathies clearly remained with his friend, and by 1471 he too had switched sides, accompanying Margaret of Anjou back to England.

At the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May, 1471, he commanded the middle of the Lancastrian line. However, the Lancastrians suffered a crushing defeat, and Wenlock died on the battlefield. He was allegedly killed by his own commander, the Duke of Somerset, who blamed Wenlock's indecisiveness for the defeat. The Duke of Somerset had led the right flank of the Lancastrian line forward, and expected Wenlock to support him, but Wenlock held back (some suggest deliberately) and the Duke's men were slaughtered. After the Duke's flank retreated he summoned Wenlock and supposedly killed him with a single blow of his mace to the head. One historian goes so far as to call him “The Prince of turncoats”.

Edward Prince of Wales, Banner and Flag 1471 WotR

In March I received an email from a fellow gamer, Greg, in LA. He liked the flags and banners I'd been making for the Battle of Flodden, so he asked me If I'd be interested in a commission to make some War of the Roses flags for him for the Battle of Tewkesbury. How could I resist???
The flags and banners he required were for Edward, Prince of Wales and Lord Wenlock, Greg kindly agreed for us to share the flags with you, the wargaming community.
The first flag was made from a description of Edward's flag from a copy of Hobilar, while the second was copied from an illustration from the another Hobilar booklet. Greg also wanted some livery flags, these were made from the descriptions Greg gave me with a little artistic license.
Edward, Prince of Wales, who was the Lancastrian heir to the throne of England, was killed during the battle or as some believe, be-headed shortly after the battle. Prince Edward was present in the centre battle of the Lancastrian force commanded by Lord Wenlock. Edward who was only 18, lacked command experience, but was no stranger to the battlefield, his mother Margaret of Anjou had previously at the age of 7, given him the task of condemning the death the Yorkist prisoners taken at the Second Battle of St Albans. Edward had Lord Bonville and Sir Thomas Kyriell beheaded.