Siege of London (1471)

In 1471 the Yorkist Edward IV had won the Battle of Barnet capturing his rival, the Lancastrian Henry VI and imprisoning him in the Tower of London. He then headed to western England to campaign there.

The Lancastrian Bastard of Fauconberg, described at the time as a sea rover, took the opportunity afforded by Edward's absence and raised armies in Kent and Essex and from the more experienced troops of the English garrison in Calais, and headed to London to try to free Henry from the Tower.

Lancastrians unsuccessfully attempted to fight their way across London Bridge

Fauconberg unsuccessfully tried to battle across London Bridge[1] and also attacked the eastern gates with five thousand men and artillery.[2] Breweries and alehouses in the eastern suburb of St Katherines, outside the wall, were ransacked and set on fire by the attackers at this time.

Bishopsgate was set on fire[3] and the attackers came close to capturing Aldgate and with it the City. The gate was breached and the attackers started to pour through, but a portcullis was dropped when only some had passed through, killing some and isolating those who had already passed through – these were then killed by the defenders.

A force of troops from the Tower garrison, under Earl Rivers, came through the Tower Hill Postern, the small side gate where the city wall met the Tower moat and attacked the pro-Lancastrian besiegers from the flank while a counter-attack was launched from within the gate. There was also a counter-attack by the Earl of Essex at Bishopsgate. The Lancastrians were defeated and pursued, with the Essex men retreating over Bow Bridge and the Kentish men headed to their ships at Blackwall. Both retreating groups suffered heavy casualties in the pursuit.