1470s in England

Updated on Dec 07, 2024

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Events from the 1470s in England.

Incumbents

Monarch - Edward IV (to 3 October 1470), Henry VI (to 11 April 1471), Edward IV

Events

1470

12 March - Wars of the Roses: House of York defeats the House of Lancaster at the Battle of Losecoat Field.

20 March - The Battle of Nibley Green is the last fought between the private armies of feudal magnates in England.

13 September - A rebellion orchestrated by King Edward IV's former ally Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick forces the King to flee England and seek support from his brother-in-law Charles the Bold of Burgundy.

3 October - Warwick releases Henry VI from the Tower of London and restores him to the throne.

1471

14 March - Edward lands with a small force at Ravenspur in Yorkshire.

11 April - London surrenders to Edward.

14 April - Wars of the Roses

At the Battle of Barnet, Edward defeats the Lancastrian army under Warwick, who is killed.

Queen Margaret returns to England, landing at Weymouth, Dorset.

4 May - Wars of the Roses: At the Battle of Tewkesbury, King Edward defeats a Lancastrian army under Queen Margaret and her son, Edward of Westminster the Prince of Wales, who is killed.

21 May - Henry VI is executed in the Tower of London.

3 July - Edward's brother, Richard of Gloucester becomes Constable and Admiral of England, with power over the north of the country.

1472

Building of York Minster completed.

By the Statute of Westminster, every ship entering an English port has to bring in four bowstaves for every tun.

1473

28 May - John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford raids Essex coastline, in support of the Lancastrians.

30 September - Earl of Oxford captures St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.

Council of Wales and the Marches first meets.

1474

February - Earl of Oxford surrenders and is pardoned but imprisoned.

July - Treaty of London - England allies with Burgundy against France.

September - Peace of Utrecht negotiates trade concessions between England and the Hanseatic League.

The Lord Chancellor issues the first decree in his own name, beginning the independence of the Court of Chancery from the Curia regis.

1475

4 July - Burgundian Wars: Edward IV lands in Calais in support of Burgundy against France.

29 August - By the Treaty of Picquigny, France pays England compensation in return for peace and agrees to ransom Margaret of Anjou.

Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye is the first book to be printed in English, by William Caxton in Bruges.

Construction begins on the new hall of Eltham Palace.

1476

William Caxton sets up the first printing press in England at Westminster.

1477

18 November - Caxton prints Earl Rivers' translation of Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres, the first book printed in England on a printing press.

A new law bans two forms of skittles, and a ball game referred to as 'hand in, hand out'.

1478

15 January - Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, aged four, is married to five-year-old Anne de Mowbray, 8th Countess of Norfolk.

18 February - George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is privately executed in the Tower of London on the order of his other brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

17 December - First book printed in Oxford.

Chapel and cloister of Magdalen College, Oxford completed, by architect William Orchard.

William Caxton publishes the first printed copy of Canterbury Tales.

1479

The St Albans Press, the third printing press in England, is set up in the Abbey Gateway, St. Albans.

Robert Ricart begins writing The Maire of Bristowe is Kalendar in Bristol.