"Wakefield 1460 w/ TYest of Resolve at Historicon 2026" Topic

I ran the scenario for the Battle of Wakefield, 1460, from one of the Test of Resolve Scenario books. This is an unusual action that some modern historians think was maybe just a glorified skirmish… but if so, it had very outsized results! Briefly, Richard of York, the wealthiest noble in England, had gained control of the mentally incompetent Lancastrian King Henry VI. He lacked sufficient support to take the Crown outright, resulting in the Act of Acord, whereby Richard, himself descended from both the 2nd and 4th of King Edward III's surviving sons, would inherit the crown upon Henry's death, bypassing the son of Henry VI and his Queen, Margaret of Anjou, the 7 year old Edward, Prince of Wales. Not surprisingly, Margaret and a number of English nobles found the Act unacceptable, and mustered armies to contest the issue. Richard headed North to augment his forces. In the traditional version, while staying at his manor in Sandal Major, he is said to have seen a party of Yorkist foragers beset upon by some Lancastrians, ran out with his local forces to aid them, was ambushed, captured, and later executed. The ToR scenario by Tim Couper and David Knight envisions a version of those events.

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According to the latest research by David Grummitt in this book:
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The Battle of Wakefield probably never happened!

Mentioned in line 2 above… no reason to still not have an interesting scenario and game!

No, not just a glorified skirmish, Grummitt claims it may not have happened at all.

Still I suppose it makes a good "what if" scenario.

I have just start reading David Grummitt's book The Wars of the Roses Volume 1 – The Triumph of York 1455-1461. So far I am impressed with the level of research and his writing style. I would currently recommend it, I will let you know if I change my mind.

Ian