A Personal View of the Road to Bosworth Field ARNOLD J. JAMES DURING THE COMPILATION of a comprehensive reference work on the Parliamentary Representation of Wales for the period 1536 to 1979,l an opportunity presented itself to study certain aspects of the fortnight in August 1485 that saw King Richard III of England lose his life at Bosworth Field, and Henry Tudor claim the throne of England. So much has been written about that fortnight that at first it was thought there was little more that could be written. However, there are several points that, perhaps, can be put forward for consideration. One of these is Rhys ap Thomas' route through Wales, another the disposition of the Stanley forces and finally the site of the battle itself. In the absence of reasonable proof, speculation is, of course, inevitable, and the following is no exception. Henry Tudor’s landing near Dale, probably at Mill Bay, in the late afternoon or early evening of Sunday 7 August 1485 is now accepted.2 It is also more than probable that a secondary, though minor, landing took place on the eastern side of the entrance to Milford Haven at ‘Nangle’. Henry was in a most difficult situation. In those days of intrigue, suspicion, rumour and, above all, treachery, he had no real way of ascertaining where, if any, his support lay. Treachery was the keystone of political intrigue. Great magnates such as Sir William Stanley, Sir John Savage, and Rhys ap Thomas were to prove traitors to King Richard, as had the Duke of Buckingham two years earlier. The Percy Earl of Northumberland and Lord Stanley were, with reasonable certainty, believed to be treacherous. Certainly self-interest, self-preservation and self- advancement were the dominant motives of the ruling families. When Henry Tudor landed in Pembrokeshire that Sunday in August 1485, Richard III of England was acutely aware that an attempt at invasion by the .Lancastrian claimant was both likely and imminent.3 He had taken certain precautions that he hoped would strengthen his position in the Principality. After Buckingham’s unsuccessful rebellion in 1483, Richard had appointed Lord Thomas Stanley as constable of England and his brother Sir William Stanley as chief justice of North Wales with authority in the northern Marches 225 9Z2 ' - Ruben Salusburvfiichavd ap vel 01 Moslyn. John Puleslon,‘ 'Hen'. o! Halod-v-wemfihvs ap Meredvdd (Rhys Fawn.WiIliam ap Gril'ydd ol Slaflold AugITIh Cochwillan and ("hers 1mm Nonh Wales. R I Aug 2ls( , ./. \ "2:33."Whilemoovs Henry at Malhalam wt 7”) ”“n “sum." aAunlh “gm" °\\L.cm.em Mavkol to Rhys up Thomas. toolavdgvn ‘9 _ “9 Shropshire 0 Auglsm l Boswonh Align": ' Shrewsbuvv‘ conlmgenl. ,\ Mahala": éllflflh Au'IZIh Tamwonh \ .)<.2A2l:‘gd Ma vnllelho 5 };‘~ Aug" glnvad Dlgolll IGilherl Talbol andl 2» Herbert suppon? men of Talgavlh. Alhenlona Boswmlh 9—40 I” - 12"" V V Aug 20m Field MIIES . e, ., Nomown :3; aumingham o Mgefing win. 5.. w_ I. m . Slanlev and low ‘09 ‘ 0‘ L'iflbflfl'" ' I." on: fl *5: ‘ Stanley a! [he 3Tuns. ‘ $ ' .Ludlow ‘ mm "M flhuvadu ’ (1' AugI Ilh Richard Grimm, John Morgan. f - n. Ruchard III wvole from [Rhys ap Thomas's henchmen] “"9 .fil‘Wun‘yeum . v Waxes", Beskw to Henry , ,- Llwyn Daiydd . C:- luillh Walls - non [Lord Slackpolel {1 _ A ‘ . re 'vebellesand lvailouvs' c‘m'gmluwv V" 3' 0" 3 Mantra] ‘ '3 x/ \ ’ IandmgaI'Nangle'on “h u. g " ‘ Sunday 7th Augusl. if _ar llwvd 1 'V “"9 WHIL‘ Towkashuvv / _ «1 O A". 9th , _"°'"'“"‘-', New vu 226mules in 14days. "0l ul 2! 0‘ b x (5-5 0W" ' ‘ ' an: a; V r Appvonmale dlslances in miles. 0: nua-s 3° “mum,“ . A“ a” H Milo r1 Glouces . Carmarthen Io Welshnool 125 A I Na odovdwes! \ V ' Di'wvddnvldw I'Miflo M“ O Monmou . 03" ‘0 WelSNDOM‘34 '7‘“, f , f1 Noningham lo Pembroke 250 %'ll ' P :3: Is! a a0 'ifl Aug11MB“! _ _ .. “"9""K? --. i WelshpoolIo Boswovlh88 3;, A glo "" '° .a '( RichardWilliams Conslable ov . _ ' M-mhiu Pembroke Caslla len coiniorm —— Route 0' Henry ““107 A". 1th . Richard III a! Nollmgham. +H-‘4- Route 0' Rhys ap Thomas Auglsl . - I . {3 Land over 600". Henry Tudov's expedition sailed lrom "In '8 ‘ 9— . _o Distances in miles between Seine Aug1sl with 1800 French troops _ a marked points plus his English and Welsh supporlars . ‘ p-L The March to Bosworlh Field (after Arnold J. James & John E. Thomas, Union to Reform. I986). and border counties. Sir Richard Huddleston was made constable of Beaumaris Castle and captain of Anglesey and Thomas Tunstall was made constable of Conway Castle and later, sheriff of Cardigan. In South Wales, Buckingham’s erstwhile appointment as chief justice was given to Richard IIl’s son-in—law, the Earl of Huntingdon. He had married, as his second wife, Richard’s illegitimate daughter Katharine. His brother, Sir Walter Herbert, steward of Gower, was given responsibility for protecting the King’s interests in South Wales. In West Wales, Richard Williams, an usher of Richard’s chamber, was made constable of Pembroke, Tenby, Cilgerran, Haverfordwest and Manorbier Castles. The office of constable of Pembroke Castle was to be held personally by Richard Williams.“ In South Wales, Sir James Tyrell, already sheriff of Glamorgan and constable of Cardiff Castle, was made steward of the lordship of Newport and of other confiscated possessions of Buckingham including Builth Castle. Sir James, however, had also been entrusted with Guisnes Castle near Calais, in the absence of its’ captain the ailing Lord Mountjoy and, when Henry Tudor landed in Pembrokeshire, he was abroad undertaking that responsibility. The great land-owning magnate of West Wales -- Rhys ap Thomas — had not been involved in Buckingham’s unsuccessful rebellion. The two men, it was reputed, had ‘a deadlie quarrel’, although a reconciliation may have taken place at Trccastle near Brecon prior to Buckingham’s uprising.5 Richard 111, however, had cause to suspect the loyalty of both Rhys ap Thomas and Lord Stanley who was married to Henry Tudor’s mother. 1n the former case the King had asked Rhys for custody of his son as a guarantee of loyalty. Rhys circumvented that demand by giving Richard categorical assurances of loyalty. In the case of Lord Stanley who had requested leave to return to his estates, Richard had demanded that his eldest son,Lord Strange, be left behind, virtually as a hostage. Thus when Henry landed in Pembroke, Richard Williams, loyal to the King, was at his post probably at Pembroke Castle; Sir James Tyrell was in Calais; the Earl of Huntingdon was in south-east Wales; while Rhys ap Thomas and Sir Walter Herbert were, in all probability, in the Towy Valley. Sir Rhys‘s residences of Derwydd or Newton near Llandeilo were most likely venues. Henry, while he had-been in touch with many of the magnates was still very unsure of their support. Indeed, when his troops were leaving Haverfordwest on 8 August, a rumour spread through the ranks that Sir Walter Herbert and Rhys ap Thomas with a large force loyal to King Richard were at Carmarthen. It turned out to be only a rumour which was finally dispelled when William ap Griffith brought in a section of the muster who had collected to the west of Carmarthen.‘ The narratives of the routes taken by the forces of both Henry Tudor and Rhys ap Thomas to the rendezvous at Cefn Digoll (the Long Mountain) outside Welshpool are heavily overlain with tradition. An examination of the map will, however, clarify certain matters. The armies of the period travelled at the speed of a marching man. Twenty-four miles was a good day’s march, although a forced march by lightly equipped troops could exceed this. The forces of Henry Tudor and Rhys ap Thomas had to take with them their supplies and food in horse-drawn carts and sometimes drove cattle. The roads were poor and the weather of 1483 and I484 had been inclement and harvests poor. Little 227 100’ 90 30 ”I've,- sense Sheepy Magna - ‘ ”A Marth of Sir William Stanley \ .80) Sence BrtJ°k She oo ‘ 90f OUpton 90 ' 20th Aususl Meeting with the Stanley , family at eigher " ' . , Merevale or the ’3 Tuns’ ‘ Attenone - V S . Athers‘one ' ,j “Road ' . 90““ Witherley " ' ' Henry Tudor’s march from Fennygayuzn Alhelslone to White Moors .0 “ Lanes ‘ '., > < Mancetter W“ ‘ - ' emold Llamas I _ . Map 2; The B 228 Market=Bpsworth Retreat of Noflhumberland ONearCoton ?cadeby er Coton l l I I, glng_ Hill I I “no“ Peckleton I Sut ’I aom’“ jAmbIenf Hull Cheneny’qc King Richard'5 march Kir by Mallory Elia I flu... from Leicester amoor Sence 3w“ ’00 b9®©©EEIEI@Stapleton Dadlingto oThe Bradshaws Irown Hull ( a an Gambles Close 2 9 2 take Golding .. E EL ) III-- - March of Richard Ill's forces Norfolk larch of Lord Stanle — March of Henry Tudor's forces Richard III Roman road Norlhumberland Land over 100m Oxford > —-90— Contours (metres) Henry Tudor - r— ’00 _— _—: Marsh Main rebel body Lord Stanley Sir William Stanley 0 1 2 Miles \°° ‘0t I485. Cartographic Unil, Deplflmem of Maritime Studies, UWCC ,Cardiff. 229 authentic information about the August weather in 1485 is available. Accordingly the troops or ‘battles’ tended to move along lowland routes wherever possible or used Roman roads. It is not always fully appreciated how important a part the Roman roads of Britain played in the economic and political life of the country over one thousand years after they were first built. It is significant that Henry’s rendezvous for his Welsh supporters was Cefn Digoll (Long Mountain) outside Welshpool.