Great Britain -- History -- Henry VI, 1422-1461; Margaret, of Anjou, Queen, consort of Henry VI, King of England, 1430-1482
At length, in the month of October, 1462, five months after she
arrived in France, she set sail with a small number of vessels,
containing the soldiers that Breze had provided for her. Her plan was
to land in the north of England, for it was in that part of the
country that the friends of the Lancaster line were most numerous and
powerful.
[Sidenote: She goes to England.]
King Edward's government knew something of her plans, or, at least,
suspected them, and they stationed a fleet to watch for her and
intercept her. She, however, contrived to elude them, and reached the
shores of England in safety.
[Sidenote: Hurried flight.]
The fleet approached the shore at Tynemouth, but the guns of the forts
were pointed against her, and she was forbidden to land. She, however,
succeeded, either at that place or at some other point along the
coast, in effecting a debarkation; but she was threatened so soon with
an attack by a large army which she heard was approaching, under the
command of the Earl of Warwick, that the French troops fled
precipitately to their ships, leaving Margaret, the prince, Breze, and
a few others who remained faithful to her, on shore. Being thus
deserted, Margaret and her party were compelled to retreat too. They
embarked on board a fisherman's boat, which was the only means of
conveyance left to them, and in this manner made their way to Berwick,
which town was in the possession of her friends.
[Sidenote: A storm.]
[Sidenote: Ships wrecked.]
[Sidenote: Holy Island.]
They were long in reaching Berwick, being detained by a storm. The
storm, however, caused Margaret a much greater injury than mere
detention. The ships in which the French soldiers had fled were caught
by it off a range of rocky cliffs lying between Tynemouth and Berwick,
the most prominent of which is called Bamborough Head. The ships were
driven upon the rocks and rocky islands which lay along the shore, and
there broken to pieces by the sea which rolled in upon them from the
offing. All the stores, and provisions, and munitions of war which
Margaret had brought from France, and which constituted almost her
sole reliance for carrying on the war, were lost. Most of the men
saved themselves, and made their escape to an island that lay near,
called Holy Island. But here they were soon afterward attacked by a
body of Yorkist troops and cut to pieces.
[Sidenote: Margaret's escape.]
Margaret reached Berwick in her fishing-boat at last, bearing these
terrible tidings to her friends there. One would suppose that the last
hope of her being able to retrieve her fallen fortunes would now be
extinguished, and that she would sink down in utter and absolute
despair.
[Sidenote: Her spirit revives.]
[Sidenote: Battle of Hexham.]
[Sidenote: The king's escape.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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