Typical Wars of the Roses Sources:
Chronicles/ Monastic - Provided detailed information on events in chronological order which
Chronicles conveyed historical, political, and cultural attitudes for the particular writers
and audiences
- Aim of the source was to retell what happened and educate on historical
events, and in turn educated on what is good and what is bad in the eyes of
the king and the law
- Until mid 15th century, monasteries were the centre of the production of
chronicles
- Monks had the literacy skills to record the events and were well informed
about events as they were in towns, had important visitors, and some abbots
attend parliament
- Many chronicles included town newsletters and parliamentary documents
- Mostly produced in the south of England, especially London. The distance
from the North and the anti-northern prejudice in some chronicles means they
are often inaccurate about the north
- Almost all chronicles written from 1450-71 are pro-Yorkist because they were
written after the accession of Edward IV in 1461
- Few chronicles saw battle sights themselves so relied on reports from the
battle which were often incomplete or not completely true
- Authors of chronicles are often unknown and usually recorded what was
interesting to them or set out in a particular viewpoint
- Authors often copied from other chronicles
- Chronicles were sometimes written for pleasure so events could be
exaggerated or details could be emitted to fit a certain story they wanted to be
told
Town Chronicles - Monastic chronicles died out and Town Chronicles emerged particularly in
London however London is often bias to the Yorkist cause
- Literacy rate was growing and these chronicles appealed to the interests of
the wealthy and influential in society
- Rather sequential as they rather describe the events rather than providing
analytical insight or explanation to why the events happened or their
significance
- Often connected to other chronicles was written borrowed material from each
other to fill in missing events around the country
- Can provide important information if they were produced close to the locations
or times they describe, especially london, and also often provide good insight
to the attitudes and opinions conveyed in London
Histories - Began in the 1460s and the beginning of the Yorkist reigns
- Focus on a particular theme and set out to explain events
- Several were written to provide official government versions of events to
justify the actions of the government- bias towards York gov
- Often contain small details other sources do not control
- Witten by highly educated officials
- Were written to influence opinions at the time as were not completely
objective
Chancery Patent - Rolls of information listing appointments made by the king, grants of land,
Rolls and Close members of commissions
Rolls - Tells historians about the policies of the king, who benefitted from patronage
and which individuals were influential and if they changed the king’s decisions
Parliamentary Rolls - Official records of the meetings of parliament
- Tells about what the King’s government wanted the public to know;
justifications for tax rises, assessments of the progress of war and diplomacy
- Provided a list of rebels condemned for treason in Acts of Attainder and the
justifications for such accusations
- Usually written in London
, Public Information - Usually propaganda used by opponents of whoever was in power but also
(Proclamations, included government proclamations
Manifestos, - Public ‘Bills’ = propaganda documents used by dominant figues to justify their
Newsletters) actions and gain public support
- Despite they are propaganda, they have credibility as they played in the
public’s opinion on how the country should be ruled to reflect the feelings of
the public
Newsletters/ Reports - Foreign ambassadors would report home on the latest news
from Foreign - They often provided immediate records of events
Ambassadors - Value is limited due to the ambassadors lack of knowledge of English life and
of the background of events and key individuals involved
- Often sent by France, Burgundy, Milan to their governments
Annales Rerum - A short, disconnected ‘scrapbook’ which lists events by an unknown author
Anglicarum (The - Not always accurate in its chronology but provided some information form
Annals of the Affairs 1450-1468 which is not found elsewhere
of England) - Of some use for historians by because it is not found elsewhere, it is not
supported by another source
- Only useful when the author was present at the events- the people of London
acclaiming Edward as king in 1461
Bale’s Chronicle - Brief chronicle of the city between 1437-61
- Bale was a London lawyer and has been suggested as the author of this
chronicle but there is little evidence
- Notable for its criticism of the failure of Henry VI’s government to protect law
and order but it was written in the 1460s during the reign of Edward IV
suggesting a potential bias
Commines - Phillip de Communes (born 1447) was a Burgundian advisor to the Duke of
Burgundy and later to Louric XI of France
- He wrote a memoir around 1490 about his career, partly as a guide for rulers
and so takes care to explain the causes and consequences of events
- In favour of France or Burgundy
- Writing in 1490, many years after the events happened so lessens the
reliability
- Has no first-hand knowledge of England but as a diplomat met English people
in exile
Chronicon Angliae - An anonymous Latin chronicle, probably written by a celtic at the end of the
(Giles’ Chronicle) 1450s
- It is of value for 1450-55, finishing before the Battle of St Albans in 1455
- Critical of Duke of York in the 1450s, especially over his actions leading to the
coup in 1452 and is not overly hostile to the Duke of Somerset (unlike the
majority of chronicles which are written after 1461)
The Complaint of the - 1450- Cade’s rebels listed their complaints in written petitions to the King
Poor Commons of - As the rebellion continued, new versions of the complaints were written,
Kent (Cade’s telling historians about how the rebellion developed
Manifesto) - Petitions repeatedly stresses complete loyalty to Henry but the emphasis at
the beginning on grievances about local problems in Kent decreased and
greater emphasis was placed on national problems such as the failure of the
war with France and the treachery of the King’s corrupt advisors
- Copies of these documents were distributed around the south if England to
build support for the rebellion in 1450
The Croyland - Written by a prior of the abbey and covers events from 1149 to January 1470
Chronicle: First - Mostly concerned with the history of the abbey but comments on the events of
Continuation the 1450s and 1460s
- Limited value for historians as the author did not have direct knowledge of
may outside events (although Henry VI and Edward IV paid brief visits to the
abbey)
Chronicles/ Monastic - Provided detailed information on events in chronological order which
Chronicles conveyed historical, political, and cultural attitudes for the particular writers
and audiences
- Aim of the source was to retell what happened and educate on historical
events, and in turn educated on what is good and what is bad in the eyes of
the king and the law
- Until mid 15th century, monasteries were the centre of the production of
chronicles
- Monks had the literacy skills to record the events and were well informed
about events as they were in towns, had important visitors, and some abbots
attend parliament
- Many chronicles included town newsletters and parliamentary documents
- Mostly produced in the south of England, especially London. The distance
from the North and the anti-northern prejudice in some chronicles means they
are often inaccurate about the north
- Almost all chronicles written from 1450-71 are pro-Yorkist because they were
written after the accession of Edward IV in 1461
- Few chronicles saw battle sights themselves so relied on reports from the
battle which were often incomplete or not completely true
- Authors of chronicles are often unknown and usually recorded what was
interesting to them or set out in a particular viewpoint
- Authors often copied from other chronicles
- Chronicles were sometimes written for pleasure so events could be
exaggerated or details could be emitted to fit a certain story they wanted to be
told
Town Chronicles - Monastic chronicles died out and Town Chronicles emerged particularly in
London however London is often bias to the Yorkist cause
- Literacy rate was growing and these chronicles appealed to the interests of
the wealthy and influential in society
- Rather sequential as they rather describe the events rather than providing
analytical insight or explanation to why the events happened or their
significance
- Often connected to other chronicles was written borrowed material from each
other to fill in missing events around the country
- Can provide important information if they were produced close to the locations
or times they describe, especially london, and also often provide good insight
to the attitudes and opinions conveyed in London
Histories - Began in the 1460s and the beginning of the Yorkist reigns
- Focus on a particular theme and set out to explain events
- Several were written to provide official government versions of events to
justify the actions of the government- bias towards York gov
- Often contain small details other sources do not control
- Witten by highly educated officials
- Were written to influence opinions at the time as were not completely
objective
Chancery Patent - Rolls of information listing appointments made by the king, grants of land,
Rolls and Close members of commissions
Rolls - Tells historians about the policies of the king, who benefitted from patronage
and which individuals were influential and if they changed the king’s decisions
Parliamentary Rolls - Official records of the meetings of parliament
- Tells about what the King’s government wanted the public to know;
justifications for tax rises, assessments of the progress of war and diplomacy
- Provided a list of rebels condemned for treason in Acts of Attainder and the
justifications for such accusations
- Usually written in London
, Public Information - Usually propaganda used by opponents of whoever was in power but also
(Proclamations, included government proclamations
Manifestos, - Public ‘Bills’ = propaganda documents used by dominant figues to justify their
Newsletters) actions and gain public support
- Despite they are propaganda, they have credibility as they played in the
public’s opinion on how the country should be ruled to reflect the feelings of
the public
Newsletters/ Reports - Foreign ambassadors would report home on the latest news
from Foreign - They often provided immediate records of events
Ambassadors - Value is limited due to the ambassadors lack of knowledge of English life and
of the background of events and key individuals involved
- Often sent by France, Burgundy, Milan to their governments
Annales Rerum - A short, disconnected ‘scrapbook’ which lists events by an unknown author
Anglicarum (The - Not always accurate in its chronology but provided some information form
Annals of the Affairs 1450-1468 which is not found elsewhere
of England) - Of some use for historians by because it is not found elsewhere, it is not
supported by another source
- Only useful when the author was present at the events- the people of London
acclaiming Edward as king in 1461
Bale’s Chronicle - Brief chronicle of the city between 1437-61
- Bale was a London lawyer and has been suggested as the author of this
chronicle but there is little evidence
- Notable for its criticism of the failure of Henry VI’s government to protect law
and order but it was written in the 1460s during the reign of Edward IV
suggesting a potential bias
Commines - Phillip de Communes (born 1447) was a Burgundian advisor to the Duke of
Burgundy and later to Louric XI of France
- He wrote a memoir around 1490 about his career, partly as a guide for rulers
and so takes care to explain the causes and consequences of events
- In favour of France or Burgundy
- Writing in 1490, many years after the events happened so lessens the
reliability
- Has no first-hand knowledge of England but as a diplomat met English people
in exile
Chronicon Angliae - An anonymous Latin chronicle, probably written by a celtic at the end of the
(Giles’ Chronicle) 1450s
- It is of value for 1450-55, finishing before the Battle of St Albans in 1455
- Critical of Duke of York in the 1450s, especially over his actions leading to the
coup in 1452 and is not overly hostile to the Duke of Somerset (unlike the
majority of chronicles which are written after 1461)
The Complaint of the - 1450- Cade’s rebels listed their complaints in written petitions to the King
Poor Commons of - As the rebellion continued, new versions of the complaints were written,
Kent (Cade’s telling historians about how the rebellion developed
Manifesto) - Petitions repeatedly stresses complete loyalty to Henry but the emphasis at
the beginning on grievances about local problems in Kent decreased and
greater emphasis was placed on national problems such as the failure of the
war with France and the treachery of the King’s corrupt advisors
- Copies of these documents were distributed around the south if England to
build support for the rebellion in 1450
The Croyland - Written by a prior of the abbey and covers events from 1149 to January 1470
Chronicle: First - Mostly concerned with the history of the abbey but comments on the events of
Continuation the 1450s and 1460s
- Limited value for historians as the author did not have direct knowledge of
may outside events (although Henry VI and Edward IV paid brief visits to the
abbey)
