Page:VCH Staffordshire 1.djvu/288

 A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE If Holinshed 188 is correct in saying that 2,400 were slain in this battle the fight must have indeed been ' sore and dreadful,' as allowing the usual propor- tion of wounded to killed, more than half the two forces must have been put hors de combat. Among the prisoners taken by Salisbury was Lord Dudley ; on the other hand two of Salisbury's sons, pursuing the defeated enemy too far, were captured, but their father after his victory succeeded in effecting a junction with York at Ludlow. The Duke of Buckingham, who had been wounded 187 by an arrow 'in the vysage ' at the battle of St. Albans, where his eldest son was killed, did not remain quite loyal to Henry, no doubt recognizing the rising sun and fearing to lose his vast wealth. 188 However, on the whole he favoured the Lancas- trians, and was with the queen in London in I458 189 at the ' loveday ' between the two parties, and in 1460 received a grant of land from that party for his services. 1 ' He was slain just before the battle of Northampton in July of the same year. 191 In 1470 Sir Walter Wrottesley, a staunch supporter of Warwick the kingmaker, probably lost his life in that cause. He was with Warwick and - Clarence when they were on their way to join Sir Robert Welles, who had been defeated in Lincolnshire. Welles disclosed the conspiracy that these two had entered into, and on the king summoning them to answer this charge they fled ; but Sir Walter was probably among those of Warwick's followers who were hanged at Southampton. 198 During the Lancastrian period Staffordshire was until the Wars of the Roses well represented in Parliament ; the county, the borough of Stafford, and Newcastle under Lyme generally sending two members each, but Lichfield is not mentioned. The last-named town was one of those that did not value highly the privilege of representation. In fact it was regarded more as a burden than a privilege, so that there was great difficulty in finding duly qualified members. The only men who were anxious to be elected were the lawyers, who ' saw the advantage of combining the transaction of their clients' business in London with the right of receiving wages as knights of the shire at the same time.' m To the Parliament of 1414 held at Leicester, Stafford county sent two members, John Meverell and William Walshale, 194 the boroughs being unrepresented. In the ' Parliament of bats ' or bludgeons, summoned to meet at Leicester in February, 1425-6, where the parties of Gloucester and Beaufort met in hostile attitude, and Bedford arbitrated between them, 195 six members represented Staffordshire : the county sending Richard Lane of Bentley and Thomas Arblaster ; Newcastle, Robert Wodehous and Henry Lilie ; Stafford borough, Robert Whitegreve and William Preston. 196 At the Parliament held at Westminster in 1455, when, after the battle of St. Albans, Henry was obliged to declare his enemies loyal, no returns have 1M Holinshed, op. cit. ii, 251. 1SI Paston Letters, i, 327. 88 Ibid, i, 335. "' Ibid. 416, 426. 190 Rymer, Foedera (orig. ed.), xi, 443. 191 Hall, Cbnn. (ed. 1809), 244. "' Coll. (Salt Arch. Soc.), vi, (2), 227 (New Scr.). 193 Stubbs, Const. Hist. (4th ed.), iii, 407. "' Par/. Accts. and Papers, Ixii (i), 282. 19s Stubbs, Const. Hist, iii, 103, 387 ; Rot. Par!. (Rec. Com.), iv, 296-7. 116 Par!. Accts. and Papers, Ixii (i), 311. 244