The Earl of Oxford's Retinue

This may be my last post for a little while as I hope to be buying a house next week. Time will tell, these things are never set in stone!

The main reason for this post is to show off what one contingent would look like for the battle of Exeter. Each battle has three contingents or retinues. I am still deciding whether to replace Oxford's bowmen with the crossbowmen sitting on my painting table or keep his bowmen. The bowmen may form part of Jasper Tudor's mercenary retinue.

John De Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford (14443 - 1513)
John was the second son of John De Vere, the 12th Earl of Oxford, a prominent Lancastrian, who together with his eldest son Aubrey De Vere, was executed in February 1462.

John was attainted, but two years later was restored as the 13th Earl. His loyalty was suspected, and for a short time he was at the end of 1468 he was put into the Tower of London. He sided with Warwick, the Kingmaker, in the political movements of 1469 and accompanied him in exile the next year. He assisted the Lancastrian restoration of 1470 - 1471. As Constable he tried John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester who had condemned his father nine years earlier. At the Battle of Barnet Oxford was victorious in command of the Lancastrian right, but his men got out of hand and before they could be rallied Warwick was defeated. Oxford escaped to France.

In 1473 he organised a Lancastrian expedition, which, after an attempted landing in Essex, sailed west and seized St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall. It was only after a four month siege that Oxford was forced to surrender in February 1474. He was sent to Hammes near Calais, whence ten years later, in August 1484 he escaped and joined Henry Tudor in Brittany. He fought for Henry in high command at Bosworth and was rewarded by restoration to his titles, estates and hereditary office of Lord Chamberlin. At Stoke on the 16th June 1487 he led the van of the royal army.

(This information has been take from the Luminarium website without permission. Please see the link below to take you to this very informative site about the War of the Roses)

Oxford was the perennial thorn in the side of Richard III. He was perhaps a better tactician than Richard or perhaps he commanded more respect from his retainers, especially as he was of the old nobility. As at the battle of Bosworth Field for the battle of Exeter Oxford has high command of Tudor's mercenary army.