BattlefieldsOxford Escape from Hammes to France 1484
Medieval

Oxford Escape from Hammes to France 1484

1484
Kent, England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Kent, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Yorkist guards
Forces
Yorkist guards
VS
Victor
Oxford and sympathizers
Forces
Oxford with sympathizers
Outcome
Oxford freed; joined Tudor; commanded the vanguard at Bosworth 1485; the escape shook confidence in Yorkist security of the Calais garrison
The Battle

History & Significance

John de Vere Earl of Oxford escaped from Hammes Castle in the Calais pale in October 1484, taking several members of the garrison with him to France to join Henry Tudor's court in Brittany and then Normandy. His escape significantly strengthened Tudor's military planning for the 1485 invasion.

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