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The War of English Succession, known at the time of Somerset's Rebellion, was a civil war fought over the English throne from 1455 to 1461. The war was fought by supporters of the House of York and the House of Beaufort - two rival cadet branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - for who would succeed the House of Lancaster - also a cadet branch. The conflict resulted in the male line of the House of Beaufort extinct, leaving the House of York as the victors and would subsequently rule England.
Cause[]
The War was rooted in English socio-economic troubles caused by the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) with France, as well as the quasi-military bastard feudalism resulting from the powerful duchies created by King Edward III. Furthermore the weak rule of the last Lancastrian king, Henry VI of England, and his sudden death in 1453. Upon Henry VI's death, his queen, Margaret of Anjou was pregnant. However it was a daughter, Catherine of Lancaster, who was born. As a 1376 decree by Edward III - and the subsequent rise of Henry IV in 1399 - had codified agnatic succession in England, however the line of succession was not clear, which would trigger the war.
The Claimants[]
The two claimants to the throne were Richard, 3rd Duke of York and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. Beaufort was the agnatically senior candidate as a descendant of John of Gaunt - and thus a cadet branch of the House of Lancaster. However the Beaufort line was a legitimized branch that had been barred from succession by Henry IV. The House of York - while a junior line - was descended from a purely legitimate line. That along with Beaufort's role in the previous regime left the nobility more inclined to side with York, and thus he was crowned as Richard III of England.
Somerset's Rebellion[]
Richard III would have Somerset arrested for his failures under Henry VI, though with the aid of allies Somerset escaped in December of 1454. Somerset and his allies would gather at Leicester, though the Beaufortian forces would be crushed at the Battle of St Albans on 22 May 1455. Although Somerset's sons escaped, York would have the Beaufort family delegitimized and stripped them of their titles, granting them to Edmund Tudor - the half-brother of Henry VI and husband to Margaret Beaufort.
Henry Beaufort, now styling himself Henry VII would acquire Scottish aid from his cousin, James II of Scotland. The Beaufortian forces would hold the north for five years, taking York as a provisional capital in a bit of irony. However James II's death in 1460 and the death of Henry's queen, Joan Stewart in childbirth left the Beaufortians without Scottish aid. Despite a plea to France, Charles VII of France was uninterested in aiding Somerset.
On February 2nd, 1461, Beaufort would be defeated at the Battle of York, with his younger brothers, Edmund (who would be known as Edmund II to the Beaufortian supporters) and John would be held in the Tower of London.
Aftermath[]
With the Yorkist victory, agnatic succession and the barring of illegitimate - even if legitimized - princes from ruling was codified in English law - and like France the whim of a king could not divert succession from its legal heir. This would be confirmed in the Woodville Revolt - considered a minor flare up of the previous war - where the legitimized son of Edward IV, Edward Fitzroy was crowned as Edward V over the legal king, Edward IV's nephew, Edward of York - who was rightfully considered Edward V.
With the marriage of Richard of Gloucester - later Richard IV - and Catherine of Lancaster the cognatic claim of House Lancaster and agnatic claim of the House of York would be united, and the War of English Succession would be ended in spirit.