10th June 1487

In the night of the 10th June 1487, the Yorkist rebel force gathered by John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln and Francis Lovell, Viscount Lovell with the help of Margaret of York first made enemy contact, with some forces of Lord Clifford.

Having only landed in England, on Piel Island near Furness, where Francis had spent some time hiding after his failed rebellion the previous year, six days earlier, the troops had marched over 100 miles in that time, a section of them arriving at Bramham Moor the day before. Lord Clifford, leading around 400 soldiers to join more soldiers at York, does not seem to have been aware quite how close they already were. Arriving at Tadcaster, near Branham Moor, in the afternoon of 10th June, a Sunday, he stopped there for the night.

The present Yorkist forces, led by Francis, attacked Clifford and his men that night, taking them by surprise. The York Civic Records describe the attack, however including an inconsistency about where it happened. At first, quite logically, it claims the Yorkist forces attacked the town where Clifford and his men "loged", saying that "the same night the Kinges ennymes lying negh to the same towne [Tadcaster], cam upon the said Lord Clifford folkes and made a grete skrymisse ther". However, it then goes on to to claim that, suffering defeat, Clifford "with such folkes as he might get, retourned to the Citie again", suggesting at some point Clifford and his men had left Tadcaster to meet Francis and his forces in combat.

It is therefore not quite certain what exactly happened that night, except that Francis and the part of the Yorkist rebel forces he led made a surprise attack on Lord Clifford and his men and defeated them, sending him fleeing. If they attacked the town to get to them or if, lookouts seeing them coming, Clifford and his men came to meet them, there is no certainty.

However, according to the York Civic Records, Francis and his troops were at one point in the city, and some of what it says suggest that the whole skirmish took place inside it, making this the somewhat more likely version. It is stated that "at that same skrymisse were slain and maymed diverse of the said toune", and that "thinhabitants ther were spoled and robbed". The latter was a sadly typical result of skirmishes and battles in or near cities, but the former definitely states that those of the city who died did so during the skirmish, not in any excesses of violence afterwards.

In fact, whatever devastation was wreaked on the town seems to have been comparatively mild, as there were no records of it being burned, of buildings otherwise destroyed, of any non battle-related deaths or, another horribly frequent crime after such skirmishes, of rapes.

Whatever truly happened, the York Civic records do not go into detail, instead, after shortly mentioning the terrible occurences during the skirmish, focusing on what was probably the reason for the attack, namely the loss of Lord Clifford`s equipment and luggage to the Yorkist rebels: "...and the gardewyans and trussing coffers of the Lord Clifford was taken of the brig by misfortune, and had unto the other partie."

It was, in comparison to what was to follow, a small skirmish, though a resounding success for the Yorkist rebel forces. Clifford, without much equipment and a decimated force, retreated to York, while Francis, with his successful rebel force, went on to meet with Lincoln.