Stoke Field 1487

[Gangleri]

Hi, folks. Pretty new to these forums (and duly impressed by everyone's work).  I thought you might be interested to see what I've been working on for the past weeks.

The battle of Stoke Field has always been near to my heart, so to speak, and I studied it in considerable depth as an undergraduate writing my thesis on the tumultuous early years of Henry VII's reign.  I've been trying to 'recreate' the Earl of Lincoln's army, a fascinating polyglot force of English, Irish, and Germans that provides a pleasant mix of styles and modeling techniques.  Pictures aren't the best, but that's always been a weak point of mine.







More can be seen at my blog, though I'll post some updates here as well, time permitting.
http://stokefield.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoy!

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Consider me impressed! Really like what you've achieved with the heraldry on the short jacks, very well accomplished! I dont know if it's just the camera, but the skin looks like it could need a wash and a highlight though - what are you planning to do with basing?

[EndTransmission]

Fantastic work on those. The heraldry looks really well done

[UbiqueMatt]

Interest project and nicely painted figures. Can I suggest you add a 'follow' widget to your blog.

[Captain Blood]

Coming on nicely - well done on the heraldry 

[Gangleri]

Thanks to all for the encouraging comments.

I dont know if it's just the camera, but the skin looks like it could need a wash and a highlight though - what are you planning to do with basing?

The camera has something to do with it, I believe, but a few of the faces came out a bit flat.  They'll all get some tidying up before I mount them to the bases.  Speaking of which, I don't really have any interesting ideas for the bases yet.  Any suggestions?  The battle was fought in mid-June on nice firm ground, so apart from the normal green tussocks, rocks, and the ubiquitous and not very interesting spent arrows, I can't think of anything to affix.

Can I suggest you add a 'follow' widget to your blog.

Hmm, thought I did that.  Thanks for the heads-up.

Billmen should be assembled soon - pics forthcoming.

[westwaller]

Looking good.

You could have patches of dry ground were the grass has worn thin? Could it have rained a little the night/day before? If so some small puddles perhaps? Or perhaps some flower clumps on the bases?

[doowopapocalypse]

Lovely stuff. Looking forward to more updates.

[Phil Portway]

Like what you have done with the spearmen
 

[warburton]

Nice work!

[dm]

Looking forward to seeing how it develops Nice work on the surcoats

I know the area well and have walked the area the battle may have covered a lot over the years and it is not very rocky.

I often wonder if the battle got so little coverage and was underplayed by the winning side through Henry not wanting any more attempts on his crown but by the late 1480's the Yorkist cause was truly becoming a thing of the past. It is said that Henry also dealt with the surviving rebels well after the battle but when you consider most of the Yorkist leaders were killed and eye witness accounts from the side that lost would have been thin on the ground.

Do you have a link to any sources for the Heraldry/surcoats of both sides? I have thought of having a go at eithier force or both before but have been put off through trying to track things down.

[Metternich]

Bravo Sir !  I like my roses white !

[Gangleri]

Bravo Sir !  I like my roses white !

When I was about ten, I went to the annual Bosworth reenactment while visiting Leicester, where my father lived for a time, and I was strangely moved by the affection and loyalty that many of the attendees, especially the Leicesterians, felt towards the House of York.It's stayed with me ever since.

I often wonder if the battle got so little coverage and was underplayed by the winning side through Henry not wanting any more attempts on his crown but by the late 1480's the Yorkist cause was truly becoming a thing of the past. It is said that Henry also dealt with the surviving rebels well after the battle but when you consider most of the Yorkist leaders were killed and eye witness accounts from the side that lost would have been thin on the ground.

Do you have a link to any sources for the Heraldry/surcoats of both sides? I have thought of having a go at eithier force or both before but have been put off through trying to track things down.

 

Stoke is often called the definitive end of the WotR and the House of York, but in reality the specter of Yorkist insurrection hung over Henry's head long after 1487.  It's true that after (and even by) '87 many Yorkists were dead, imprisoned, won over to the House of Tudor, or simply too tired of war to keep fighting.  But those who remained caused Henry no end of worry, especially because the Yorkist cause was a magnet for anyone dissatisfied with the new king, even his own relatives (to wit, Lord Stanley,) and for any foreign power trying to assert influence over England (Warbeck had, at one point or another, the support of every important continental sovereign).  So the apparent calmness of Henry's post-'87 reign is more the result of his own political cunning than of the absence of Yorkist agitation.  And of course the Tudor had no way of knowing the pretenders wouldn't succeed - to him, every one was a risk and had to be treated accordingly.

As for guides to heraldry, etc., I'm afraid I don't have much to give you, because I find most of it piece-meal.  If you're looking for anybody in particular, PM me, and I'll see what I can dig up. 

I haven't been much in the mood for painting, so instead I did some test runs for the Archer and Billmen bases:






The dashing gent in the middle is the Earl of Lincoln himself.

Still quite WIP on these - hope to tidy them up and repose some of them over the weekend.

Thanks to all for the encouraging comments!

[Captain Blood]

Nice collection coming along there.

Particularly like the overarm, high thrusting bill in the first picture. Never used those arms that way before - thanks for the inspiration! (I.e. - I shall nick that! )

[tomrommel1]

very very good start !!!!