- Pontefract Castle 17th Century
- 1648 - Royalist, Captain Thomas Paulden, noted that on 9th September 1648 ‘ the Enemie marched quietly into the towne…the same day they brought downe some foote w’thin Carabin shott of the Castle & there made a Baricade, & planted 3 foote Colours & brought a horse guard vpon the south-west side of ye Castle, & placed them vpon Bag-hill.’ This dates the start of the castle’s third and final siege, three weeks after Crowell’s overwhelming victory at the Battle of Preston thereby releasing his time and energy and Parliamentary forces to ‘deal’ with the problem of Pontefract Castle.
- Sandal Castle 15th Century
- 1460 - On 9th September 1460, Richard Duke of York landed at Chester and began to march south with his banners emblazoned with the royal arms. As York headed towards Westminster, he would seriously misjudge the mood of his fellow nobles who had no stomach to overthrow an anointed king. With his attempt to take the crown bound for failure, and despite the Act of Accord of 25th October 1460 naming Richard or his heirs as successor to Henry VI, York was now on a collision course with Margaret of Anjou, desperate to protect the succession of her son Prince Edward. York’s fate would be sealed before the end of the year with his death at the Battle of Wakefield.