Finally got a chance to photograph my first Lancastrian unit - the retinue of Henry Percy, 3rd earl of Northumberland (killed at Towton). These are obviously Perry plastics with the earl himself a metal Perry. There's also a random Steel Fist man-at-arms at the end. It's a gorgeous figure and I painted him up on his own base. The other guy with the heraldic surcoat is William Bertram of Bothal, Northumberland, one of the earl's most trusted retainers who died of wounds suffered at Towton. Bertram is an interesting one: he was the son and heir of Sir John Bertram and cousin to Sir Robert Ogle, who would later be raised to the peerage for his service to the House of York. William entered the service of the 2nd of Northumberland in 1440 but remained on friendly terms with the Ogles right up until 1459/60. On 3 April 1449 the King and council wrote to Bertram, Sir Ralph Percy and his cousins, Sir Robert and John Ogle, thanking them for their recent report on the defence of the borders and assuring them that ‘the purveance and saufgarde of the saide countrees and marches . . . hath ben righte sadly communed of by the lordes of this oure parlement’. On 30 December 1460 William was present alongside the 3rd earl of Northumberland at the battle of Wakefield, and his faithful service to the Percys was rewarded when he was among the eight men upon whom the earl of Northumberland bestowed the honour of knighthood after the battle. It seems likely that Bertram was also present with Northumberland at the second battle of St. Albans in February 1461. On 29 March that year the Lancastrian army met Edward IV at the battle of Towton, where both Northumberland and Bertram, his faithful retainer to the end, were killed.

My next unit is Yorkist - another northerner, William Neville, Lord Fauconberg.