The siege of the Tower of London was an episode of the Wars of the Roses, in which adherents of the rival Plantagenet houses of Lancaster and York were pitted against each other.

In June 1460, several Yorkist nobles, who had unsuccessfully rebelled against King Henry VI the year before and had fled to Calais, invaded the south east of England at Sandwich.

The Lancastrian garrison of the Tower of London, commanded by Lord Scales, opened fire indiscriminately into the surrounding streets with cannon and wildfire, causing many deaths and injuries.

King Henry VI of England, of the House of Lancaster, was a weak monarch, unable to control the squabbling nobles who made up his Council, and also prone to periods of insanity.

York maintained that Somerset had mismanaged the Hundred Years War against France through treachery or self-interest, and that he himself was unfairly excluded from the King's council.

The successors of the nobles killed at Saint Albans remained at deadly feud with York and the Nevilles, who also provoked resistance from many who resented their wealth and presumption to offices of state.

The savage propaganda which accompanied these Acts caused widespread alarm among some of the nobles, and cities and towns which had previously been uncommitted and now feared Lancastrian retribution.

The Nevilles and York's eldest son Edward of March originally intended to make their way there separately, but were forced by a contrary winds to Devonshire.

A supporter, Sir John Dynham, informed them that the 2nd Duke of Somerset, who the King had appointed to take over the Pale of Calais from Warwick, had not yet set sail.

They preceded their invasion with a propaganda offensive, protesting against lawlessness, misuse of authority by some of the Lancastrian officers, and the injustice of the attainders of the previous year.

[7] They inspired widespread support in Kent, where there had been previous popular uprisings (Jack Cade's Rebellion), and London, where the merchants were angry over the loss of trade.

Exports of wool and broadcloth and imports of wine were a third of their value before 1459,[8] partly as a result of royal attempts to prevent the Yorkists in Calais receiving support and revenue.

The Lancastrian fleet had mutinied again and, faced with the possibility of invasion from both Calais and Ireland, the King and his army remained in the Midlands, in a central position around Coventry.

Even the Duke of Buckingham, who held the posts of Warden of the Cinque Ports (which included Sandwich), and Constable of Dover Castle, was absent from the area.

Lord Scales was a committed supporter of the House of Lancaster, and also a veteran commander of the Hundred Years' War, used to ruthless methods.

A contemporary chronicle related that "They that were within the Tower cast wildfire into the City, and shot in small guns, and burned and hurt men and women and children in the streets".

[14] Meanwhile, the day after they entered London, the Yorkist nobles addressed the Convocation of Canterbury at Saint Paul's cathedral, promising once more to respect the King's person and estate.

Every reasonably affluent male person within the city owned at least a "jack" (a padded leather jerkin) and a sallet, while many possessed full "harness" (plate armour), and were armed with swords and daggers, and weapons such as bills and longbows.

)[17] The city's Common Council acquired several bombards from a royal depot, and mounted them on the south bank of the River Thames opposite the Tower.

The council replied that Scales had begun making war on the city, killing and maiming men, women and children by gunfire.

Eventually, York agreed to the Act of Accord, by which he was accepted as Henry's heir and allowed to continue to govern the country as Protector.

After defeating Warwick at the Second Battle of St Albans and regaining custody of Henry VI, who had been abandoned on the battlefield, Queen Margaret threatened to occupy London with an army which contained many unruly Scots and borderers.