The social structure of the participants of the battle of Mortimer's Cross 2 February 1461

The study of the social composition of participants in one of the battles of the War of the Roses in England is the aim of the article. Although the events of this conflict is known in sufficient detail, the main discussion issue is the impact of wars on society and the involvement of representatives of different social groups. Its solution is possible by drawing up of the «collective biographies» using the method of prosopography. The study of the social composition of participants in individual battle is one step in achieving this goal. Information about the participants of the battle contains mostly in narratives (Short English Chronicle, Gregory’s Chronicle, Annales and Itinerarium of William Worcester). Their information was compared with official sources (Rotuli Parliamentorum, Close Rolls, Patent Rolls, Fine Rolls). The result was a set the names of 35 people who participated in the battle, 20 of them fought on the side of Lancaster and 15 on the side of York. The conclusions can be divided into three parts...