Andrew Trollope

Who was Andrew Trollope?

Sir Andrew Trollope was an English soldier during the later stages of the Hundred Years' War and at the time of the Wars of the Roses. Born into a family of Durham dyers, Trollope began his long military career in France in the 1420s as a man at arms, serving under John Fastolf and later John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset. After surrendering the fortress of Fresnay in 1450, Trollope was made Master Porter of Calais, a capacity in which he continued to serve until 1459.

Shortly before the confrontation at Ludford Bridge, Trollope sailed for England with Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick known as. At the Battle of Ludford Bridge Trollope commanded part of the Yorkist army of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, but betrayed his master to the Lancastrians. From then on, Trollope was an invaluable strategist to Margaret of Anjou and supposedly concocted the Lancastrian plan at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, where York and Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury were killed. Andrew Trollope also fought at the Second Battle of St Albans, where he stepped on a caltrop and was knighted by Queen Margaret. Six weeks later, Trollope went with the Lancastrians to the Battle of Towton to fight the Yorkist army of Edward IV. Considered the "opposite number" of his contemporary William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent, Trollope was killed during the battle and posthumously attainted. His son Sir David Trollope was also killed at Towton.