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Page 8 of 10
A postcard commemorating the battle of Sampford Courtenay.
The fight, which lasted over an hour and saw the death of Thomas Underhill, only ended when Sir William Herbert’s Tudor-loyal Welshmen decided to join forces with Lord Grey’s detachment, and pressed Arundell back to the village.
Again, Russell deployed his three-pronged attack: Herbert and Kingston on the left; Grey taking the centre; and Russell himself leading the assault from the right, each of them releasing withering gunfire. Contemporary Exeter historian John Hooker wrote that the Cornish would not give in until most of their number had been slain or captured. In the end, it was might, not right, that won the day for Lord John Russell, who reported that his army had killed between 500 and 600. His pursuit of the Cornish retreat killed a further 700.
The Devonian men made a vain attempt to find safety in Somerset but, one by one, they were caught and mostly hanged, drawn and quartered by troops led by Sir Peter Carew and Sir Hugh Paulet. The Cornishmen headed for home but tried one final time to stand against Russell at Okehampton. Again, Russell planned an attack but hesitated after the opposition he had thus far received. Instead, he and his troops sat their horses all night, fearing a surprise assault that never materialised. In the morning, he received news from the traitor, Kessell, that the Cornish forces had been decimated and moved into the town, only to find that the Cornishmen were now back across the Tamar.
Russell followed, determined to obey his orders to capture Arundell and Wynslade. Arundell had taken refuge in Launceston where he was again betrayed by Kestell and taken in the streets of the town, after a terrific struggle that saw English soldiers lose their lives. The capture of other Cornish leaders soon followed. Arundell, Wynslade, Thomas Holmes of Blisland and John Bury were taken, first to Rougemont Castle where they joined others, such as Henry Bray, mayor of Bodmin, then to the Tower of London and finally executed by being hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on January 27, 1550.
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