The Battle of Tickle Cock Bridge 1455

The old wooden "Tickle Cock Bridge" crosses the River Coc, near the village of Potter's Knob.  It is a vital route within the county of Midshire leading to the Great South Road, and is the only way out for anyone wishing to leave.

The origins of the name of the bridge are disputed, but are most likely a result of the terrible price the original builder forced unwary travellers to pay to cross.

The catalyst of the events of May 1455 was the refusal of Lord Hugo de Farthingdale to pay his taxes to the Earl of Midshire.  Fearing that the Earl supported the Duke of York, his Lordship declared for the Lancastrian King and gathered his retinue and tenants at Potter's Knob.  Here he was joined by the Sieur de Quincy another of the County's great nobles.

The Earl found support in the person of FitzQuilp, the Sheriff of Much Rutting, a twisted hunchback peasant of a fellow, a vile strutting hairy imp.  A man who smelled of turnips.  A man so nasty that even his dog bit his ... Well you get the idea.

The Earl and his lackey the Sheriff gathered their own forces and advanced to the River Tickle, determined to cross no matter the cost, and put an end to the Lancastrians.

The forces line up between potter's Knob and the Tickle Cock Bridge

The Earl, a rather snazzy Essex miniatures WOTR King!

And the Barons...

The Barons win active status

The game in progress as the Earl aggressively closes

The Earl's horse ride down the mercenary crossbowmen, but at a price

The Baron's horse complete their charge.

The Earl's Knights are thrown back and destroyed. 

Meanwhile the Earl joins the push in the centre as his dismounted Men at Arms take on then Barons.  Alas the Earl is killed and it's pretty much game over!

A work in progress.  About half of my  80 bases done.  Better get that order in to Peter Pig!

My campaign notes for "Kingmaker - Midshire" copied below...

The FitzQuilp Letters were discovered by the academic Lady Bracknell of the University of North Durham in a collection of papers from the estate of Winston Fitzquilp, antiquarian and antiques auctioneer.  Her ladyship saved the papers from public auction by smuggling them out in a handbag... A Handbag?  oh suit yourselves...
They purport to detail the events of the English Civil wars now loosely entitled the Wars of the Roses in the County of Midshire.  However, since Midshire has never actually been identified as a real location the letters' historical veracity have been called into question on several occasions.

The County of Midshire circa 1460

From "the History of Midshire" by Lord Herbert Farthingdale, published 1903

Midshire had of course changed little since the days of King Edward III.  The County seat remained at the town of Midshire, dominated by its Castle, ruled over by the Earl.  In 1450 came the event which was to trigger the Great Civil strife in the county, which coincided with the conflicts now known as the Wars of the Roses.  Lord Hugh, the Earl of Midshire, was trapped by the French in battle at Sangatte near Calais, and done to death.  There was no direct heir.

The Earl's Mother was the formidable Henrietta, Countess of Milfshire, now married to the argumentative Sir Jeremy de Paxman, and through her three possible heirs to the Earldom could be traced, the Farthingdale's, the Whitemoores, and a tenuous claim by the twisted Sheriff FitzQuilp.
 

The Farthingdale's patrimony was the Castle of Bumburgh, commanding the coast, and believed to be impregnable.

Farthingdale's troops wear white and blue as house colours.  The house badge of the Farthingdale's is the unmistakable "Toggle and two" as worn by all Retinue troops in the Count`s employment. 

The Sieur de Quincy banner, Midshire Minster

The Whitemoores had held Gothic Castle Whitemoore for generations, enjoying the rents on the market town of Pratts Bottom below the castle hill.

Squire Fitzquilp was appointed as Sheriff of Midshire by the Earl, but had secured a Royal warrant for the post, signed by both Yorkist and Lancastrian claimants. His ancestry was unclear at best, probably an upstart peasant, but he also claimed illegitimate descent from the Earl, and like everyone else called the Countess of Milfshire his "Grandmama.". He had purchased the Moathouse at Much Rutting.

These three forces were to tear Midshire apart in ceaseless wars to claim the Earldom.

Detailed view of the town of Midshire

Characters

Squire FitzQuilp - the twisted crookback, Sheriff Of Much Rutting
Lord Hugo de Farthingdale, a chivalrous idiot,
The Heroic Sir Quincy de Whitemoore and his poltroon brother Oliver.


The cards

Mercenaries

Event cards

Ships

Character cards to add to entourage

Office cards

Manors and Towns

Squire FitzQuilp

Office card Sheriff of Much Rutting  20

Mercenaries. The band of "Grumpy old John the Archer" 10

The Manors of:

Slippery Bent 10
Hooker  10
Pratts Bottom 10

Lord Farthingdale

Office Card:  Lordship of Bumburgh  20

Abbey of Great Juggs  20

Entoruage:
Sir Rodney Pyles of Fircombe Hall

The Sea Port Town of Mudpool

Sundry Other Characters:
Sheridan Fitzquilp, the Sheriff's humpback Brother, obsessive tile collector
Mayor Livingstone, dodgy dealer of Much Rutting
The Formidable and amorous Matron Marion
Sir Nigel of Farage (pronounced as in "Garage") (the dastardly mercenary)
Friar Feck, an ill tempered boozy Cleric
Pious Bishop Odo de Whitemoore of Midshire Minster
Grumpy old John the Archer
Old Mother Paxman, everyone's Grandma, once Countess of Midshire
The Homely Abbess Griselda
The wandering Minstrel Eric o'Clapton
The infamous Wolfs-heads, Big Willy and Little Willy.
Veteran Sir Quentin de Whitemoore, of Cold Keep
Brother Baldwin
Abbot Aubrey (Audrey) of Great Juggs
The Witch of Long Winkle hill
The FitzQuilp Hermit
The Bastard, Sir Edward de Farthingdale of Ballsup Tower.
Sir Rodney Pyles of Fircombe Hall
Sir Tristran de Balsac
Sir Boasting de Braggart, Royal Steward of Midshire Castle

Sir Jeremy de Paxman of Mudpool Hall.

Setting

Whitemoore Castle
Ballsup Tower
County Seat Mid-shire Castle
The town of Midshire with its Minster
The Moathouse of Lower Rutting
The Township of Much Rutting
The Sea Port Town of Mudpool
The Royal Castle of Great Tosser
The marshland castle of Bumburgh
The Convent of St Cecily of the Melons
The walled town of Great Tosser
The Abbey of St Quentin
The Market town of Pratts Bottom
The Woodland of Mincing with its hamlet of Balls Cross
The vital Tickle Cock Bridge over the river Coc.
The pig stealers hamlet of Mellow Trump
The murderous hamlet of Midsummer Bloodshed
Long Winkle Hill and it's standing stones.
The monastery of Great Juggs, centre of the transgender order of Saint Leslie.

Manors

Dribbly Rump
Lower Tosser
Mellow Trump
St. Mellons,
Percy's Passage,
Nether Quarters
Great Juggs
Titling
Slippery Bent
Hooker
Pratts Bottom,
Much Rutting
Feltwell,
Balls Cross,
Friars Entry
Mincing bottom
Bottoms
Winkle
Long Winkle
Upper Thong,
Lower Thong
Knobs End,
Bog-head
Gropers Grab
Scratchy Bottom,
Bitchfield,
Spanker 
Sandy Balls,
Great Snoring,
Little Snoring
Crackpot,
Backside Lane,
Shite on Sea
Tickle Cock Bridge,
Potter's Knob