Earlier this week the Shropshire Star published an article about Shrewsbury Museums curator, Peter Boyd’s, quest to find the long lost Towton Rose. It is reported to have grown in its hundreds on the graves of the fallen in the in the Battle of Towton that took place during the Wars of the Roses. In the late 19th century the rose was identified as a form of the native Scots Rose (Rosa spinosissima), which is also known as the Burnet Rose.
I passed Towton Battle Field on my way to York early in June but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to go back and visit. It would have made an interesting follow up to my Flodden Field Battle Trail posts. But anyway I digress so back to the search for the Towton Rose.
From the Shropshire Star:
A Shropshire-based world expert on roses is embarking on a Holy Grail-type quest to find a variety of plant associated with the bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil – and which has not been seen for over 70 years.
Peter Boyd, curator at Shrewsbury Museums, is appealing to people across the country to search high and low in their gardens for the Towton Rose – which featured pink and red markings on its petals.
The rose allegedly grew in its hundreds on the graves of the fallen at the famous Battle of Towton during the Wars of the Roses just a few miles from York.
More than 28,000 Lancastrians and Yorkists fell at the spot in 1461, reputedly the bloodiest battle in English history. The rose is only purported to have bloomed on the soils where the blood of dead is supposed to have been spilled, according to legend and poetry.
Mr Boyd said: “The Towton rose was identified in the 19th century as a form of the native Scots Rose (Rosa spinosissima), also known as the Burnet Rose. There is no doubt that it did exist but it is said that it has not been seen for over 70 years.
“At this particular site at Towton, there were these flowers which had pink and red markings that people said was from the blood of the fallen. Of course, that is non-sense but it makes a romantic tale.
“Because this rose was common on the battlefield, people went to collect bits of it as souvenirs and local people even sold them. But just after the Second World War, local farmers got so fed up of people coming onto their land that they went out with their men and dug all the remaining plants up.
“It might still survive on the site but I have been there and had a pretty thorough search and we certainly didn’t find any.”
Mr Boyd is being joined in his quest for the rose by author Peter Algar, from Leeds, who wrote the book The Shepherd Lord, set during the aftermath of Towton.
“Day trippers from Leeds and Bradford area and further afield were known to visit Towton to pick up souvenirs of the rose” said Mr Algar.
“Maybe someone has one in their garden elsewhere in Britain?”
If anyone can help in the quest, they can visit www.theshepherdlord.com or www.peterboyd.com.
Article by Russell Roberts
You can follow the quest on George Algar’s Blog, hopefully it will be successful, I shall certainly be keeping my eye on it and if any of you just happen to see one…
“The Towton Rose (Rosa spinosissima) once flourished in the Bloody Meadow. A wild dwarf rose, the flower is both red and white. It is almost extinct today. …”
The Battle of Towton (Palm Sunday, 1461)
http://www.taheke.co.nz/king_richard_iii/virtual_towton.html
That’s an interesting link. I am not quite sure why the Shropshire Star mentioned pink in it’s description, maybe they were referring to different shades of red…
The question of pink or red often confuses. When medieval and even later records state a colour as being red, it can mean that the colour may span from pink to dark red. Apparently, there were no gradations of the colour when these descriptions were being penned. So, the colour of the Towton Rose was white with either pink or red tinges on the petals. I am not aware of anyone having taken a photograph or sketched a drawing of this elusive rose so all we have to rely on are the written records. Unfortunately, some of these are contradictory.
Thanks for the clarification on the colouring. When dealing with historical records there are often differing accounts of the same thing. I find this quite often when studying my family history. It adds to the challenge of finding out what really went on. In the case of the rose wouldn’t it be great if a photograph or sketch of it turned up?
It is possible that someone has a photograph, drawing or painting of the rose without realising its significance. Edmund Bogg, who wrote about it and penned a poem on The Towton Rose in the early 1900’s was a prolific photographer. Unfortunately, he did not include a photo of the rose in his book – I guess it was not in bloom when he visited. He also had an art and picture framing shop in Leeds. Maybe one of his students painted the rose? It would be wonderful if someone reading this blog has such a painting.
I will Blog on this again from a different angle to see if my readers (there are quite a few from the north) can come up with some ideas that haven’t been thought of yet.
I hope they find it/ It is something We would like to be able to grow as my birthday is on 29 March, the day the battle took place
I hope they find it too
Incidentally your birthday is the day before my Mum’s.
Tell me when you find it.
James, you have to play your part in the search!!!
What a wonderful legend. I hope it’s found.
Although there is some legend in this story I think the flower itself is real and it is out there somewhere.
The search continues. More anon.
I am looking forward to further developments.