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. First, the relationship that existed between the adherents of each side of the conflict were established. Three earls and two lords - the representatives of secular nobility, commanded armies in battle. A core group of known participants of the battle were represented by the knights and squires (20). We can talk about the basic motives of choice of the conflict parties, when it was possible to reconstruct the biographical information of these people. There are a personal relationship with the lords, kinship and marital ties. The majority of the gentry occupied a significant position in their counties, therefore, in opposing the armies they were supposed to play the role of middle and minor officers. Secondly, territorial structure of the group was considered. We cannot talk about a clear territorial belonging of the gentry groups in the Mortimer’s Cross, contrary to the research propositions. Although representatives of Wales prevailed on the side of the Earl of Pembroke and the Earl of Wiltshire (Lancasters), and many representatives of Herefordshire were among the supporters of the Earl of March (York), natives of these regions (or related persons) were in the ranks of the opposing armies. Third, models of socio-political participation of gentry in the preceding and subsequent periods of the Wars of the Roses were studied. Among the majority of people only once made the choice of the party on which side they fought, not changing it.
Voyny Roz, bitva pri Mortimer Kross, Lankastery i Yorki, social'nyy sostav uchastnikov
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