Richard raised a company of archers to fight at the battle of Flodden in 1513 from Middleton, near
Manchester. An
heraldic visitation in 1533 by
Clarenceux King of Arms Thomas Benolt noted that Richard had captured the courtier John Forman, sergeant porter to
James IV of Scotland and Alexander Burnett, Sheriff of Aberdeen, at Flodden. John Forman was taken to
Berwick upon Tweed where he identified the body of James IV of Scotland. Richard continued the rebuilding the parish church of
St. Leonard's at Middleton. He commissioned the "Flodden Windows" depicting himself and his wife, and seventeen captains of the archers, and the priest Henry Taylor who blessed them before the battle, commemorating them each by name in stained glass. The windows are one of the oldest war memorials in England, second in date to
All Souls College, Oxford, founded in 1438 with the provision that its fellows should pray for those killed in the
French wars. The main inscription on the glass was, as described in 1845; "Orate pro bono statu Richardi Assheton et eorum qui hanc fenestra(m) fieri fecerunt quoru(m) no(m)ina et imagines ut supra ostendatur. Anno d(omi)ni, MCCCCC(X)V", meaning "Pray for the wellbeing of Richard Assheton and those whose names and images they caused to be made in the window shown above, 1515." As there was no "X" in the painted date, it has been argued that the window dates from the decade before Flodden, and commemorates a religious confraternity of archers. The legible names included; Henricus Taylyer, Richard Kylw (or Wyld), Hughe Chetham, James Gerrarde, John Pylkyngton, Philipe Werburton, William (Ste)le, John Scolefede, Wylliam (—), James Taylier, Roger Blomeley, Crystofer Smythe, Henry Whitaker, Robart Prestwyche, and Richard Bexwicke. The window is described in a 17th-century poem
Iter Lancastrense by
Richard James, c.1636;Now go we to the church of MiddletonTo find out there some glory of our ownAt charge of those good men who went out farIn suite of brave Ashton to the warreThere stands a painted window, where I weeneThe show of their departure may be seeneThe Lord and Ladye first in skarlett; thenOne neere attending of ye chiefest menTheir garments long, his short and bliew, behindeThe chaplaine of ye warfare you may findeIn robe of ye same colour, for to sayBefore an altar praiers of ye dayeOn bended knees; him follow neighbours bouldWhoe doe bent bowes on their left shoulders houldTheir girdle sheaft with arrowes; as the squireSo are they all, court mantells in attireOf blewe; like Greeks in Trojan warre, their haireIn curles long dangling makes ye semblance faireAnd sterne; each hath his name, and people tellThat on ye same lands now their children dwellAs yet so called. Originally there was more than one window, with Richard and his wife shown separately, since 1847 the remaining glass forms one window. The window was restored again in 2012. ==Family==