Battle of Losecote Field

Battle of Losecoat Field

Date	12 March 1470
Location	Tickencote Warren near Empingham Coordinates: 52°41′10″N 0°32′10″W / 52.68611°N 0.53611°W / 52.68611; -0.53611
Result	Royal Victory

Belligerents

House of York (royal)

House of York (rebel)

Commanders and leaders

Edward IV

Robert Welles, Lord Willoughby de Eresby

Strength

Unknown

30,000

Casualties and losses

Unknown

The Battle of Losecoat Field (also known as the Battle of Empingham) was fought on 12 March 1470, during the Wars of the Roses. Spellings of "Losecoat" vary, with "Losecote" and "Loose-coat" also seen.

The battle secured the defeat of the poorly organised Welles Uprising against King Edward IV, but ultimately led to the defection of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and the king's brother George, Duke of Clarence to the Lancastrian cause after they were forced to flee the country having been implicated in the rebellion.

Almost a year earlier, in July 1469, an army loyal to the Yorkist king, King Edward IV was defeated at the Battle of Edgecote Moor by Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, his disaffected former supporter; Edward himself was subsequently captured in Olney, Buckinghamshire. However, with the help and support of his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, he had by now regained power. Despite the nominal reconciliation of Warwick and the king, by March 1470 Warwick found himself in a similar position to that which he had been in before the battle of Edgecote. He was unable to exercise any control over, or influence, Edward's policies. Warwick wanted to place another of the King's brothers, George, Duke of Clarence, on the throne so that he could regain his influence. To do so, he called on former supporters of the defeated House of Lancaster.

When his family fell foul of Edward in 1470, Robert Welles, 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, a former Lancastrian, turned to Warwick for help. Warwick judged the time was ripe for another coup d'état, to kill or remove Edward from the throne.

...
Wikipedia