Battle of Losecoat Field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Losecoat Field
Part of The Wars of the Roses
Date 12 March 1470 Location Tickencote Warren near Empingham Result Royal Victory
Belligerents
House of York (Royal)	House of Lancaster (Rebel)
Commanders and leaders
Edward IV	Baron Willoughby
Strength
unknown	30,000
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Losecoat Field (also called the Battle of Empingham) happened on March 12, 1470. It was a key event during the Wars of the Roses, a long fight for the English throne.

This battle saw the defeat of a rebellion led by Sir Robert Welles against King Edward IV. However, it also caused Warwick and the king's brother George, Duke of Clarence to switch sides. They were forced to leave the country after being linked to the uprising.

Why the Battle Happened

Almost a year before, in July 1469, King Edward IV's army was beaten at the Battle of Edgcote. This defeat was caused by Warwick, who used to be a strong supporter of the king. Edward was even captured for a short time.

With help from his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, King Edward got his power back. Even though Warwick and the king seemed to make up, Warwick still couldn't control Edward's decisions. Warwick wanted to put Edward's brother, George, Duke of Clarence, on the throne instead. This way, Warwick hoped to get his influence back. To do this, he asked for help from people who had supported the defeated House of Lancaster.

The rebellion started in 1470. It was led by Sir Robert Welles. His family had problems with King Edward. Sir Robert asked Warwick for help. Warwick thought it was the right time to try and remove Edward from the throne.

Sir Robert Welles began gathering soldiers in Lincolnshire. King Edward heard about this and started gathering his own army on March 4. News spread quickly that the king was coming. Welles deliberately spread false rumors that the king would punish rebels who had been pardoned before.

Warwick and Clarence encouraged Welles. Welles became a "great captain" for the people of Lincolnshire. On March 4, he asked all able men to join him against the king. On March 7, the king heard that the rebels were marching towards Stamford with a huge army.

The king then received letters from Clarence and Warwick. They said they were marching north to support him. Edward didn't suspect anything and even allowed Warwick to raise his own army. But then Edward learned that the rebels, Warwick, and Clarence were all heading to Leicester. This showed Edward their true plans.

King Edward sent a letter to Welles. He told Welles to send his rebel army home. If Welles didn't, his father, Lord Welles (who Edward had captured), would be put to death. Welles quickly turned his army back towards Stamford. Edward felt more confident because Welles's army didn't meet up with Warwick's experienced soldiers.

The Battle Begins

King Edward's scouts found the rebel army about 5 miles from Stamford. They were ready for battle next to the Great North Road. This was north of Tickencote Warren, near Empingham in Rutland.

Edward placed his soldiers in a battle line north of Welles's army. Then, in the space between the two armies, Lord Welles was put to death. Both armies could see this happen.

This action made the rebels charge forward. They shouted "for Warwick" and "for Clarence." King Edward's army fired a single round of cannonballs. Then, Edward ordered his men to charge. The battle ended very quickly. The rebels broke ranks and ran away. They didn't want to fight the king's well-trained soldiers.

Both rebel leaders, Sir Robert Welles and his commander Richard Warren, were captured. They were put to death a week later on March 19. Welles admitted his actions and said Warwick and Clarence were the main people who started the rebellion. Documents were also found that proved Warwick and Clarence were involved. Because of this, they had to leave England.

What's in a Name?

The battle is sometimes called "Losecoat Field." A popular story says that many of Welles's men were wearing jackets with Warwick's and Clarence's symbols. When they started running away, they threw off their coats so they wouldn't be identified. This is why it was called "Lose-coat." However, this story was first written down much later, in the 1800s.

Older records from that time called the battle site "Hornfield." The name "Losecoat" probably comes from an old English phrase, hlose-cot, which means "pigsty cottage." This name was likely given to a field in the area. Later, people linked the "lose coat" story to the battle. A nearby forest is now called Bloody Oaks. Bloody Oaks Quarry is a special nature area managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.