Mortimers Cross

The Battle of Mortimers Cross, where I am currently, was fought on 2nd February 1461 near Wigmore, not far from the Welsh border. It was a major battle of the War of the Roses. The opposing forces were an array led by nobles loyal to the king Henry vi of the house of Lancaster, his queen Margaret of arron and their 7 year old son, Edward, prince of Wales on one side, and the army of Edward earl of March. Some sources say it was fought on the 3rd and the exact location is disputed.
Upon the death of the duke of York at Wakefield the previous December, the Yorkists were led by his 18 year old son, now 4th duke of York. He sought to prevent the Lancastrian for e's from Wales, led by Owen Tudor and son jasper, from joining up with the main body of Lancastrian forces. The elder Tudor had been second husband to Catherine of Valois, widow of Henry v. His array included the Welsh from their own lands in Carmarthen and Pembroke, and french Bretons, and Irish mercenaries led by James butler, 5th earl of or one. Edward based at Wigmore castle had gathered troops from along the borders and there were significant Welsh forces on the Yorkist side especially sir William Herbert of raglan and his supporters, who included sir richard devereux, Herbert's father in law and john milewater, john tuchet, Lord audley, Lord grey of Wilton and the future earl of Devon created by Edward, Humphrey Stratford. After spending christmas at Gloucester he began to prepare for london. However, jasper Tudors hostile army was approaching and he changed his plan: so as to block Pembrokeshire advance and block him from meeting up with the main Lancastrian force which was approaching london, Edward moved north with an army of approximately 5000 men at mortimers cross.
As dawn broke, the meteorological phenomenon known as parhelion occurred: three Suns were seen to be rising. The appearance of this sun dog before the battle seems to have frightened his troops, but Edward of York appears to have convinced them that it represented an omen of the holy trinity. He later took this as his emblem, ' the sun in splendour'.
One of yorkshire advisors, sir richard croft, a local Lord from croft castle, recommended the archers be at the crossroads now A4110 B4362 in order to halt the Lancastrian advance. Pembrokeshire army was 1000 smaller than yorkshire and being untried in battle at that point, may not have originally planned to fight, but by midday, it was clear they would have to in order to cross the river lugg. The Lancastrians commenced battle. Butlers battle division led the first assault, forcing Edwards right wing to retreat across the road where this flank dissolved. Pembroke found Edwards central division has held off, but not decisively. Owen Tudor attempted an encirclement of the Yorkist left wing; his battle was defeated and a rout commenced. Pembrokeshire centre then also broke and the battle was won. Owen Tudors men were now in full flight, some chased as far as Hereford, 17 miles south where Owen was captured and beheaded.
The battle having intruded on yorkshire plans to march to the Midlands richard Neville, earl of Warwick, with the captive king Henry in tow, was meanwhile forced to move to block Margaret's army route to London on his own. They took up positions north of St albans astride the main road from the north. Although he lost the battle that followed, and Margaret of Anjou could march un impeded to london they did not do so. The Lancastrian armies reputation for pillage caused Londoners to close the gates. This in turn caused Margaret to hesitate, as did news of the Yorkist victory of Mortimers cross. The Lancastrians fell back through Dunstable, here many scots and bordereres deserted with what plunder they already had. Edward of March and Warwick entered london on March 2nd and Edward was crowned king edward IV of England. Within a few weeks his position was confirmed by the bloody battle of Towton.