Edward IV and Warwick have fallen out,…

1469 CE

Edward IV and Warwick have fallen out, eight years after the great Yorkists' victory in battle of Towton, in which the Kingmaker had taken crucial part.

No longer exercising any control or even influence over his cousin, the King, in political matters, Warwick has by 1469 formed an alliance with Edward's jealous and treacherous brother George, who marries Isabel Neville in defiance of Edward's wishes in Calais.

The Duke of Clarence is heir to the English throne while the king has no male offspring.

Small rebellions in the North send the King on a slow march in that direction.

With the King's back turned, Warwick's agents spread rumors stating that the King had been bastard-born and that Clarence is York's true heir.

In the North, one of Warwick's captains, calling himself Robin of Redesdale (probably a trusted Neville captain, Sir William Conyers) starts a new rebellion.

When Edward hears of this he believes the rebellion will easily be put down and musters only a few of his men.

He soon learns that the rebels in fact outnumber his own small force, and starts a retreat towards Nottingham to gather more recruits.

Unfortunately the King lacks the popularity he once had and reinforcements are few.

Edward decides to wait in Nottingham for the Earls of Pembroke and Devon, arriving with an army from the south.

Warwick and Clarence on July 12 declare their support for the rebels.

Warwick leaves London on the 18th at the head of a large army to reinforce the rebels.

The rebels hurry south to meet with Warwick, bypassing the King but nearly colliding with Pembroke and Devon at Edgecote Moor.

The two armies become aware of each other on July 25 and join in battle early in the morning of the 26th.

The beginning is a rather one-sided affair as the Earl of Devon and his Welsh archers are some miles away, having stayed the night in a neighboring village.

The rebels attack across the river, forcing Pembroke to retreat and pull his men back some distance.

Pembroke is attacked again in his new position, but he puts up a brave defense while awaiting Devon.

At one o'clock the Earl receives the news he has been waiting for: Devon is rapidly advancing with all his men.

However, at the same time the advance guard of Warwick's army arrives upon the field.

Rebel morale is instantly boosted.

Seeing Warwick's livery among the enemy, Pembroke's men presume his whole force of expert soldiers is upon them.

The royal army breaks and flees the field, possibly before Devon could even reinforce them.

The Earl of Pembroke and his brother Sir Richard Herbert are captured and executed the following day on Warwick’s order.

The Earl of Devon suffers a similar fate a few days later, captured by a mob at Bridgwater in Somerset, and executed on August 17.

The victory has been by no means bloodless; the rebels have lost Henry Neville, the eldest son and heir of George Neville, 1st Baron Latimer, Sir James Conyers, the son of their general (presumably "Robin of Redesdale"), Sir Oliver Dudley, the youngest son of John Sutton, 1st Baron Dudley, another of the Neville family group, and many more.