Battle of Empingham (Losecoat)

In February 1470 a disturbance at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire instigated by Richard Lord Welles quickly escalated into a full-scale rebellion when the rebels began crying for Henry VI.

By the beginning of March a force of rebels numbering up to 30,000 men had gathered at Ranby Hawe and began to march south towards Stamford. Edward IV, who was in London, acted quickly. Welles and Sir Thomas Dymmoke were summoned to London with a promise of safe conduct to find out the reason for the rebellion. He gathered together an army of 15,000 men and a considerable artillery train and headed north via Royston, Huntingdon and Stamford.

On 12th March the Lincolnshire rebels, led by Welles' son Sir Robert Welles, stopped north of Slamiord on hearing news of the approach of Edward IV's army and arrayed themselves across Ermine Street between Empingham and Pickworth on slightly rising ground. Edward IV having marched out of Stamford deployed his army facing the rebels just north of Tickencote and then made an example of Lord Welles and Dymmoke by having them brought before the army and executed in fall view of the rebels. This was quickly followed by a massive bombardment of the rebel position by the Royal artillery train.

This threw the whole rebel army into disarray. As soon as Edward's army advanced the rebels broke and ran from the field throwing away their livery jackets, giving the battle its name 'Losecote Field', also known as the Battle of Empingham. Sir Robert Welles with Richard Warin, the Lincolnshire captain and other leaders were executed a week later.