Battle of Mortimer's Cross
Part of Wars of the Roses
Date February 2, 1461 Location Wigmore in Herefordshire, England Result Decisive Yorkist victory
Combatants
House of York	House of Lancaster
Commanders
Edward, Earl of March	Owen Tudor†, Jasper Tudor
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought on February 2, 1461 near Wigmore, Herefordshire (between Hereford and Leominster, by the River Lugg). It was part of the Wars of the Roses. Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross - Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. ... For the village in the Borough of Medway, see Wigmore, Kent. ... Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county and unitary district (known as County of Herefordshire) in the West Midlands region of England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... Image File history File links Yorkshire_rose. ... The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century. ... Image File history File links Lancashire_rose. ... The House of Lancaster is a dynasty of English kings. ... Edward IV (April 28, 1442 – April 9, 1483) was King of England from March 4, 1461 to April 9, 1483, with a break of a few months in the period 1470–1471. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford (ca 1431- December 21/26, 1495) was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and the architect of his successful conquest of England and Wales in 1485. ... Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Richard, Duke of York, Richard, Earl of Warwick Edmund, Duke of Somerset Strength 3,000 2,000 Casualties Unknown 300 The First Battle of St Albans was the first battle of the Wars of the Roses and was fought on May 22... Battle of Blore Heath Conflict Wars of the Roses Date September 23, 1459 Place Blore Heath Result Yorkist victory The Battle of Blore Heath was the first major battle in the English Wars of the Roses and was fought on September 23, 1459, at Blore Heath, two miles east of... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Richard, Duke of York Henry VI Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown Wars of the Roses 1st St Albans – Blore Heath – Ludford Bridge – Northampton – Wakefield – Mortimers Cross – 2nd St Albans – Ferrybridge – Towton – Hedgeley Moor – Hexham – Edgecote Moor – Lose-coat Field – Barnet... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Warwick Henry VI, Buckingham Strength 20,000-30,000 10,000-15,000 Casualties Unknown 300 The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460. ... The Battle of Wakefield took place at Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, on December 30, 1460, and was one of the major actions of the Wars of the Roses. ... The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought February 22, 1461 near the town of St Albans. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Earl of Warwick John Clifford, Sir John Neville Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 3000 Unknown {{{notes}}} The Battle of Ferrybridge, 28 March 1461, was a small engagement between the houses of York and Lancaster before the larger battle of Towton, during the period... The Battle of Towton in the Wars of the Roses was the bloodiest ever fought on British soil, with casualties believed to have been in excess of 20,000 (perhaps as many as 30,000) men. ... The Battle of Hedgeley Moor, 25 April 1464, was a battle of the Wars of the Roses. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset Strength 4,000 Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Hexham (May 15, 1464) marked the end of significant Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part... The Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury (Oxfordshire), England on July 26, 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. ... The Battle of Losecote Field was fought on 12 March 1470, during the period know as the Wars of the Roses. ... The Battle of Barnet, which took place on April 14, 1471, was a decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, near the town of Barnet, 10 miles north of London. ... Combatants House of York House of Lancaster Commanders Edward IV of England Edmund Beaufort Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which took place on May 4, 1471, completed one phase of the Wars of the Roses. ... Combatants King Richard III of England, Yorkist Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Lancastrian Commanders Richard III of England† Nominally, Richmond in practice, the Earl of Oxford Strength 6,000 (king had 15,500 but Lord Stanley with 4,000 and his brother, Sir William Stanley with 2,500 betrayed; Henry... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross - Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. ... For the village in the Borough of Medway, see Wigmore, Kent. ... Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county and unitary district (known as County of Herefordshire) in the West Midlands region of England. ... Statistics Population: 50,154 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO515405 Administration District: Herefordshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Herefordshire Historic county: Herefordshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and telephone Post town: HEREFORD Postal... Statistics Population: 11,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO496591 Administration District: Herefordshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Herefordshire Historic county: Herefordshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: {{{Ambulance}}} Post office and telephone Post town: LEOMINSTER Postal district... The River Lugg rises near Presteigne, Wales (OS ref: 309649), then flows through Herefordshire, England, including the town of Leominster, to become a tributary of the River Wye, which it joins at Mordiford, 9 miles downstream of Hereford and 45 miles from its source. ... Lancaster York For other uses, see Wars of the Roses (disambiguation). ...

Upon the death of the Duke of York at Wakefield the previous December, the Yorkists were led by his 18-year-old son Edward, Earl of March (later Edward IV of England). He sought to prevent Lancastrian forces from Wales, led by Owen Tudor and his son Jasper from joining up with the main body of Lancastrian forces. Edward had gathered troops from along the borders and there were also significant Welsh forces on the Yorkist side especially Sir William Herbert and his supporters. This article is about Richard, Duke of York, father of King Edward IV. For the article about Edward IVs son who was imprisoned in the Tower of London see: Richard, Duke of York (Prince in the Tower). ... The Battle of Wakefield took place at Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, on December 30, 1460, and was one of the major actions of the Wars of the Roses. ... The title Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. ... Edward IV (April 28, 1442 – April 9, 1483) was King of England from March 4, 1461 to April 9, 1483, with a break of a few months in the period 1470–1471. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford (ca 1431- December 21/26, 1495) was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and the architect of his successful conquest of England and Wales in 1485. ... William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. ...

The Yorkists were victorious, Jasper Tudor fled, while Owen Tudor was captured and executed and many other Welshmen were slain, possibly as many as 4000 according to some accounts. The victory paved the way for Edward's crowning later in the year.

The battle is also remembered for the appearance of a complete sun dog (also known as a 'parhelion') in the sky before the battle. The use of the Sun as a Yorkist symbol probably stems from this. William Shakespeare described this phenomenon and its portentous symbolism in Act Two Scene One of Henry VI Part 3: An unusually pronounced sundog produced by sunlight passing through thin cirrus clouds. ...

Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun;
Not separated with the racking clouds,
But sever'd in a pale clear-shining sky.
See, see! they join, embrace, and seem to kiss,
As if they vow'd some league inviolable:
Now are they but one lamp, one light, one sun.
In this the heaven figures some event.

However, Shakespeare omits any mention of the following battle.

External links

• The Battle of the Three Suns: Mortimer's Cross