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Edgecote Moor
- 26th July 1469
On 25 July Pembroke and Devon decided to make
camp for the night at Edgecote, but Devon billeted his forces several
miles away. The rebels made camp on the other side of a small river. As
night fell it became clear that both forces were closer than either of
them throught, and were now too close to avoid a battle.
When the rebels attacked the next morning,
Pembroke's men, mostly Welshmen, had to face the attack alone, as there
was no enough time for Devon's men to arrive. As this force was largely
lacking archers, they were forced to rotreat. Early in the afternoon,
Pembroke received news that Devon's men had arrived. At the same time,
some of Warwick's forces starting arriving to reinforce the rebels. On
seeing men arriving wearing Warwick's livery, the royal army, believing
Warwick's entire forces had arrived, broke ranks and fled. It is quite
likely that Devon's men never had a chance to enter the battle.
After the battle, as many as two thousand
Welshmen lay dead. Pembroke and his brother, Sir Richard Herbert, were
captured, taken to Warwick at, now at Northampton, and executed. After
the death of Conyers, his brother Sir John Conyers took up leadership of
the rebels.

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