Battle of Mortimer's Cross

The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought on 2 February 1461 near Wigmore, Herefordshire (between Leominster and Leintwardine, by the River Lugg). It was part of the Wars of the Roses.

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.

The Yorkists were victorious, Jasper Tudor fled, while Owen Tudor was captured and executed and many other Welshmen were slain, possibly as many as 4,000 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:

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.

Coordinates: 52°19′7″N 2°52′9″W / 52.31861°N 2.86917°W / 52.31861; -2.86917