Robert Welles, 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby

This article is about Robert Welles, 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. For other similarly named people, see Robert Wells (disambiguation).

Robert Welles, 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (died 19 March 1470) was an English baron. He was the son of Richard Welles, 7th Baron Welles and Joan Willoughby, 7th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby. He was the prime mover in the Welles Uprising against Edward IV of England in 1470, though his actions were possibly orchestrated by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

Family

On the death of his mother in 1462, he became 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. He married Elizabeth Bourchier; they remained childless.

Welles Uprising

By 1870 discontent with King Edward's rule had already led to an open rebellion under Robin of Redesdale, which had led to the deaths of several senior Yorkists. Edward had pardoned the rebels. But there was continuing unrest in Lincolnshire. Historian Richard W. Kaeuper argues that the promotion of "parvenu Yorkist loyalists" in the area and Edward's toleration of violent behaviour by those loyalists in defiance of the law pushed Robert and his father Richard Welles into the centre of resistance from traditional-minded local gentry.

Events came to a head when Welles attacked and wrecked the property of Sir Thomas Burgh, King Edward's Master of the Horse, in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. It is not known whether the attack arose from a local feud or was part of the Earl of Warwick's campaign to provoke Edward, drawing him into Warwick's territory. Whatever the initial cause, Warwick used the event to try to capture Edward, and possibly depose him in favour of his brother George, the Duke of Clarence. Robert issued a series of proclamations throughout Lincolnshire, calling on men to resist the king who, he claimed, was coming to punish local people for supporting the earlier rebellion of Robin of Redesdale, in breach of the pardon he had given.

The king was already moving north with his army. Warwick and Clarence had sent letters to the king saying they were raising armies to support him. Edward had already arrested Welles' father, Richard, and threatened him with execution unless Welles submitted to the king. Warwick and Clarence hoped to use Welles to draw Edward into a trap, by bringing their own armies up when the king pursued Welles. Welles pulled back his forces, but did not submit to Edward. Edward then executed Robert's father and attacked his army at the Battle of Losecote Field. Welles was utterly defeated. He was captured, along with documents proving the complicity of Warwick and Clarence. Warwick and Clarence were forced to flee the country.

Welles confessed his treason, and named Warwick and Clarence as the "partners and chief provokers" of the rebellion. He was beheaded on 19 March 1470 in Doncaster. Upon his death the barony was inherited by his sister Joan Welles.