15th century tewkesbury hand and a half sword battThe Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471 was a decisive battle during the War of the Roses. The War of the Roses took place between 1455 and 1485, this was a series of battles for the English crown that were fought between the houses of Lancaster and York. Both families were members of the ruling English dynasty, the Plantagenets. The war is named after the emblem of both families: a red rose for the Lancasters and a white rose for the Yorkists.