Francis Lovell blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Francis Lovell (1454-1487) Lord of Longdendale, favourite of Richard III, his Chief Butler and Chamberlain of the household. Fought at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485 and later in an abortive uprising against Henry VII. Following the Battle of Stoke, Lovell's body was not found, but there is a tradition that in 1708 his body was discovered in a chamber at Minster Lovell, his home near Oxford. When exposed to the fresh air, the skeleton crumbled to dust. Recorded plaque organisation: Tameside Metropolitan Borough.

Francis Lovell (1454-1487) was a prominent nobleman and close ally of Richard III, serving as his Chief Butler and Chamberlain; he fought against Henry VII at Bosworth Field and later in the Battle of Stoke, disappearing mysteriously after the latter conflict.