in the first canton. By De Vere family tradition this molet is said to refer to a reappearance of the Star of Bethlehem which showed itself to an earlier De Vere while on a Crusade and thus led him to victory. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the family livery worn by their retainers was orange/tawney decorated with a white molet. A later badge associated with the De Veres is a blue boar. A later shield variation of the De Vere white molet has a smaller blue molet located within the white one but this may be a simple cadency mark – in heraldry the molet is also used in any family to indicate the third son of a title holder. The third son bears his father's arms differenced with a molet. A confusion between the De Vere white molet and Edward IV's sunburst and white rose is said to have led to the friendly fire incident between Neville's men and De Vere's men at the Battle of Barnet in 1471. Fighting in fog, the Nevilles (former Yorkists) fired on their De Vere (staunch Lancastrian) allies and thus brought about the collapse of the Lancastrian centre and right. Both contingents began to rout crying 'treachery'. List of title holders Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford, (c. 1115–1194) Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Earl of Oxford (c. 1164–1214) Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford (c. 1173–1221) Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford (c. 1208–1263) Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford (1240–1296) (forfeit 1265, restored soon after) Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford (1257–1331) John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford (1312–1360) Thomas de Vere, 8th Earl of Oxford (1337–1371) Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford (1362–1392) (forfeit 1388) Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford (1340–1400) (restored 1393) Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford (1385–1417) John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (1408–1462) John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford (1442–1513) (forfeit 1475, restored 1485) John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford (1499–1526) John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford (1482–1540) John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford (1516–1562) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550–1604) Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford (1593–1625) Robert de Vere, 19th Earl of Oxford (1575–1632) Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford (1627–1703) (dormant 1703) Earls of Oxford and Earl Mortimer (1711) The title Earl of Oxford