Category: Edward I - Meandering Through Time

Treaty of Aberconway

12/11/2024

Edward I is known to history as Longshanks, a physically impressive man who was six feet two in height and seen as an able and courageous warrior whose dislike for the Weslh Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd resulted in a second war when, early in 1277, the king deployed his forces in south and mid-Wales.

These armies included the marcher lord's retainers, such as my ancestor Henry Umfreville. They met with considerable success as many of the native Welsh rulers, resentful of Llywelyn's overlordship, surrendered and joined the English. Eventually, by the end of that year, Edward I and Llywelyn settled for peace with the Treaty of Aberconway.

Edward I wiith Llywelyn, Prince of Wales on his left and Alexander King of Scotland on his right.

The treaty was ratified at Aberconwy Abbey, now St Mary and All Saints’ Church in Conway in Wales on the 10th November 1277.This treaty between Edward I of England and Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, guaranteed peace but limited Llywelyn's power to the west of the River Conwy. This peace however, did not last and by 1282 war had broken out again when Llywelyn joined his brother Daffyd in rebellion.

St Mary and All Saints Church, Conwy Image Credit: Jeff Buck

Death of Eleanor of Castile

28/11/2022

On the 28th November in 1290 in the Nottinghamshire village of Harby, Eleanor of Castile, the beloved wife of Edward I died.

It is thought that Eleanor had not properly recovered from catching malaria a few years earlier, and it was on her journey to pray at the Shrine of St Hugh in Lincoln Cathedral that she became ill. On the 13th November, once parliament had concluded at King’s Clipstone, the royal party began their journey into Lincolnshire, but Eleanor's health deteriorated so they stopped at Harby, the home of Richard de Weston, in the hope that she regain her strength. According to Edward’s itinerary, they arrived at Harby on the 20th November, it was here eight days later that Eleanor died. The king was with her at her request, Oliver Sutton, the Bishop of Lincoln, and Harby’s parish priest, William de Kelm were also in attendance.

Eleanor’s body was conferred to St Catherine’s Priory in Lincoln where it was embalmed. The queen's viscera were buried in Lincoln Cathedral, where Edward would place a copy of her Westminster Abbey tomb.

King Edward’s grief at the loss of his wife is well known as is the fact that at each place his queen's body rested on her journey to London he erected crosses, all different and all beautifully ornate. The first one placed was at St Catherine’s, sadly nothing but a stump remains, and this can be found in the grounds of Lincoln Castle.

At Harby, a chantry chapel was established in 1294 where prayers were said for the queen's soul and this was done until the dissolution, however the building itself survived until 1877.

We were at Harby last year, it was a cold and wet day, much like the day in 1290. The manor house in which Queen Eleanor died is long gone, but you can walk to the site on which it stood, also to be seen are the remains of the moat that once surrounded it.

The aforementioned Chantry Chapel once stood behind the iron railings, on the spot where the above was taken.

Birth of Edward I

17/6/2022

In the late evening of the 17th June 1239 Edward I was born to Henry III and Eleanor of Provence, he was probably named after Edward the Confessor.

On the death of his father in 1272, Edward inherited the English throne. He would build castles in Wales to subdue the Welsh and make his son the first Prince of Wales. By 1290, he moved on to Scotland and angered the Scottish nobility by deciding who would succeed to the Scottish throne. He chose John Balliol. In retaliation the Scottish deposed Balliol and formed an alliance with France. Edward then invaded Scotland, imprisoned Balliol in the Tower of London and placed the Scottish people under English rule. For this he was given the name of Hammer of the Scots.

Edward had a second nickname, that of Longshanks because of his height - he was six foot two. Historian Michael Prestwich wrote of this that Edward's

"Long arms gave him an advantage as a swordsman, long thighs one as a horseman'

Siege of Berwick 1296

28/3/2021

Scotland, according to Edward I, was his domain. When Scotland refused to support England’s military campaign against France Scotland made an alliance with the French and attacked the English town of Carlisle. Edward retaliated and launched an attack on Berwick on Tweed. This was first altercation in the Scottish War of Independence, the second was the Battle of Dunbar in April. Edward I mustered his forces and arrived in Northumberland on the 28th March 1296, crossing the River Tweed at Coldstream, a small village south-west of the town, and set up camp at the priory there.

Berwick was Scotland's most important port and it was by sea that the English forces made their initial attempt to take the town, however this failed. On the 30th the town surrendered leaving between 4,000 to 17,000 people dead.

'When the town had been taken in this way and its citizens had submitted, Edward spared no one, whatever the age or sex, and for two days streams of blood flowed from the bodies of the slain, for in his tyrannous rage he ordered 7,500 souls of both sexes to be massacred. So that mills could be turned by the flow of their blood.'

Account of the Massacre of Berwick, from Bower’s Scotichronicon

Image: Medieval Britain https://medievalbritain.com/

After the town was taken the king issued orders for new fortification to be built. According to the chronicle of Walter of Guisborough, the finished ditch was 40 feet deep and 80 feet wide, which was topped by a timber palisade. The control of this Northumbrian town ping-ponged between the English and the Scots for years, however, the Scottish army would retake the town following the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, but it would be back in English hands by 1298.

Statute of Rhuddlan

3/3/2018

It was today in 1284, in the Welsh town of Rhuddlan that an act, known as the Statute of Rhuddlan, became law.

This meant that the people of Wales had to abide by the laws of England and that Edward I was able to place of his choice of officials in important positions. Seventeen years later in 1301, he would reinforce his claim to Wales by making his son, Edward of Caernarfon, Prince of Wales.

By 1535, under the Laws of Wales Act, Wales became part of England, a single state under English laws, since then its Englishness/Welshness has become a subject open to interpretation.

Death of Roger Mortimer

30/10/2017

Roger Mortimer was a member of a powerful Mortimer family whose established their great dynasty in the Welsh Marches. They were granted lands in Herefordshire and Shropshire at the conquest of England and by the fourteenth century, they were honoured with the title of Earls of March.

For eight months following the Battle of Lewes Edward, heir to the English throne, was being held captive as a hostage by rebel leader Simon de Montfort. It was Roger Mortimer, deploying a plan of action created by his wife Maud, who rescued Edward enabling him to retake the rebel-held towns of Worcester and Gloucester.

Roger Mortimer would go on to assist Henry III in the final victory over barons in 1265 at the Battle of Evesham, it would be Mortimer who would strike the blow that ended the life of the aforementioned Simon de Montfort.

Mortimer later sent this gruesome trophy and other parts of de Montfort's anatomy home to Wigmore Castle as a gift for his wife. Of this event, English chronicler Robert of Gloucester wrote:

"To dam Maud the Mortimer that wel foule it ssende."

It is alleged that Lady Mortimer held feast that evening to celebrate Henry's victory and that she had Simon de Montfort's head, still attached to the point of the lance, placed on show for all to see.

Roger Mortimer would survive the years that saw the Statute of Marlborough passed and the signing of the Dictum of Kenilworth. Mortimer would also witness Henry III passing many of Simon de Montfort's ideas and changes to government although what he thought of it all goe's unrecorded.

Roger Mortimer died on this day in 1282 at the age of fifty-one. His death, it has been said, was seen by many as a major setback in the early years of Edward I's reign.

Mortimers epitaph reads:

"Here lies buried, glittering with praise, Roger the pure, Roger Mortimer the second, called Lord of Wigmore by those who held him dear. While he lived all Wales feared his power and given as a gift to him all Wales remained his. It knew his campaigns, he subjected it to torment."

Roger Mortimer holds up the severed head of Simon de Montfort. Ilustration my Matthew Ryan

The Battle of Evesham

2/8/2017

4th August 1265

Following King John to the throne of England in 1216 was his son Henry III. Henry turned out to be an intelligent man who was quick to master the problems of administration and government, he was also seen as an

"uncomplicated, almost naive man, and a lover of peace."

It seems then that England would, at last, be a calm and peaceful country, however this was not to be.

In our tales of history, the events of 1258 to 1265, were played out through the actions of a man who would come to be known as "the father of the English parliament" - Simon de Montfort, who Chronicler Matthew Paris describes as dictatorial and a military strategist, stating he was charismatic, plain spoken and fair.

Many of Henry III's barons had become a law unto themselves and they were now seeing Henry as weak, David Carpenter writes that Henry “failed as a ruler due to his naivety and inability to produce realistic plans for reform” and Henry did not do himself any favours, his personal extravagances that had resulted in large taxes and a major fall out with de Montfort did not help matters either. In 1238, in a blatant piece of favouritism towards de Montfort (interestingly, one of the reasons de Montfort took a dislike Henry III was because of his favouritism towards foreign nobles - it seems he conveniently forgot that he was a favoured foreigner himself !) Henry had approved de Montfort’s marriage to his sister Eleanor, and both Henry and de Montfort chose to ignore the condemnation of the marriage by the Archbishop of Canterbury along with the protest made by Henry's brother, the greedy Richard of Cornwall, who made a song and dance of the whole episode, however he was eventually bought on side for a couple of bags of gold. Henry also appointed de Montfort as Governor of Gascony, a mistake that cost him dearly. In Gascony, Montfort was disliked, but he was powerful and he abused his position and this forced Henry to intervene. On Montfort's return to England, he too perceived Henry as weak and with the barons eager for a fight, Simon de Montfort stepped into take charge.

It was Simon de Monfort who lead the rebellion against his one time friend, and after the Battle of Lewes in 1264 both the king and his son Edward, later Edward I, were captured and it was de Montfort who ruled in his name. Eventually though,de Montfort lost the support of many of Henry's disaffected barons, this along with Edward's escape would be the beginning of the end of Simon de Montfort's rule.

Edward had raised an army that outnumbered de Montfort's forces and had pursued them through the Welsh Marches to the Worcestershire town of Evesham. Edward arrived there on the morning of the 4th of August 1265. This arrival had taken de Montfort by surprise, but he was quick to respond and taking the king along with him engaged Edward's army, however within hours the battle turned into what can only be described as a massacre, one historian writing that it was "an episode of noble bloodletting unprecedented since the Conquest." quickly followed by Simon de Montfort's grizzly end, a fact that bears witness to the slaughter.

Of de Montforts death there is a contemporary account that is attributed to a London chronicler name Arnald FitzThedmar.

"The head of the Earl of Leicester, it is said, was severed from his body, and his testicles cut off and hung on
either side of his nose. In this state, the head was sent to the wife of Roger de Mortimer, at Wigmore Castle.
Simon de Montfort’s hands and feet were also cut off, and sent to many of his enemies as a great mark of dishonour
to the deceased. The trunk of his body, however, and that alone, was given for burial in the church of Evesham."

Also losing their lives that day were Simon's son Henry, and Peter de Montfort who both died in the battle. Hugh Despencer, Chief Justiciar of England, grandfather of the more famous Hugh Despencer the younger, was slain at the hands of Roger Mortimer.

Roger Mortimer holds up the severed head of Simon de Montfort by artist Matthew Ryan. http://matthewryanhistoricalillustrator.com/

By 1267 the problems between Henry and his barons, that were based on the 1258/9 provisions, had still not settled down and a new set of laws were needed. On the 18th or 19th of November 1267, in a Parliament at Marlborough the twenty nine chapters that made up the Statute of Marlborough, was passed. The kings last few years saw his power restored and it was a relatively peaceful one following the signing of the Dictum of Kenilworth. Henry was sensible enough to pass many of Simon de Montfort's ideas and changes to government, and this act was brought into play by the end of October 1266.

The Battle of Lewes

12/5/2017

On the 14th May 1264, Henry III forces were defeated by the armies of Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Lewes in Sussex. This battle was one of two main battles in the conflict known as the Second Barons War and at this point Montfort was riding high.

King Henry III is said to have been intelligent and quick to master the problems of administration and government, he was also seen a "uncomplicated, almost naive man, and a lover of peace," yet all this is hardly mentioned, historians preferring to write about Simon de Montfort who not only stole Henry's crown but also his limelight.

The dissatisfaction of Henry's barons culminated in the Second Barons War in 1263. It was Simon de Montfort who lead the rebellion against Henry, and after the Battle of Lewes both the king and his son Edward, later Edward I, were captured and it was de Montfort who ruled in his name.

Image Credit: Lewes Town Council

Eventually, de Montfort lost the support of many of Henry's disaffected barons, this along with Edward escaping his captors and raising an army was the beginning of the end for de Montfort. After the Battle of Evesham, Montfort met a grizzly end and Henry regained his throne.

Image Credit Lewes Town Council

Marriage of Eleanor

1/11/2016

Married today in 1254 King Edward I to Eleanor of Castile.

Statues of Edward and Eleanor at Lincoln Cathedral.

It is thought that their marriage was a happy one. Eleanor travelled with Edward continually from the time of their marriage, even through the troubled times of war.

Edward is said to have had no extramarital affairs or illegitimate children during his time with Eleanor and in return she gave him sixteen children, their youngest Edward would rule England after his father.

Edward's thirty-six year marriage to Eleanor ended with her death in Nottinghamshire in 1290. It seems, that the man who history has named Hammer of the Scots, was at home at least, a big softy. In her memory, Edward erected twelve elaborate monuments in the places where her body rested on its journey to Westminster Abbey.

One of the few remaining Eleanor Crosses in the grounds of Lincoln Castle

Simon and Henry de Montfort

4/8/2016

Simon de Montfort was French by birth and a year younger than Henry III. In 1248, Henry had appointed Montfort as
Governor of Gascony, a mistake that cost Henry dearly.

In Gascony, Montfort was disliked, but he was powerful and he abused his position and this forced Henry to intervene.
On Montfort's return to England, he perceived Henry as weak and with the barons aching for a fight, it was
Simon de Montfort that stepped in to take charge.

In 1258 this action culminated in the Provisions of Oxford, a law that served to limit Henry’s power. Henry’s refusal
to accept the Provisions of Westminster the following year saw Montfort’s power base grow rapidly, and by 1263 he
was all but wearing the crown.

On the 14th of May 1264 at the Battle of Lewes, Henry, his son the future Edward I, and Richard, Duke of Cornwall
were taken prisoner but a year later the tables were turned, and it was at the Battle of Evesham, on the 4th August in
1265, that Simon de Montfort and his eldest son Henry died a grisly death.

The Bishop of Lincoln, Robert Grosseteste, once said to Henry de Montfort:

"My beloved child, both you and your father will meet your deaths on one day, and by one kind of death, but it
will be in the name of justice and truth."

The bishop was right on both counts:

Of Henry de Montfort's death, the
"first born son and heir, in full view of his father, perished, split by a sword.

and Simon himself:
"the head was severed from his body, and his testicles cut off and hung on either side of his nose"

Bishop Grosseteste was correct.