Battle of Northampton (1264)

Last updated

Battle of Northampton
Part of Second Barons' War
Date5 April 1264
Location
Northampton Castle
Result Royal victory
Belligerents
Royal forces Baronial forces
Commanders and leaders
Henry III
Roger Mortimer
Philip Marmion 		Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort the Younger  (POW)
The remains of Northampton Castle Postern Gate of Northampton Castle 2013.jpg
The remains of Northampton Castle

The Battle of Northampton took place during the Second Barons' War. The battle was a decisive victory for the royalist forces of King Henry III of England, who took Northampton Castle and captured Simon de Montfort (the Younger), son of Simon de Montfort (the Older).

Contents

Prelude

In April 1264 the Second Barons' War began. Absolved by Pope Urban IV from his oath to observe the Provisions of Oxford, Henry III summoned his men and raises the Royal Standard at Oxford, on April 3. A royalist advanced party reached Northampton on a Friday evening on April 5, and summoned the defenders to surrender, which they declined to do. Several sources suggest the garrison expected to hold out until Simon de Montfort (the Older) could relieve them.

Battle

On April 5 1264 the encounter took place, royalist forces advanced over the water meadows south of the town to attack its main gate with 'engines', which might just mean ladders or hurdles. [1] Meanwhile, another party rode clockwise along the built-up area's western perimeter, looking for an easier entrance. While the townsmen entrusted with the southern sector held up the initial attack, the outflanking detachment found a breach in the garden wall of St. Andrew's Priory, at the north of the town. Simon de Montfort (the Younger) reacted to the break-in, riding up on his horse with his squire and an unknown sergeant to contest the breach. But Simon was captured and threw the defenders into disarray. Simon de Montfort (the Older) mounted a rear-guard rescue attempt but on April 6 the castle fell. [2]

Possible side-effect

Participation of academics in the University of Northampton against the monarchy may have contributed to the abolition of the 1261–1265, short-lived, university.[ citation needed ] This was the third university in England, after Oxford and Cambridge, and the twenty-second in Europe. After being advised by bishops and magnates that Northampton was a threat to Oxford University, Henry III dissolved it in 1265 and signed a Royal Decree that banned the establishment of a university in Northampton. The decree was superseded by an Act authorising the University of Northampton to be established in the 21st century.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dictum of Kenilworth</span> 1266 treaty

The Dictum of Kenilworth, issued on 31 October 1266, was a pronouncement designed to reconcile the rebels of the Second Barons' War with the royal government of England. After the baronial victory at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Simon de Montfort took control of royal government, but at the Battle of Evesham the next year Montfort was killed, and King Henry III restored to power. A group of rebels held out in the stronghold of Kenilworth Castle, however, and their resistance proved difficult to crush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1264</span> Calendar year

Year 1264 (MCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester</span> 13th-century Anglo-French nobleman and rebel

Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was an English nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the baronial opposition to the rule of King Henry III of England, culminating in the Second Barons' War. Following his initial victories over royal forces, he became de facto ruler of the country, and played a major role in the constitutional development of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Lewes</span> 1264 battle of the Second Barons War

The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made him the "uncrowned King of England". Henry III's forces left the safety of Lewes Castle and St. Pancras Priory to engage the barons in battle and were initially successful, with Henry's son Prince Edward routing part of the baronial army with a cavalry charge. However, Edward pursued his quarry off the battlefield and left Henry's men exposed. Henry was forced to launch an infantry attack up Offham Hill where he was defeated by the barons' men defending the summit. The royalists fled back to the castle and priory and the King was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, ceding many of his powers to de Montfort.

The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by the future King Edward I, who led the forces of his father, King Henry III. It took place on 4 August 1265, near the town of Evesham, Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester</span> 13th-century English princess and countess

Eleanor of England was the youngest child of John, King of England and Isabella of Angoulême.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Barons' War</span> 1264–67 civil war in England

The Second Barons' War (1264–1267) was a civil war in England between the forces of barons led by Simon de Montfort against the royalist forces of King Henry III, led initially by the king himself and later by his son, the future King Edward I. The barons sought to force the king to rule with a council of barons, rather than through his favourites. The war also involved a series of massacres of Jews by de Montfort's supporters, including his sons Henry and Simon, in attacks aimed at seizing and destroying evidence of baronial debts. To bolster the initial success of his baronial regime, de Montfort sought to broaden the social foundations of parliament by extending the franchise to the commons for the first time. However, after a rule of just over a year, de Montfort was killed by forces loyal to the king at the Battle of Evesham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry de Montfort</span>

Sir Henry de Montfort was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and with his father played an important role in the struggle of the barons against King Henry III. Henry's mother was Princess Eleanor of England, a daughter of King John, whose marriage to Simon further increased the foreign influence begun by the king, which was to result in great hostility by those very barons who later revolted against the king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Despenser (justiciar)</span>

Hugh le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despenser was an important ally of Simon de Montfort during the reign of Henry III. He served briefly as Justiciar of England in 1260 and as Constable of the Tower of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry of Almain</span> 13th-century English nobleman

Henry of Almain, also called Henry of Cornwall, was the eldest son of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, afterwards King of the Romans, by his first wife Isabel Marshal. His surname is derived from a vowel shift in pronunciation of d'Allemagne ; he was so called by the elites of England because of his father's status as the elected German King of Almayne.

Peter de Montfort of Beaudesert Castle was an English magnate, soldier and diplomat. He is the first person recorded as having presided over Parliament as a parlour or prolocutor, an office now known as Speaker of the House of Commons. He was one of those elected by the barons to represent them during the constitutional crisis with Henry III in 1258. He was later a leading supporter of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester against the King. Both he and Simon de Montfort were slain at the Battle of Evesham on 4 August 1265.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon de Montfort's Parliament</span> English parliament of 1265

Simon de Montfort's Parliament was an English parliament held from 20 January 1265 until mid-March of the same year, called by Simon de Montfort, a baronial rebel leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Northampton (13th century)</span> Former university in Northampton, England

The University of Northampton was based in Northampton, England, from 1261 to 1265.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford Parliament (1258)</span> English parliament

The Oxford Parliament, also known as the Mad Parliament, assembled in 1258 during the reign of Henry III of England. It is best known for the Provisions of Oxford, a set of constitutional reforms that forced the English king to govern according to the advice of a council of barons.

Events from the 1260s in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mise of Amiens</span> 1264 English political settlement

The Mise of Amiens was a settlement given by King Louis IX of France on 23 January 1264 in the conflict between King Henry III of England and his rebellious barons, led by Simon de Montfort. Louis' one-sided decision for King Henry led directly to the hostilities of the Second Barons' War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mise of Lewes</span> 1264 English settlement of the Second Barons War

The Mise[a]of Lewes was a settlement made on 14 May 1264 between King Henry III of England and his rebellious barons, led by Simon de Montfort. The settlement was made on the day of the Battle of Lewes, one of the two major battles of the Second Barons' War. The conflict between king and magnates was caused by dissatisfaction with the influence of foreigners at court and Henry's high level and new methods of taxation. In 1258, Henry had been forced to accept the Provisions of Oxford, which essentially left the royal government in the hands of a council of magnates, but this document went through a long series of revocations and reinstatements. In 1263, as the country was on the brink of civil war, the two parties had agreed to submit the matter to arbitration by the French king Louis IX. Louis was a firm believer in the royal prerogative, and decided clearly in favour of Henry. The outcome was unacceptable for the rebellious barons, and war between the two parties broke out almost immediately.

During the Second Barons' War, the Peace of Canterbury was an agreement reached between the baronial government led by Simon de Montfort on one hand, and Henry III of England and his son and heir Edward – the later King Edward I – on the other. The agreement was signed at Canterbury some time between 12 and 15 August 1264.

Ralph Basset, was an English baronial leader.

Ralph Basset was an English baronial leader.

References

  1. ↑ Richard Brooks (2015). Osprey: Lewes and Evesham 1264–65, p. 25. ISBN   978-1-4728-1150-9.
  2. ↑ Richard Brooks (2015). Osprey: Lewes and Evesham 1264–65, p. 26. ISBN   978-1-4728-1150-9.

52°14′13″N0°54′18″W / 52.237°N 0.905°W / 52.237; -0.905


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.