Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Showing posts with label Battle of Evesham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Battle of Evesham. Show all posts

Wednesday, 11 September 2024

How a thirteenth century knight was armed and armoured


I happened upon a recent video post from Lindybeige in which he discusses with a fellow re-enactor ar the 2023 Battle of Evesham event the arms and armour used in the thirteenth century. In terms of body armour, as their discussion indicates, this was an ‘age of transition’ from mail to plate armour, and this is reflected in the equipment that is being worn. The video has a slightly quirky beginning explaining the presenter’s misadventure at Evesham railway station, which left him with just this one video of the weekend. All things considered I think he did well to salvage what he did. The video can be seen at A 13th Century Knight's Kit

I have not managed to attend the Evesham battle re-creation but it looks appealing from the general shots in the video. It is an annual event, held, I believe, on the weekend closest to the anniversary of the 1265 battle which was fought ( in a thunderstorm ) on August 4th of that year. 


Tuesday, 4 August 2015

Battle of Evesham 1265


Today is the 750th anniversary of the battle of Evesham in 1265, when the Royaloist troops led by the Lord Edward, later King Edward I, defeated the baronial army led by Simon de Montfort, who had ruled the realm since the battle of Lewes the previous year - there is an account of that battle at Battle of Lewes - and had kept King Henry III, who was his brother-in-law, as a virtual prisoner. 

There is an online account of the background and to the fighting at Battle of Evesham.
There is also a picec from the Battlefields Trust about the battle at their site Battle of Evesham 
and the current commemorations and celebrations are covered at  Battle of Evesham: Home

 Image: eveshamtown.co.uk 


At the website of the National Archives the post Battle of Evesham, 1265 - The National Archives has an account of the battle, and the death of Simon de Montfort in an extract taken from the chronicle attributed to Arnald FitzThedmar

 King Henry III

Image:fameimages.com

Simon Leicester.jpg

 Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester
A drawing of a window at Chartres Cathedral

Image: Wikipedia

There is an online biography of Earl Simon at  Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and there is the excellent and comprehensive biography by Dr John Maddicott.

My sympathies are with King Henry III and his cause - as I have opined before I think that for the King Earl Simon turned out to be the Brother-in-Law-from-Hell.

For some time after his death there appears to have been at the Earl's burial place (or such of him as was buried at Evesham) in the abbey church a cult of sorts - which clearly did not attract the favour of the King.

File:De montfort evesham.jpg

 The modern memorial to Earl Simon on the site of Evesham Abbey.
This was unveiled and dedicated in 1965

Image: Wikimedia

Despite the major defeat of the baronial party at Evesham agroup held out at Kenilworth against a Royalist siege until the settlement known as the Dictum of Kenilworth in 1267. It was with theassignment of the Leicester estates to King Henry's younger son, Edmund, Earl of Lancaster , that there began that agglomeration of lands which was to create the fourteenth century Earldom and Duchy of Lancaster, which since 1399 has been held by the Sovereign.