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Second Barons' War

The Second Barons' War (1264–1267) was a civil war in
Second Barons' War
England between the forces of a number 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
featured 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 in the Battle of Evesham.[1]

Contents
Causes
Course of the war
Timeline
See also
Notes
References
External links

Causes
The reign of Henry III is most remembered for the constitutional
crisis in this period of civil strife, which was provoked ostensibly
by his demands for extra finances, but which marked a more
general dissatisfaction with Henry's methods of government on
the part of the English barons, discontent which was exacerbated
by widespread famine.

French-born Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, had originally

been one of the foreign upstarts so loathed by many lords as
Henry's foreign councillors, but having inherited through his
mother the English title Earl of Leicester, he married Henry's
sister Eleanor without Henry's permission, and without the

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agreement of the English Barons (ordinarily necessary since it Date 1264–1267

was a matter of state). As a result, a feud developed between de
Location England
Montfort and Henry. Their relationship reached a crisis in the
1250s, when de Montfort was put on trial for actions he took as Result
Capture and
lieutenant of Gascony, the last remaining Plantagenet lands
imprisonment of
across the English Channel.
King Henry III by
De Montfort took advantage of rising antisemitism for his own Baronial forces
benefit. An alleged murder of Hugh of Lincoln by Jews had led to Establishment of
the hanging of 18 Jews. Official anti-Judaic measures sponsored de facto
by the Catholic Church combined with resentment about debts Protectorate ruled
among the barons gave an opportunity for Montfort to target this
by Simon de
group and incite rebellion by calling for the cancellation of Jewish
Montfort's
debts.[2][3]
Parliament until
Henry also became embroiled in funding a war against the 1265
Hohenstaufen Dynasty in Sicily on behalf of Pope Innocent IV in Restoration of
return for the Hohenstaufen title King of Sicily for his second son Royal Authority in
Edmund. This made many barons fearful that Henry was 1266
following in the footsteps of his father King John and, like him,
needed to be kept in check. When Henry's treasury ran dry, Peace treaty
Innocent withdrew the title, and in regranting it to Charles of agreed with Dictum
Anjou in effect negated the sale. of Kenilworth in
1267
Simon de Montfort became leader of those who wanted to
Statute of
reassert the Magna Carta and force the king to surrender more
Marlborough
power to the baronial council. In 1258, initiating the move toward
reform, seven leading barons forced Henry to agree to the issued in 1267;
Provisions of Oxford, which effectively abolished the absolutist legal confirmation
Anglo-Norman monarchy, giving power to a council of twenty- of the Magna Carta
four barons to deal with the business of government and and Parliament
providing for a great council in the form of a parliament every
three years, to monitor their performance. Henry was forced to Belligerents
take part in the swearing of a collective oath to uphold the Royal forces Baronial forces
Provisions. Commanders and leaders
Seeking to restore his position, in 1259 Henry purchased the King Henry III
Simon de
support of King Louis IX of France by the Treaty of Paris, Prince Edward
Montfort †

agreeing to accept the loss of the lands in France that had been Prince Edmund
Gilbert de Clare
seized from him and from his father King John by Louis and his Richard of (until May 1265)

predecessors since 1202, and to do homage for those that Cornwall

Henry de
remained in his hands. In 1261 he obtained a papal bull releasing Henry of Almain
Montfort †

him from his oath, and set about reasserting his control of
Gilbert de Clare Guy de Montfort

government. The baronial opposition responded by summoning

(from May 1265)
Simon de
their own Parliament and contesting control of local government,
but with civil war looming they backed down and de Montfort fled Humphrey de Montfort the
to France, while the other key opposition leader, Richard de Bohun
Younger

Clare, Earl of Hertford and Gloucester, switched over to the John de Peter de
King's side. Warenne
Montfort †

William de Nicholas de
Segrave

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Under the Treaty of Kingston an arbitration system was agreed to Valence

Humphrey (V) de
resolve outstanding disputes between Henry and the barons, with Roger Mortimer Bohun

de Clare as the initial arbiter and the option of appealing his Hugh le
verdicts to Louis IX. However, continued Poitevin influence and Despenser †
the failures and renewal of provocative policies by Henry's
government soon inflamed hostility once more. The King's position was further weakened by the
death of Richard de Clare and the succession of his son Gilbert, who sided with the opposition, and by
the reversal of the papal annulment of his oath to uphold the Provisions.

In April 1263 Simon de Montfort returned to England and gathered a council of dissident barons at
Oxford. Fighting broke out in the Welsh Marches, and by the autumn both sides had raised
considerable armies. De Montfort marched on London and the city rose in revolt, trapping the King
and Queen at the Tower of London. They were taken prisoner and de Montfort assumed effective
control of government in Henry's name. However, his support soon fractured and Henry was able to
regain his liberty.

With violent disorder spreading and the prospect of all-out war, Henry appealed to Louis for
arbitration, and after initial resistance de Montfort consented to this. In January 1264, by the Mise of
Amiens, Louis declared in Henry's favour, annulling the Provisions of Oxford. Some of the barons
who had previously opposed Henry acquiesced in this verdict, but a more radical faction led by de
Montfort prepared to resist any reassertion of royal power, and both they and the king gathered their
forces for war.

Course of the war

Fighting resumed in February 1264, with attacks by Simon de Montfort's sons Henry and Simon the
Younger on royalist supporters in the Welsh Borders. Cancellation of debts (owed to Jews) was part of
Montfort's call to arms.[3]

A series of attacks on Jewish communities followed, organised by key allies of Montfort, hoping to
gain by destroying the records of their debts to moneylenders.[2][4] These pogroms killed the majority
of Jews in Worcester,[5] in this case led by de Montfort's son Henry and Robert Earl Ferrers.[6]

At London, one of his key followers John fitz John, led the attack and is said to have killed leading
Jewish figures Isaac fil Aaron and Cok fil Abraham with his bare hands. He allegedly shared the loot
with Montfort. 500 Jews died.[4] Attacks occurred in Winchester, led by the younger Simon de
Montfort. Anti-Jewish violence spread to Lincoln and Cambridge,[4] Jewish communities were also
targeted at Canterbury, led by Gilbert de Clare,[7] and Northampton.[2]

In April the elder Simon de Montfort, in control of London, assembled his forces at St Albans and
marched to relieve Northampton, which was under siege by the royalists, but was too late to prevent
the town's capture by betrayal. He then moved into Kent and laid siege to the royal stronghold of
Rochester Castle, but on hearing reports of a royal advance on London he withdrew most of his forces
from the siege to confront this threat. King Henry, however, bypassed the capital and the rebel army
and raised the siege of Rochester, before capturing Tonbridge and Winchelsea from the rebels.

Moving into Sussex, Henry was confronted by de Montfort, who had led his army out from London in
pursuit. In the Battle of Lewes on 14 May, Henry was defeated and taken prisoner by de Montfort,
along with his son Prince Edward and his brother, Richard of Cornwall. While Henry was reduced to a
figurehead king, de Montfort broadened parliamentary representation to include groups beyond the

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nobility, members from each county of England and many important towns. Henry and his son
Edward remained effective prisoners. Around this time, Montfort announced the cancellation of all
debt owed to Jews.[2]

The radicalism of de Montfort's subversion of traditional order once again led to a fracturing of his
brittle base of support.

In May 1265 Prince Edward escaped from de Montfort's custody at Hereford and assembled a new
royalist army at Worcester. He attracted defectors from the baronial cause, most importantly Gilbert
de Clare, de Montfort's most powerful ally. Simon was blocked from moving east from Hereford by
royalist control of the crossings of the River Severn, completed by Edward's capture of Gloucester.
Moving into Wales, de Montfort forged an alliance with the Welsh Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who
provided him with soldiers. An attempt by Simon to ship his forces across the Severn estuary from
Newport was thwarted when his transports were destroyed by royalist warships, and he returned to
Hereford.

Prince Edward meanwhile attacked de Montfort's seat at Kenilworth Castle, where the younger Simon
de Montfort had been gathering forces to assist his father. The baronial army was caught asleep in
camp by a surprise attack in the early hours of 1 August and massacred. The survivors took refuge
inside the castle and Edward initiated the long Siege of Kenilworth. The elder Simon had taken
advantage of Edward's move to Kenilworth to cross the Severn at Kempsey, and was on his way to join
his son when he was intercepted and decisively defeated by the royalists in the Battle of Evesham on 4
August. Simon and his son Henry were killed in the fighting, and King Henry, whom de Montfort had
taken into battle with him, was freed.

The victory at Evesham left the royalists in a dominant position, but the rebels continued to defend
their strongholds, most notably Kenilworth, and the war dragged on. In 1266 the King was persuaded
to seek a compromise settlement, and a commission of bishops and barons drafted a proclamation
known as the Dictum of Kenilworth, issued on 31 October. This set terms under which rebels could
secure a pardon and regain their confiscated lands, on payment of a heavy fine. The proposal was
initially rejected by the rebels, but on 14 December hunger finally compelled the defenders of
Kenilworth to surrender, accepting the terms of the Dictum.

In April 1267 Gilbert de Clare turned again to revolt and occupied London. He was reconciled with
Henry by a negotiated settlement in June, which eased the terms of the Dictum, enabling repentant
rebels to regain their lands before rather than after paying their fines. That summer also saw the
negotiated surrender of the last group of defiant rebels, who had been holding out in the Fens at the
Isle of Ely. The total casualties of the war are estimated at 15,000.

Timeline
1263 – April – Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, returns to England and gathers opposition
forces.
1263 – October – Revolt in London leads to King Henry's capture by de Montfort, but he
subsequently regains his freedom.
1264 – 23 January – Louis IX of France, invited to arbitrate on the dispute, issues the Mise of
Amiens, annulling the Provisions of Oxford.
1264 – February – Warfare begins in the Welsh Marches. Massacre of the Jews in Worcester.[8]
1264 – Easter week – Massacre of 500 Jews in London by Montfort's ally John fitz John[8]
1264 – April – The rebels are defeated at Northampton.

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1264 – 14 May – Simon de Montfort defeats King Henry III in the Battle of Lewes in Sussex,
capturing the king and his son Prince Edward.
1264 – After Lewes – Simon de Montfort annuls all debts owed to Jews.
1265 – 20 January – The first English Parliament conducts its first meeting in the Palace of
Westminster.
1265 – 28 May – Prince Edward escapes captivity at Hereford.
1265 – 1 August – Prince Edward destroys the army of Simon de Montfort's son Simon at
Kenilworth.
1265 – 4 August – Prince Edward defeats and kills the elder Simon de Montfort in the Battle of
Evesham in Worcestershire.
1265 – Attacks on Jews in Lincoln by the "Dispossessed" rebel Barons, book keeping records
destroyed[8]
1266 – Attacks on Jews in Cambridge by the "Dispossessed", book keeping records stolen and
taken to Ely[8]
1266 – 15 May – The royalists defeat the baronial forces of the Earl of Derby at Chesterfield.
1266 – 31 October – Henry issues the Dictum of Kenilworth, offering terms to repentant rebels.
1266 – 14 December – The rebels at Kenilworth Castle surrender.
1267 – May – Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, seizes London.
1267 – June – King Henry and Gilbert de Clare agree more lenient terms of submission for rebels.
1267 – Summer – The last rebel forces surrender at the Isle of Ely.

See also
First Barons' War
Richard de Southchurch
Henry de Bracton
The Song of Lewes

Notes
1. Norgate 1894
2. Jacobs 1906
3. Mundill 2002, p. 254 says "Simon de Montfort … used the cancellation of Jewish debts to his own
advantage and had managed to convince followers that it was worth rebelling for."
4. Mundill 2010, pp. 88–99
5. Mundill 2002, p. 42
6. Willis-Bund & Page 1924
7. Huscroft 2006, p. 105
8. Mundill 2010, pp. 89–90

References
Powicke, Frederick Maurice (1947) King Henry III and the Lord Edward, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Prestwich, Michael (1988) Edward I, London: Methuen London ISBN 0-413-28150-7
Maddicott, J. R. (1994) Simon de Montfort, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-
37493-6
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Carpenter, D. A. (1996) The reign of Henry III, London: Hambledon ISBN 1-85285-070-1

Mundill, Robin R. (1998), England's Jewish Solution, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge
University Press (published 2002), ISBN 978-0-521-52026-3, OL 26454030M (https://openlibrary.
org/books/OL26454030M)
Mundill, Robin R. (2010), The King's Jews
(https://archive.org/details/kingsjewsmoneyma00mund), London: Continuum,
ISBN 9781847251862, LCCN 2010282921 (https://lccn.loc.gov/2010282921), OCLC 466343661
(https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/466343661), OL 24816680M (https://openlibrary.org/books/OL2481
6680M)
Jacobs, Joseph (1906). "England" (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5764-england).
Jewish Encyclopedia. JewishEncyclopedia.com.
Huscroft, Richard (2006), Expulsion: England's Jewish Solution, Tempus Publishing, Limited
(published 1 April 2006), ISBN 9780752437293, OL 7982808M (https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7
982808M)
Norgate, Kate (1894). "Montfort, Simon of (1208?-1265)"  (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary
_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Montfort,_Simon_of_(1208%3F-1265)). In Lee, Sidney (ed.).
Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
* Willis-Bund, J W; Page, William, eds. (1924). "The city of Worcester: Introduction and borough".
A History of the County of Worcester: Volume 4 (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/worcs/vol4/pp
376-390). London: British History Online. pp. 376–390. Retrieved 20 May 2018.

External links
Simon de Montfort 2014 (http://simon2014.com)

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