Did You Know 16 - The 25 Barons of the Magna Carta
over 5 years ago – Wed, Sep 25, 2019 at 12:52:26 AM

Although the Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton drew up Magna Carta it was down to a committee of twenty-five barons who were in the forefront of the opposition to King John to ensure he complied with its terms.  They were a body linked together by ties of blood, kinship, association and, in many cases, neighbourhood.  Most of all, however, they were brought together by their opposition to what they considered the unjust rule of King John.

From the outset, the opposition barons had been aware of the danger that, once King John had left Runnymede, he would renege on the Charter on the grounds that it constituted an illegitimate infringement of his authority.  The barons came up with a novel solution to the problem in the famous clause 61, the security clause.   In this, King John conceded that "the barons shall choose any twenty-five barons of the realm as they wish, who with all their might are to observe, maintain and cause to be observed the peace and liberties which we have granted". Any infringement of the charter’s terms by the king or his officials was to be notified to any four of the committee; and, if within forty days no remedy or redress had been offered, then the king was to empower the full committee to "distrain and distress us in every way they can, namely by seizing castles, lands and possessions" until he made amends.  In this remarkable clause, then, the charter introduced the novelty of obliging the king to sanction and institute armed action against none other than himself.  The means by which they sought to achieve this was by use of the common law doctrine of distraint, the means by which debts were collected from debtors and malefactors obliged to answer for their actions in court.

Since the clause anticipated the election of the twenty-five at some time in the future, their names are not actually listed in the charter.   Consequently, the committee’s composition is known principally from the list given later in his chronicle by Matthew Paris, the celebrated chronicler of St Albans Abbey.  The twenty-five were:  Richard, Earl of Clare; William de Fors, Count of Aumale; Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Gloucester; Saer de Quincy, Earl of Winchester; Henry de Bohun, Earl of Hereford; Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk; Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford; William Marshal junior; Robert FitzWalter; Gilbert de Clare; Eustace de Vesci; Hugh Bigod; William de Mowbray; the Mayor of London; William de Lanvallei; Robert de Ros; John de Lacy, Constable of Chester; Richard de Percy; John FitzRobert; William Malet;  Geoffrey de Say; Roger de Montbegon; William de Huntingfield; Richard de Munfichet and William d’Aubigny

It is noteworthy that these men were all layfolk, and for the most part members of the hard-line baronial opposition to the king.  No bishop or other Churchman appears, not even, for example, Giles de Braose, bishop of Hereford, who had long been hostile to John.  The committee was seen in clear terms as a committee of enforcers, a group whose main responsibilities were to be of a military nature.

Why did the barons alight on the number twenty-five in particular?  One very obvious reason, it being an odd number, was to avoid split voting.  More mystically, however, the number twenty-five was highly significant in the Bible.  It was, for example, the age from which God instructed Moses to permit the Levites to be consecrated to God’s service and the age from which many of the kings of Judea had come to the throne; while it also represented ‘the law squared’ in the sense that there are five books to the Pentateuch and, in the New Testament, five loaves for feeding the five thousand.  These legitimising links from the Bible were of great importance in the Middle Ages.

At a more prosaic level, it is worth remembering that the court of aldermen of the city of London, which is known to have been in existence by 1200, was made up of twenty-five members.  It may have been from the number of this body that the barons drew their most immediate inspiration.

BY PROFESSOR NIGEL SAUL, ROYAL HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

Did You Know 15 - Eustace the Monk
over 5 years ago – Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 10:06:31 PM

One of the first and most notable French "corsairs”, was Eustace the Monk, who served England and later France during the First Barons’ War. The Romance of Eustace the Monk, originally written in 1284, is a verse drama which tells the story of one of the 13th century’s most colourful characters. The episodic tale of his adventures is clearly fictional and he is viewed as France’s version of Robin Hood, but Eustace really did exist, and his history is quite extraordinary.

Not a lot is known about his early life but it is reported that he studied the black arts, so successfully in Toledo, that no one in France could equal him.  Returning from Spain it is believed he became a Benedictine monk in the Abbey of Samer where he was known as the 'Black Monk' some say due to his earlier dark life some say down to his reputation for using bad language and gambling!

In 1190 Eustace's father was murdered and he abandoned the monastic life to either seek revenge or claim his inheritance, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead him to piracy and, ultimately, his head on a pole.

Following the death of his father, Eustace entered the service of the Count of Boulogne, Renaud de Dammartin. He didn’t last long and was soon fired from his post as seneschal, accused of mismanaging funds. He fled into the Forest of Boulonnais and began to wage a war of revenge. He engaged in a series of Guerrilla like attacks against the count in retribution, in a "Robin Hood" like manner. 

When the Count eventually allied himself with France, Eustace feared persecution and retribution by the state, and left for England, to join the service of King John. John gave Eustace command of thirty ships at the start of his assignment. This employment involved Eustace and his brothers raiding the Normandy coast and establishing bases in the Channel Islands (he and his men held Castle Cornet in Guernsey for a considerable period) as an English privateer.

But Eustace the Monk wasn’t satisfied just with the rewards from the Normandy raids, and he began to set his sights on both sides, raiding not only the French shipping but English coastal villages too. A furious King John briefly outlawed him but soon afterwards issued a pardon because he realised he needed his services. In 1212, Eustace's old enemy Renaud de Dammartin, broke with the king of France and allied himself with John and in doing so turned John's mind against Eustace even though he still needed his services.  This action caused Eustace to make a final switch of allegiance to that of King Philip of France.

Civil War broke out in England in 1215 in the form of the First Baron’s Revolt. Now under the employ of France and under French license, in 1216 Eustace set about helping the invasion of England by ferrying Prince Louis of France across the Channel. He also did his bit by harrying English ports with his actions angering the English so much that they would stop at nothing to capture the rogue monk-turned-pirate.

During the Battle Of Sandwich, in 1217 while serving as Louis’ admiral, Eustace the Monk is described as being a formidable foe, “endowed with a diabolical ingenuity in working havoc among his former friends the English.”  This engagement is notable as it involves the first known example of English sailing tactics being used in a large scale naval battle.

Due to the delays experienced by the French in sailing from Calais, the English had been given time to prepare for the invasion, assembling a fleet of about forty ships from the Cinque Ports, under the command of Hubert de Burgh, governor of Dover-castle in Sandwich, Kent. Eustace eventually met the English off the coast of Sandwich. Not only was the English outnumbered, but their ships were also generally smaller than the French, except for a substantial ship provided by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, who was persuaded to stay ashore much to his annoyance. 

The English, who had recovered Sandwich from Louis' forces, let the French armada pass by before attacking. When the French sailed past, de Burgh's fleet issued from the port after the French fleet, which sailed in close order toward the Thames estuary, holding the windward position at first. De Burgh's ship, which was in the lead, lunged at the French in a feint attack but veered away when threatened. Against the advice of his admiral Eustace, the overconfident Robert of Courtenay ordered the French to attack and pursued De Burgh. As the French shortened sail, the English ships gained the windward position and attacked. 

Meanwhile, de Burgh's flagship sailed on independently to attack the French from the rear, capturing two French vessels. The main thrust of the English fleet first attacked the French transports, and by gaining the wind, ran them down, and sunk the vessels with all on board.  At the same time, they fired their longbows at the enemy in their ships of war enraging the French. To prevent the French from boarding, they strewed large quantities of lime upon their decks, and with the wind blowing fresh, it carried full force into the faces of their enemies who were blinded and forced to retreat.

Early in the battle, the French flagship had engaged Richard Fitz-John's ship. As more English ships came up, they joined this fight, while the other French ships were forced to maintain their tight formation so unable to assist their flagship that was now being besieged.

William Marshal's ship and Fitz-John's ship grappled Eustace's flagship, one on each side. After a one-sided melee, Robert of Courtenay and the French knights were captured for ransom. Eustace dragged from his hiding place in the bilge, offered to pay 10,000 marks as ransom. Though his offer was tempting, Fitz-John and the other English leaders considered Eustace a turncoat and a pirate due to his previous employment by their king, in the service of England. Marked for execution by the enraged English, Eustace was tied down and a man named Stephen Crabbe struck off his head with one blow. The French fleet was soundly defeated, and with their flagship taken, the remaining ships headed back to Calais. 

The defeat at sea was catastrophic for Prince Louis who was then immediately besieged in London, whilst the English fleet blocked up the Thames. With the hope of reinforcements lost, he entered a treaty with the Marshal, where he renounced all his rights to the kingdom of England.

Footnote: Eustace was one of many folk heroes of the Middle Ages, Robin Hood and Fulk FitzWarin being two other well-known men of the same ilk. Whatever the truth may have been, the legend captured imaginations and still does to this day. Everyone seems to love a trickster, and we have the tendency to overlook any of their more nefarious activities, especially when they humiliate counts and kings.

Happy Monday everyone - Painted Mounted Knights!
over 5 years ago – Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 04:46:37 PM

Happy Monday everyone I hope you are having a great start to the week.  Just a quick and simple update today to say over the weekend we received images of the first two packs of mounted knights painted magnificently by Darren Linington and thought you would all like to see them.

As well as the mounted knights we also have a painted example of the Marshal of the Army of God and Holy Church Robert Fitzwalter the First, Baron of Little Dunmow, Constable of Baynard's Castle, Castellain and Chief Banneret of the City of London, member of the Security Council of the Barons as enshrined in Magna Carta. Phew, what a mouth full!

Over the weekend we also unlocked our final stretch goal which is Stephen Langton, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury arrayed for battle.  I have to say I think this is my favourite miniature, to date, possibly ever.

Welcome to Day Seven, halfway there!
over 5 years ago – Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 10:26:33 AM

Hello everyone and welcome to the halfway point of our Barons' War Kickstarter, seven days down with seven more to go.  The support we have so far received has been fantastic and has sent us a clear message that we will be needing rules too.  So my plan is to start back on those once this Kickstarter ends.  

Spearmen 3

Currently, we are only a couple of hundred pounds away from unlocking Spearmen 3 which will make both Paul and I very happy indeed as they were not part of the original plan and being able to offer a third pack to pledges will justify their inclusion.  If you think you might want spearmen 3 but haven't added the extra £7 to your pledge think about doing it now as every little helps to unlock them.

Mounted Knights 3

The fabulous Mr Hicks has also finished the third pack of (unplanned) mounted knights these chaps are holding their lances skyward providing variety and also creating mounted bannermen.

Trebuchet Wheel Runners

I have found a couple of images that Paul sent over while he was sculpting the trebuchet crew and thought you might want to see them.  These images show how the winders fit into the wheel of the Sarissa Precision siege engine.  These men would usually bind their eyes to prevent dizziness as they wind back the engine's arm to fire again at the castle walls.

Adding Shipping to your Pledge

We have been asked about the 'right time' to add shipping costs a few times now, our advice is to wait until the pledge manager has opened after the Kickstarter ends.  As it stands we have presented shipping as a worst-case scenario as currently, we are unsure how much it will be. This will become clearer once we are in a position to start sending your pledges out.  For now use the graphic below to give you an idea of what those costs could be.

Did You Know 14 - Rochester Castle (part 2)
over 5 years ago – Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 07:45:09 AM

The events which unfolded in 1215 marked one of the most remarkable sieges ever held upon English soil. The besiegers had five trebuchets hurling a barrage of stones at the castle's wall day and night supported by missile fire from smaller bows and crossbows ordered to shoot anything that moved; for the force under siege, it was a relentless attack. The Barnwell chronicler lay claims to King John smashing a hole in the castle's outer walls, however, Roger of Wendover asserted they were largely ineffectual against the solid walls of Rochester Castle and the attackers turned to other methods to breach the defences. 

A letter dated a day after John arrived at Rochester indicates he was preparing to undermine the castle's walls. Writing to Canterbury, he asked for the production "by day and night of as many picks as you are able" to be sent to Rochester. While the king waited for this delivery a relief force of 700 rebel horse rode out from London, however, two weeks later they turned back before reaching the castle.  It is not clear why but perhaps they heard the king was advancing to meet them or as they journeyed up they heard that Rochester bridge had been destroyed preventing them from engaging the loyalists.

When the castle's outer walls were eventually breached, the defenders retreated to the relative safety of the keep. Despite pelting it too with vast rocks, it stood firm, protecting all those who lay siege inside. John realised the twelve-foot walls were perhaps too thick to be breeched with his siege engines so once again the King resorted to mining to bring down the walls digging a shaft beneath the south-east corner of the keep.  John ordered Hugh de Burgh to "send to us with all speed by day and night forty of the fattest pigs of the sort least good for eating to bring fire beneath the tower". They hadn’t gone insane, in a world before gun-powder, pig-fat was used as an explosive and as a fire-starter. The idea was to use the pig-fat to create a fire strong enough to burn through the mine-shaft beneath the tower collapsing part of the castle. Smearing the wooden props supporting the tunnel with the butchered pig fat deep beneath the keep they set it alight and the resulting blaze burnt so fiercely it collapsed the mine, bringing down one corner of the keep and almost half the building. 

Still, the garrison at Rochester held out bravely and undeterred sought safety behind the stone partition or cross-wall in the keep, abandoning half the building to the attacking force.  As the keep is effectively divided into two parts, scurrying to the other side of the tower enabled them to continue their siege.  However, in the midst of the defender's bravery conditions within the keep worsened by the day and the garrison was reduced to eating horse flesh. Attempting to reduce the overall demand on the limited provisions they had left, those least capable of fighting were sent out of the keep. Some sources record that in a fit of spite King John ordered they had their hands and feet amputated to show other rebels what befalls those who defy him. 

On the 30th November the game was up and the rest of the garrison near-starved and exhausted surrendered to the King and were taken captive. Initially, John wanted to execute them all as was the custom of the time when a garrison had forced a long and bloody conflict. Savaric de Mauléon, one of John's captains, persuaded the king otherwise, concerned that similar treatment would be shown to royal garrisons captured by the rebel barons. Listening to his man King John showed clemency, and all except one were spared their lives. The one person ordered to be executed was a crossbowman who had previously been in his service since childhood, for this unfortunate John had him hanged. Afterwards many of the rebels were imprisoned, sent to royal castles such as Corfe for safe-keeping. 

Of the siege, the Barnwell chronicler wrote, "Our age has not known a siege so hard pressed nor so strongly resisted ... Afterwards few cared to put their trust in castles".  When Prince Louis of France arrived in England in 1216, he captured Rochester Castle from the royalists; it is not known how, however, as no documentary evidence recording the event survives.

Footnote: Chroniclers left vivid descriptions of the siege, which was clearly an act of outstanding ferocity, even if the king’s victory was short-lived as he died the following year.