Second Barons' War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Second Barons' War
Date 1264–1267 Location England Result Royalist victory Capture and imprisonment of King Henry III by baronial forces Establishment of de facto Protectorate ruled by Simon de Montfort's Parliament until 1265 Restoration of Royal Authority in 1266 Peace treaty agreed with Dictum of Kenilworth in 1267 Statute of Marlborough issued in 1267; legal confirmation of the Magna Carta and Parliament
Belligerents
Royal forces	Baronial forces
Commanders and leaders
King Henry III Prince Edward Prince Edmund Richard of Cornwall Henry of Almain Gilbert de Clare (from May 1265) Humphrey de Bohun John de Warenne William de Valence Roger Mortimer	Simon de Montfort  † Gilbert de Clare (until May 1265) Henry de Montfort  † Guy de Montfort Simon de Montfort the Younger Peter de Montfort  † Nicholas de Segrave Humphrey (V) de Bohun Hugh le Despenser  †

The Second Barons' War (1264–1267) was a civil war in England. It was fought between powerful English nobles, called barons, led by Simon de Montfort, and the royal army of King Henry III. The king's forces were first led by him, then by his son, Prince Edward.

The barons wanted the king to rule with their advice, not just with his own chosen friends. Simon de Montfort also tried to make Parliament more open. He wanted to include people from towns and counties, not just nobles. After ruling for just over a year, de Montfort was killed by the king's supporters at the Battle of Evesham.

Why the War Started

The reign of King Henry III faced many problems. One big issue was his constant need for more money. This made many English barons unhappy. They also disliked how Henry governed. A widespread famine made things even worse for everyone.

Simon de Montfort's Role

Simon de Montfort was originally from France. He was one of the "foreign councillors" many lords disliked. But he inherited the title Earl of Leicester through his mother. He married Henry's sister, Eleanor. King Henry agreed to this marriage. However, the English barons did not, which was usually needed for such an important marriage.

This led to a feud between de Montfort and King Henry. Their relationship got worse in the 1250s. De Montfort was put on trial for his actions as a leader in Gascony. This was the last Plantagenet land England still held in France.

King Henry's Financial Troubles

King Henry also spent a lot of money on a war in Italy. He fought against the Hohenstaufen family for the Pope. In return, he hoped his son Edmund would get the Kingdom of Sicily. Many barons worried Henry was acting like his father, King John. They felt he needed to be controlled. When Henry ran out of money, the Pope took back the offer.

The Provisions of Oxford

Simon de Montfort became the leader of those who wanted to bring back the rules of the Magna Carta. They wanted to force the king to share more power with a council of barons. In 1258, seven leading barons made Henry agree to the Provisions of Oxford. These rules greatly limited the king's power.

The Provisions gave power to a council of twenty-four barons. This council would manage the government. It also said that a parliament should meet every three years. This parliament would check on the council's work. Henry had to swear an oath to follow these new rules.

King Henry Tries to Regain Power

In 1259, Henry tried to get back his power. He made a deal with King Louis IX of France in the Treaty of Paris. Henry agreed to give up lands in France that had been taken from him. He also agreed to show respect to Louis for the lands he still held.

In 1261, Henry got permission from the Pope to break his oath to the Provisions. He then tried to take back control of the government. The barons who opposed him called their own Parliament. But as civil war seemed likely, they backed down. De Montfort fled to France. Another key leader, Richard de Clare, switched to the king's side.

Renewed Conflict

A system was set up to settle arguments between Henry and the barons. But Henry's policies continued to cause anger. The king's position weakened when Richard de Clare died. His son, Gilbert, then sided with the barons. Also, the Pope's decision to let Henry break his oath was reversed.

In April 1263, Simon de Montfort returned to England. He gathered unhappy barons at Oxford. Fighting started in the Welsh Marches. By autumn, both sides had large armies. De Montfort marched on London, and the city revolted. The King and Queen were trapped in the Tower of London. De Montfort took them prisoner and took control of the government.

However, his support soon weakened, and Henry became free again. With widespread disorder, Henry asked King Louis IX of France to help settle the dispute. De Montfort agreed. In January 1264, Louis declared in Henry's favor. He canceled the Provisions of Oxford. Some barons accepted this, but de Montfort and his supporters prepared for war.

The War Begins

Fighting started again in February 1264. Simon de Montfort's sons, Henry and Simon the Younger, attacked royalist supporters. These attacks were in the Welsh Borders. Part of Montfort's plan was to cancel debts.

Some of Montfort's allies attacked certain communities. They hoped to gain by destroying records of debts. These attacks happened in places like Worcester, London, Winchester, Lincoln, Cambridge, Canterbury, and Northampton.

Key Battles

In April, Simon de Montfort, who controlled London, gathered his forces. He marched to help Northampton, which the royalists were attacking. But he was too late, and the town was captured. He then went to Kent and attacked Rochester Castle. But when he heard the king was moving towards London, he left Rochester.

King Henry, however, went around London. He lifted the siege of Rochester. He then captured Tonbridge and Winchelsea from the rebels. Henry then moved into Sussex. There, de Montfort met him with his army.

Battle of Lewes

On May 14, at the Battle of Lewes, Henry's army was defeated. King Henry was captured by de Montfort. His son, Prince Edward, and his brother, Richard of Cornwall, were also captured. Henry remained king, but de Montfort was now in charge. De Montfort then expanded parliamentary representation. He included members from each county and many important towns. Around this time, Montfort announced the cancellation of all debts.

Prince Edward's Escape

De Montfort's new way of ruling caused some of his supporters to leave him. In May 1265, Prince Edward escaped from de Montfort's control at Hereford. He quickly gathered a new royalist army at Worcester. Many barons who had supported de Montfort joined Edward. The most important was Gilbert de Clare, who had been de Montfort's strongest ally.

Edward blocked de Montfort from moving east by controlling the River Severn crossings. He also captured Gloucester. De Montfort moved into Wales and made a deal with the Welsh Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Llywelyn provided him with soldiers. De Montfort tried to cross the Severn estuary from Newport. But his ships were destroyed by royalist warships. He then returned to Hereford.

Battle of Evesham

De Montfort wanted to join forces with his son, Simon the Younger. But Simon the Younger moved too slowly from London. He finally reached the rebel stronghold of Kenilworth. However, Edward attacked his forces, who were camped outside the castle walls. Edward caused them great losses.

While Edward was at Kenilworth, the elder Simon crossed the Severn at Kempsey. He was on his way to meet his son. But the royalists stopped him. They decisively defeated him at the Battle of Evesham on August 4. Simon and his son Henry were killed in the battle. King Henry, who de Montfort had brought with him, was freed.

End of the War

The victory at Evesham put the royalists in a strong position. But some rebels still held out in their castles, especially Kenilworth. Prince Edward began a Siege of Kenilworth on June 21, 1266. This siege lasted for months.

King Henry was convinced to find a peaceful solution. A group of bishops and barons wrote a statement. It was called the Dictum of Kenilworth, issued on October 31. It offered terms for rebels to get a pardon and get their lands back. They had to pay a large fine. The rebels first refused, but by December 14, hunger forced the defenders of Kenilworth to surrender. They accepted the terms of the Dictum.

In April 1267, Gilbert de Clare again rebelled and took over London. He made peace with Henry in June. This new agreement made the terms of the Dictum easier. Rebels could get their lands back before paying their fines. That summer, the last group of rebels surrendered. They had been hiding in The Fens at the Isle of Ely. About 15,000 people died in the war.

Timeline of Events

• 1263 – April – Simon de Montfort returns to England and gathers his supporters.
• 1263 – October – A revolt in London leads to King Henry's capture, but he later escapes.
• 1264 – January 23 – King Louis IX of France rules in Henry's favor, canceling the Provisions of Oxford.
• 1264 – February – Fighting begins in the Welsh Marches.
• 1264 – April – Rebels are defeated at Northampton.
• 1264 – May 14 – Simon de Montfort defeats King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes. He captures the king and Prince Edward.
• 1265 – January 20 – The first English Parliament, as planned by de Montfort, meets.
• 1265 – May 28 – Prince Edward escapes from capture at Hereford.
• 1265 – August 1 – Prince Edward defeats the army of Simon de Montfort's son, Simon the Younger, at Kenilworth.
• 1265 – August 4 – Prince Edward defeats and kills the elder Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham.
• 1266 – May 15 – Royalists defeat rebel forces at Chesterfield.
• 1266 – October 31 – Henry issues the Dictum of Kenilworth, offering terms to rebels.
• 1266 – December 14 – Rebels at Kenilworth Castle surrender.
• 1267 – May – Gilbert de Clare takes control of London.
• 1267 – June – King Henry and Gilbert de Clare agree to easier terms for rebels.
• 1267 – Summer – The last rebel forces surrender at the Isle of Ely.

See also