Battle of Lincoln Fair
The Second Battle of Lincoln otherwise known as The Battle of Lincoln Fair, occurred at Lincoln Castle on 20 May 1217, during the First Barons' War. The opponents were the forces of the future Louis VIII of France and those of King Henry III of England.
In 1216 the First Barons' War of the English succession took a new turn when Prince Louis of France entered London and was proclaimed King of England. He was supported by various English barons who resisted the rule of King John. When John died in the middle of the war, his 9 year-old son Henry III was crowned. |
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Following John's death many barons were willing to change sides and fight for Henry against Prince Louis. William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, was Henry III's Regent. Marshal ordered all nobles with a Castle in England to a muster in Newark. Approximately 400 Knights, 250 crossbowmen, and a larger auxiliary force of both mounted and foot soldiers were assembled. From there they would march to break a long siege by an army of Prince Louis at the city of Lincoln.
Medieval Lincoln was an ancient walled city with a Norman Castle. It was a strategic position as two important Roman roads, Ermine Street and Fosse Way, met to the south of the City. Read about Lincoln Castle here
At the time of the battle, the city of Lincoln had been taken by Louis' forces. However, the castle remained intact. Its garrison was loyal to King Henry and continued to defend the important fortification from forces loyal to Prince Louis, led by Thomas, the Count of Perche.
Medieval Lincoln was an ancient walled city with a Norman Castle. It was a strategic position as two important Roman roads, Ermine Street and Fosse Way, met to the south of the City. Read about Lincoln Castle here
At the time of the battle, the city of Lincoln had been taken by Louis' forces. However, the castle remained intact. Its garrison was loyal to King Henry and continued to defend the important fortification from forces loyal to Prince Louis, led by Thomas, the Count of Perche.
From the town of Stow, a few miles to the northwest, of Lincoln, William Marshal's forces made their approach arriving on the morning of 19th May. Though the advance was known to Perche, his knights debated about intelligence on the strength of the enemy. Those who believed Marshal's force was relatively small in number favoured an offensive plan: a meeting in an open battlefield at the base of the hill, before Marshal could reach the city gates.
Those who believed Marshal had a dangerously large force favoured a more defensive plan: delay Marshal at the gates of the city wall, and at the same time press the siege, capture the castle, and occupy this much stronger position. The defensive plan was taken, though not without some continuing dissension.
The French divided their troops, some to continue the assault on the castle, and some to face the advancing royalist army. Marshall's army advanced on two fronts, one advancing into the city by way of the Newport Arch, the other forcing an entry to the castle by way of the west gate.
This latter force then deployed crossbowmen on the castle walls catching them in Castle Hill, and sent down a rain of fire on the besieging French, and killed many of the French knight's horses. The French commander, the count of Perche, was killed in the melee, and the French troops were put to flight. They retreated through the Bail, down High Street, and into Wigford, outside the city walls. The whole of the battle had taken about six hours.
According to the contemporary chronicler Roger of Wendover, over 300 knights, half the number in the rebel army, from the baron's army were captured, but there were only three deaths; the count of Perche, Reginald Crocus, a knight of the king's party, and an unknown soldier fighting for the rebels. The city of Lincoln, on the pretense of being in league with Louis, was pillaged by the victorious army, an event called the Lincoln Fair.
To the south, inhabitants of towns between Lincoln and London ambushed and killed some French soldiers in the flight south to London. This heavy defeat led to Louis being expelled from his base in the south east of England.
The Battle of Lincoln was the turning point in the First Barons' War. Many of Henry's enemies, barons who had supported Louis, and who helped supply, organise and command his military forces, were captured at Lincoln. Reinforcements for Louis were then sent across the English Channel under the command of Eustace the Monk. However the French ships were defeated by Hubert de Burgh in the Battle of Dover. This defeat of the French fleet greatly reduced the French threat to the English crown and so Prince Louis and his remaining forces had to return to France. In September 1217, the treaty of Lambeth forced Louis not only to give up his claim to the English throne but to eject Eustace's brothers from the Channel Islands.
Those who believed Marshal had a dangerously large force favoured a more defensive plan: delay Marshal at the gates of the city wall, and at the same time press the siege, capture the castle, and occupy this much stronger position. The defensive plan was taken, though not without some continuing dissension.
The French divided their troops, some to continue the assault on the castle, and some to face the advancing royalist army. Marshall's army advanced on two fronts, one advancing into the city by way of the Newport Arch, the other forcing an entry to the castle by way of the west gate.
This latter force then deployed crossbowmen on the castle walls catching them in Castle Hill, and sent down a rain of fire on the besieging French, and killed many of the French knight's horses. The French commander, the count of Perche, was killed in the melee, and the French troops were put to flight. They retreated through the Bail, down High Street, and into Wigford, outside the city walls. The whole of the battle had taken about six hours.
According to the contemporary chronicler Roger of Wendover, over 300 knights, half the number in the rebel army, from the baron's army were captured, but there were only three deaths; the count of Perche, Reginald Crocus, a knight of the king's party, and an unknown soldier fighting for the rebels. The city of Lincoln, on the pretense of being in league with Louis, was pillaged by the victorious army, an event called the Lincoln Fair.
To the south, inhabitants of towns between Lincoln and London ambushed and killed some French soldiers in the flight south to London. This heavy defeat led to Louis being expelled from his base in the south east of England.
The Battle of Lincoln was the turning point in the First Barons' War. Many of Henry's enemies, barons who had supported Louis, and who helped supply, organise and command his military forces, were captured at Lincoln. Reinforcements for Louis were then sent across the English Channel under the command of Eustace the Monk. However the French ships were defeated by Hubert de Burgh in the Battle of Dover. This defeat of the French fleet greatly reduced the French threat to the English crown and so Prince Louis and his remaining forces had to return to France. In September 1217, the treaty of Lambeth forced Louis not only to give up his claim to the English throne but to eject Eustace's brothers from the Channel Islands.
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