The Battle of Lincoln 1141
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About this ebook
A book dedicated to the Battle of Lincoln that marked a turning point in the Wars of Anarchy during the reign of King Stephen in the 12th century.
A civil war between King Stephen and his rival Empress Matilda broke out in 1136. By 1141 England had fallen in to anarchy with nobles using the unrest to pursue local feuds, slaughter rivals and pillage each other’s land. In 1141 Stephen moved to capture Lincoln Castle and put down one such recalcitrant nobleman. While there he was surprised and attacked by a larger army loyal to Matilda. The ensuing battle was complex and confused, but it ended with Stephen utterly defeated - for now.
The reasons for and course of the war in question are outlined, then detailed analyses of weapons, tactics and strategies are given with particular reference to this battle. The course of the battle is then followed, short biographies of the commanders are also given. The aftermath of the battle, its effects and importance to the progress of the war are then described.
The “Bretwalda Battles” series has been running with increasing success as ebooks for some time. Now the first books in the series are being published in print format.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 When God and his Angels slept
Chapter 2 Leaders at Lincoln
Chapter 3 Men, Weapons and Tactics
Chapter 4 The Battle of Lincoln
Chapter 5 Aftermath
About the Author
Rupert Matthews has written over 180 books, mostly on history or military subjects for a wide variety of publishers. He has made a particular study of English battlefields, having walked across dozens of them, handled replica weapons and studied dozens of contemporary accounts
Rupert Matthews
Rupert Matthews has written over 150 books for different publishers, achieving significant sales in a variety of markets both in the UK and abroad. His works have been translated into 19 languages and have been shortlisted for a number of awards. Rupert has been a freelance writer for 20 years, working in-house at a major book publisher before going freelance.
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Book preview
The Battle of Lincoln 1141 - Rupert Matthews
Bretwalda Battles
Medieval Wars
The Battle of Lincoln 1141
by Rupert Matthews
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Published by Bretwalda Books at Smashwords
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This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
First Published 2013
Copyright © Bretwalda Books 2013
Oliver Hayes asserts his moral rights to be regarded as the author of this work.
ISBN 978-1-909099-64-7
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Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 When God and his Angels slept
Chapter 2 Leaders at Lincoln
Chapter 3 Men, Weapons and Tactics
Chapter 4 The Battle of Lincoln
Chapter 5 Aftermath
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Introduction
The Battle of Lincoln seemed to be a turning point in the civil war that had broken out in England in 1135. For more than a year the two main rival armies had been moving around England, both looking for a weakness in the other, but neither willing to strike. All that ended at Lincoln in February 1141 when Earl Robert of Gloucester caught King Stephen at a disadvantage and launched an assault that he hoped would end the war in a single blow.
The battle that followed is one of the best recorded conflicts of its age. Unlike most medieval battles, the Battle of Lincoln was recorded by a chronicler who spoke to men who had been there and who were able to describe who had done what and why. The battle belies the usual image of medieval battles as a vicious free for all and instead shows just how subtle and sophisticated the tactics and strategems could be.
With its violence, fury and drama, the Battle of Lincoln was one of the most decisive battles of medieval England. It is not often that a king is captured by his rival for the throne, still less is he wrestled to the ground while hacking at his enemies with a two-handed sword able to slice a man in half. The capture of King Stephen gave his rival Empress Matilda a crucial advantage when it came to securing the throne of England. That she was not able to do so was as much her own fault as it was anyone else’s.
The battle was fought to the west of the old city walls, overlooking the Fossdyke and what is now the old racecourse. Part of the battlefield was built over in the 19th century, with roads such as Cambridge Avenue, York Avenue and Richmond Road covering the most likely site of King Stephen’s original position. But other parts of the battlefield, west of Rosebery Avenue are little different from how they were back in 1141 when a king came to Lincoln and nearly lost his crown.
This book seeks to explain why the Battle of Lincoln was fought, how it was fought and what its results turned out to be. So read on and learn how history was made in Lincoln.
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Chapter 1
When God and His Angels Slept
From 1135 to 1153 England was torn apart by a savage civil war that saw the kingdom subjected to the most brutal horrors of medieval warfare. As central government control collapsed, nobles engaged in murderous feuds with each other and with the serfs and freemen they were supposed to protect. Civilians were raped, robbed and killed in large numbers as gangs of armed men roamed the country. Many of the most violent acts were carried out by men claiming to be supporters of one side or the other, but who were really just vicious bandits out to grab what they could while the anarchy prevailed.
The civil war was the result of a shipwreck in 1120 when Adelin, son and heir of King Henry I of England, was drowned. That left Henry without a legitimate male heir not only for the Kingdom of England, but also for the Duchy of Normandy and County of Cotentin that he also ruled. His only legitimate child left - he had numerous illegitimate children - was his daughter Matilda. She had married Holy Roman Emperor Henry V and, after his death in 1125 she returned to England. Henry made all his nobles swear that they would accept Empress Matilda as their Queen after his death.
The wreck of the White Ship off Barfleur, Normandy, on