The Battle of Chesterfield 1266

By Rupert Matthews

A book dedicated to the Battle of Chesterfield that ended the Baronial Wars of King Henry III against Simon de Montfort.
After Simon de Montfort’s death at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, his supporters rallied in Derbyshire. Sending messages to other reformers to rally to their cause the rebels were expecting help from the King of France, but it was Prince Edward (later King EdwardI) who got there first with a royal army. The resulting battle began in the fields south of the town, but moved into the streets of the town and ended in the churchyard where the last rebels surrendered.
This book follows the standard pattern set by others in the Bretwalda Battles series. 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 battleis then followed, with comment on what there is to see at the site today. 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.

Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 The March to Chesterfield
Chapter 2 Leaders at Chesterfield
Chapter 3 Men, Weapons and Tactics
Chapter 4 The Battle of Chesterfield
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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bretwalda Books
• Release date: Mar 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781909099647

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.

Book preview

Bretwalda Battles

Medieval Wars

The Battle of Chesterfield 1266

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 The March to Chesterfield

Chapter 2 Leaders at Chesterfield

Chapter 3 Men, Weapons and Tactics

Chapter 4 The Battle of Chesterfield

Chapter 5 Aftermath

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Introduction

The Battle of Chesterfield was fought in the later stages of the Baron’s War, a civil war fought in England between 1264 and 1267. The sheer savagery of what happened in Chesterfield was rooted in that struggle. The major battles of Lewes and Evesham had already been fought, but the war was far from over as the countryside remained in turmoil and nobles were still choosing which side to support.

The town of Chesterfield was then a fairly minor market town, but it occupied a strategic position astride roads leading to York, Derby, North Wales and Lincolnshire. Not only that but it was perched on top of a spur of high ground between two swift rivers and so could be easily defended. Into this walled town came the rebel Robert de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, and his army. Derby was expecting reinforcements from Yorkshire, but they had not yet arrived.

Meanwhile, advancing from the south came Prince Henry of Almain with a larger royalist force. Henry knew where Derby was, but he had no idea where the rebel reinforcements might be, nor how many there were. There were, in fact, no less than four armies manoeuvring around Chesterfield in the middle of May 1266, none of which was entirely certain where the others were nor how strong they were.

The armies would meet in Chesterfield in a battle of great savagery and merciless violence. It was to be one of the most unusual battles of the middle ages as it was waged through the streets of the town, largely after dark and with the men fighting by the light of burning houses. When it was over the streets of Chesterfield ran red with blood and were piled high with the dead and the wounded. The defences of the town had been found wanting and would need replacing.

But although Henry of Almain had won a victory for King Henry III the underlying discontent had not gone away. The royal government would have to give way before peace came to England. And Henry himself had sown the seeds of his own destruction, sparking an act of savage revenge that would come years later and many miles away.

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Chapter 1

The March to Chesterfield

The Barons War that led to the Battle of Chesterfield had erupted in 1264, but its roots reached back over half a century. It proved to be a civil war of enormous importance, far more so than the rather better known Wars of the Roses, for while the war did not lead to a change of ruler or dynasty it did profoundly alter the way in which England was governed, and we still live with those changes today.

In 1215 King John was forced to confirm the document known as Magna Carta by his rebellious barons. John had been ruling England as a despot, supported by foreign mercenaries. The great charter forced on him by the barons contained many clauses, but the key provision was that even the king had to obey the laws of the land. In dealing with his subjects the king could not arbitrarily imprison, fine or execute at will but only if the person had committed a crime. The weakness of Magna Carta, carefully drafted though it was, was that there was