B00B9BL6TI EBOK
Page 22
The major contemporary narrative sources for the battle are the History of William Marshal, written in the 1220s, and Roger of Wendover’s Flowers of History, which he completed in 1235; from these sources we can reconstruct a reasonable, if slightly confusing, account of what happened there.
Both sources agree that some form of contact was made with those inside the castle: according to Roger of Wendover, a messenger was sent out to tell the host of the situation inside and to offer them entry via the postern; according to the History, William Marshal’s nephew, John, met outside the castle with Geoffrey de Serland, who told them of a door they could use; John was then attacked by a party of French as he tried to return to the host. However, the History then goes on to say that Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester, managed to enter the castle and then the city, where he found a gate of great antiquity that was blocked but that could be cleared to allow the host entry.
The Marshal’s army then entered the city via the north and probably also from the west, and from inside the castle, where their crossbowmen had been stationed. There was some fierce fighting in the narrow streets, and the Royalists drove the French southwards down the hill where they fled out of the city – those of them who managed to escape through the constricted gate, anyway. Both sources recount the death of the Count of Perche via a strike to the eye, although Roger of Wendover does not give a name to his killer, and the History attributes the fatal blow to Reginald le Croc, with William Marshal apparently attempting only a capture and feeling regret at the death of his cousin.
After the battle, the city was looted by the victorious army on the pretext that the citizens had collaborated with the enemy; the papal legate excommunicated the entire clergy of Lincoln, and the cathedral, too, was looted. So much plunder was gained by the Royalist army that the battle is sometimes also called ‘Lincoln Fair’. Roger of Wendover recounts a sad addendum to the battle: ‘Many of the women of the city were drowned in the river, for, to avoid insult, they took to small boats with their children, their female servants, and household property […] the boats were overloaded, and the women not knowing how to manage the boats, all perished.’
Finally, it is true that Roger states that only three people died in the battle: the Count of Perche, Reginald le Croc, and another unnamed knight. It is also true that this was a time when the deaths of commoners were not thought important enough to record, so, although the day might not have been quite as bloody as portrayed here, it is very likely that there were more than three casualties.
Edwin is a fictional character, but his lord, William de Warenne, was a real earl whose motives are open to question. When the civil war first broke out he had sided with John, and was one of the Royalists who were present at the signing of the Magna Carta. He later served as a Royalist commander, but in June 1216 the rebel army led by Louis was allowed to enter his castle at Reigate unopposed; later in the month, Warenne came to Louis and offered him his support. It is not clear why he changed sides, but whatever his reason, his rebellion was short-lived, and following John’s death in October 1216, he wavered again. In April 1217, he entered into a truce with the Royalists; and then in May, the regent’s summons was sent out. Warenne was still not trusted, however, and he and his men were not present at the Battle of Lincoln. Nevertheless, he was welcomed back into the fold almost immediately afterwards, and to this day nobody seems quite sure why.
Further Reading
Robert Bartlett, England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings: 1075-1225 (Oxford University Press, 2002)
D.A. Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III (Methuen, 1990)
David Crouch, William Marshal: Knighthood, War and Chivalry, 1147-1219 (Longman, 2002)
J. W. F. Hill, Medieval Lincoln (Cambridge University Press, 1948)
A. J. Holden (ed.), History of William Marshal (3 Vols, Anglo-Norman Text Society, 2002-2006)
Sean McGlynn, Blood Cries Afar: The Forgotten Invasion of England 1216 (Spellmount, 2011)
Roger of Wendover, Flowers of History: 1215 to 1235 (Llanerch Press, 1996)
About the Author
C.B. Hanley has a PhD in mediaeval studies from the University of Sheffield and is the author of War and Combat 1150-1270: The Evidence from Old French Literature, as well as the historical work of fiction, The Sins of the Father. She currently writes a number of scholarly articles on the period, as well as teaching on writing for academic publication, and also works as a copy-editor and proofreader.
Copyright
First published by The Mystery Press, 2013
The Mystery Press, an imprint of The History Press
The Mill, Brimscombe Port
Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG
www.thehistorypress.co.uk
This ebook edition first published in 2013
All rights reserved
© C.B. Hanley, 2013
The right of C.B. Hanley, 2013 to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
EPUB ISBN 978 07524 9744 0
Original typesetting by The History Press
Ebook compilation by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk