Winchelsea, the Cinque Ports and the Barons’ War

at Sea

Dr Adrian Jobson

The Barons’ War:An Overview

•Who: King Henry III vs Simon de Montfort•Why: Who ultimately should control the government?

•When: April 1264 – July 1267–followed 6 years of political deadlock–intermittent nationwide war lasting 3 years–three major land-based campaigns•Lewes 1264•Evesham 1265•Kenilworth 1266

•Naval theatre of war & coastal defences were crucial

•Key Players: Henry III, Simon de Montfort, Lord Edward, Roger Leybourne & the Cinque Ports

King Henry III

Origins•Henry had personally controlled government since 1234

•Tensions had been rising, especially from c.1247

•Several causes, including:–factional rivalry–foreign policy–official corruption –heavy taxation

•Early April 1258: Henry’s denial of justice to John fitz Geoffrey acts as the catalyst

•30 April: Confrontation in Westminster Hall•2 May: Henry reluctantly accepts political, legal & administrative reform

Lord

Edw

ard

c.13

01

1258-1261: Baronial Rule

• June 1258: Provisions of Oxford–initial reforms instituted–baronial committee of 24 to ‘reform the realm’

–council of 15 to oversee government

–Henry’s power now much reduced• October 1259: Provisions of Westminster–legal & administrative reforms issued

• 4 December 1259: Treaty of Paris• December 1260: Last recorded act of baronial council

Medieval Galley

Cinque Ports under Baronial Rule•Coastal & naval defences crucial to baronial

plans•Cinque Ports were key part of this maritime defence strategy, eg:–secure cross-Channel communications –safe passage for foreign mercenaries–controlling south-east hindered royalist plans

•June 1258: Richard de Grey appointed warden•May 1260: New royal charter issued•Increased spending on naval defences, eg:–Dover castle’s walls repaired and garrison reequipped

–Winchelsea’s royal galleys repaired in 1258 & 1259–new gangways & hurdles installed on several ships based at Sandwich

Roll of Coats of Arms, c.1244

Henry III Crossing the Channel, c.1230

1261-1263: Royalist Rule Restored• June 1261: Henry no longer recognises baronial council

• November 1261: Barons finally submit & Montfort heads into French exile

• Summer 1262: Henry falls out with new Earl of Gloucester

• Autumn 1262: Henry makes extended French visit while opposition to his rule mounts

• Late November 1262: Welsh revolt in the Marches

• Early 1263: English forces unsuccessful against Welsh & many now defect to the baronial opposition

• April 1263: Montfort returns from exile

Cinque Ports under Royal Control• 1261: Henry III interested in naval

defences• May 1261: Robert Walerand appointed warden

• August 1261: Bailiffs ordered to:– seize smuggled weapons– deny entry to all unless they have a specific royal permit

• 1262-3: Henry becomes indifferent to all naval matters except for Cinque Ports

• July 1262: Walter de Burgsted appointed deputy warden

• February 1263: Henry attempts to resolve confederation’s long-term dispute with Yarmouth

• May 1263: Bailiffs ordered to deny entry to anyone without ‘king’s special mandate’

7 June: Hereford attacked by rebels9 June: Nicholas de Crioll appointed warden10 June: Henry issues orders for defence of Cinque Ports12 June: Stephen of Pencester appointed military captain for Sussex & Kent15 June: Oaths of fealty extracted from leading citizens in Dover & other confederated portsLate June: Montfort marches into Kent and locals flock to his bannerLate June: New Romney attacked by baronial forces9 July: Cinque Ports break recent oath to Henry and swear new pledge of loyalty to Montfort15 July: Henry capitulates and Montfort enters London in triumph

1263 Revolt

Lewes Castle

Spring 1264: Lewes Campaign

• 5 April: Henry captures Northampton• Mid-April: Montfort attacks Rochester• Late-April: Henry’s forces relieve Rochester & capturing the Cinque Ports becomes their next objective

• Early May: Henry’s army suffers from guerrilla attacks whilst marching through the Weald

• 3 May: Royalist army takes Winchelsea without bloodshed & now focuses on capturing Dover

• 6 May: Montfort marches south from London to protect remaining Cinque Ports

• 14 May: Henry defeated by Montfort at Lewes

Summer 1264: Invasion Fears• Queen Eleanor assembles large invasion fleet at Damme in Flanders

• Many English ships impounded in European ports

• Montfort musters large army at Barham Down near Canterbury

• Cinque Ports provide coastal defence

• Coastal defence unified & Thomas of Moulton appointed ‘Warden of the Sea Coasts’

• Sandwich made fleet headquarters• Pevensey Castle besieged by Montfort’s son

• Ports closed across the country

1264-1265: Plundering and Piracy• ‘Labouring manfully about the defence

of the sea and the maritime parts’• Vessels from the Cinque Ports:

– attacked many ships at sea, both English & foreign

– seized cargoes and sunk several ships– accused of throwing captured crews overboard mid-Channel

• Higher commodity prices because of disruption caused by their activities

• Cinque Ports fleet attempts to disrupt secret royalist cross-Channel communications

• Barons of Hastings, Winchelsea & Rye ordered to intercept any royalist vessels munitioning Pevensey Castle

1265: Evesham Campaign• April 1265: John de Warenne & William de Valence land in Pembroke with small royalist force

• May: Lord Edward escapes from Montfort’s custody at Hereford

• May: Keepers appointed to keep ‘maritime parts’ in the south-western counties of England

• May-June: Edward assembles a formidable army at Ludlow

• June-July: Edward’s forces shadow Montfort’s through South Wales into England

• 4 August 1265: Montfort killed at Evesham

Cinque Ports in late 1265

• Late October: Cinque Ports remain defiant– fleet puts to sea with ‘arms and victuals’

– ‘to avenge their territories and the shame of their people’

• 28 October: Dover Castle surrenders • November: Portsmouth attacked and burned by fleet from the Cinque Ports

• Autumn/Winter: Lucrative piratical campaign from the Wash to the Needles– foreign trade severely disrupted– ships from several countries pillaged & sunk

– wardens appointed in Sussex ‘to go against the king’s enemies and rebels’

The 1266 Campaign: Sandwich• 4 January: Roger Leybourne ordered to attack Sandwich

• 7 January: Large fleet arrives from Yarmouth to blockade Sandwich

• 15 January: Sandwich captured by royalists• 27 January: Leybourne given custody of Kent coast & focuses now on taking Winchelsea

• 10 February: Simon de Montfort junior flees to France via Winchelsea

• Mid-February: Hastings becomes royalist HQ for the forthcoming Winchelsea campaign

Trebuchet

Siege Warfare (1)

Siege Warfare (2)

Mangonel

Siege Warfare (3)

Crossbowmen

The 1266 Campaign: Winchelsea

• February/March: Royalists make their plans• Mid-March: Lord Edward arrives with reinforcements

• East Anglian ports supply ships & men• Close international co-operation: Sailors from Bayonne in Gascony & East Anglia target Cinque Ports vessels at sea

• 24 March: Combined land/sea operation mounted against Winchelsea

• Winchelsea surrenders • Cinque Ports have been subdued and royalists can now concentrate on besieging Kenilworth

Roger of Leybourne’s Account

Summary• English Channel was a major battleground of Barons’ War

• Securing control of Cinque Ports was key strategic priority for both royalists & reformers

• Henry III & Montfort had actively sought their support

• Cinque Ports solidly pro-baronial from 1263

• Cinque Ports played crucial role in the Barons’ War– Influenced course of war on several occasions

– Coastal defence– Operational headquarters– Disrupted communications– Prevented invasion– Economic warfare & piracy