1564109

Acceded 1272-1307.

Edward I
Edward I (1272-1307), who succeeded his father, was an able administrator and law-maker. He re-established royal power, investigating many of the abuses resulting from weak royal government and issuing new laws. Edward was an effective soldier, gaining experience from going on crusade to Syria before he became king. In 1277 Edward invaded Wales where Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, prince of Wales, had built up considerable power. In a series of campaigns Edward gained control of Wales, building strong castles to secure his conquests. Llewelyn was subdued before his death, by the 1277 treaty of Conway. In 1284, the Statute of Wales brought Wales under Edward's rule. In 1301, he created his eldest surviving son, Edward, the first English Prince of Wales.
Wanting to unite the country behind him and to raise money for his campaigns in Wales and Scotland (including another war in France in 1293), in 1295 the king called what became known as the 'Model Parliament'. To this he summoned not only the aristocracy, bishops and abbots, but also the knights of the shires, burgesses from the towns and junior clergy. (Although resembling Parliament in approximately its modern form, for most of the middle ages a parliament meant primarily the king and the lords, with the commons meeting separately. Under pressures of war, and the subsequent need for extraordinary taxation, parliament became a regular feature of royal rule, and this system of representation subsequently became more usual.)

In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, successfully seizing the Stone of Scone; the king John Balliol abdicated and surrendered to Edward. However, a guerrilla war broke out and William Wallace, the Scottish leader, defeated the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297. Wallace was finally captured and executed in 1305. Edward died in 1307, when he was about to start another campaign against the Scots and their leader, Robert Bruce.
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REF: British Monarchy Official Website: Edward I (1272-1307), who succeeded his father, was an able administrator and law maker. He re-established royal power, investigating many of the abuses resulting from weak royal government
and issuing new laws. Edward was an effective soldier, gaining experience from going on crusade to Egypt and Syria before he became king. In 1276
Edward invaded Wales where Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, had built up considerable power. In a series of campaigns Edward gained control of Wales, building strong castles to secure his conquests. Llewelyn was killed
and in 1284, the Statute of Wales brought Wales under Edward's rule. In 1301, he created his eldest son, Edward, the first English Prince of Wales. Wanting to unite the country behind him and to raise money for all these campaigns, in 1295 the king called what became known as the 'Model Parliament'. To this he summoned not only the aristocracy and the prelates, but also the knights of
the shires, burgesses from the towns and junior clergy, thus creating a Parliament in approximately its modern form. From this date onwards, this
system of representation became the norm. In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, successfully seizing the king of Scots and the Stone of Scone. However, a guerrilla war broke out and William Wallace, the Scottish leader, defeated the English at Stirling Bridge. Wallace was finally captured and executed in 1305. Edward died in 1307, when he was about to start another campaign against the
Scots. In 1314 Robert the Bruce, who had become king of Scots in 1306, defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.

REF: Sharon Kay Penman "Falls the Shadow": He was on fairly friendly & respectful terms with his uncle, Simon de Montfort, and even initially supported Simon's calls for honoring the Oxford Provisions. But, after Richard of Cornwall's mediation in the dispute between Edward & his father Henry, Simon had his final break with de Montort in April 1260. In late June 1260, Edward, attempting to alleviate Henry's money crisis, by subterfuge under cover of darkness requested admittance into the New Temple of the Knights Templar in London & robbed the treasuries of the city guilds. In June 1263 Prince Edward's foreign Flemish troops burned Bristol; the populace rose up & besieged him & his army in the castle. The Bishop of Worcester, Walter de Cantelou placated the townsfolk by taking Edward's pladge to make peace with de Montfort & the barons (Edward had no intention of honoring his pledge). March 1264 Simon's sons Henry & Bran de Montfort trap Prince Edward at Gloucester Castle, but Edward solemnly avows to Henry (they were extremely close, growing up together) that if Henry grants him a truce he will work with King Henry & Richard of Cornwall to arrange a truce & avoid war. Henry de Montfort was in command, & believed him. Edward was lying through his teeth. As soon as Henry & Bran de Montfort's army were out of sight, Edward siezed the town & imposed harsh fines & penalties. On April 5 1264 the defeat at Northampton by Edward of Simon's forces (de MOntfort was in London) crippled rebel forces. Northampton defenses had been allowed to decay in the years previous to de Montfort's occupation there, plus the battle was lost due to the treachery of the Prior at St. Andrew's. After the defeat, Edward allowed his army to have their sport on the town, culminating in utter destruction, rapine, murder, etc. of its inhabitants. Some 80 barons & knights were taken prisoner & the rebel army was gutted. The defeat touched off a riot in London (since Londoners were very favorable to Simon) on Apr 9, 1264 in which hundreds, mainly Jews, were slain. In May 1264 Edward looted lands of Robert de Ferrers, the Earl of Derby, & after Derby lost Tutbury Castle, he defected from Simon's support. King Henry meanwhile took Leicester & Nottingham. Simon & Gilbert de Clare attacked Rochester Castle (which surrendered) & besieged the town when Edward approached London so Simon went back to defend it. King Henry & Edward were practicing fierce cruelty by chopping off the nads & feet of all common soldiers captured from de Montfort's army. The Cinque Ports & Dover Castle held fast for Simon, & did not obey Henry & Edward's command for a naval force to attack London. Thwarted, Edward takes Gilbert de Clare's Tonbridge Castle. Simon continued to hold London, but was surrounded by Edward & Henry. In May 1264, the Bishop of Chichester tried to convince Henry III to negotiate, but he refused. The Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) try to do the same on the eve of the Battle of Lewes; again Henry refuses. At Lewes, Montfort was outnumbered 2:1; Royalist forces numbered some 10,000. Montfort introduced a new strategy to warfare; he established a reserve command to be commanded by himself, plus he intoduced the concept of the night march. He was thought to be miles away by the Royalist forces on the eve of the battle, but he & his army undertook a night march to focre the battle on May 14, 1264. Henry was utterly taken by surprise, & his garrison lodged at the Priory were in some confusion; however, Edward, who garrisoned his men at Lewes Castle, was able to meet the rebel left flank of greenhorn & untrained Londoners under the command of Nicholas de Segrave. Edward routed them with no care for the "rules" of war in that he & his knights undertook a pursuit miles away from the battle only to slay every man they could find. This was thought caused by the Londoner's steadfast support for Monfort and their animosity toward Henry & especially Edward's mother Queen Eleanor (including the London mob's attack on her barge July 1263). From these beginnings Edward had a lifelong hatred for Londoners. On the eve of the Battle of Lewes, 14 May 1264, after Henry had refused the entreaty of the Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) to negotiate, Simon formally renounced all allegiance to Henry, & was followed by his men. including Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, Humfrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", John Giffard, Sir John FitzJohn, Nicholas de Segrave, & Robert de Vere. Clare & Vere had the most to lose of any rebel supporters. At the battle itself, the left flank of green & hastily trained but no battle-experience Londoners was under the command of Nicholas de Segrave with 2nd an inexperienced John Giffard; the right flank was commanded by Simon's sons Henry & Guy de Montfort (Bran still being held in captivity at Windsor Castle by Henry) with 2nd Humphrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", the center column was commanded by Gilbert de Clare, 2nded by Sir John FitzJohn, with Simon himself commanding the new reserve force 2nded by Hugh le Despenser. For the Royalists, Henry commanded the center column, Richard of Cornwall commanded the left flank, & Edward commanded the vanguard. Royalist forces outnumbered the rebels by some 2:1 with some 10,000 men. Henry's force was augmented by a Scots force sent by his son in law Alexander III the Glorious, King of Scotland. With Edward were Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Hugh le Bigod, Henry Plantagenet of Almaine, Richard of Cornwall's son (& Edward's cousin & Simon's nephew), & John de Warenne. At the time of the battle, Simon was thought to be miles away, & still unable to ride a horse due to his broken leg. After Edward had absented himself from the field so long (carrying out his vengeance on the Londoners) Simon attacked & obliterated King Henry's force. Henry fled to the Priory. Richard of Cornwall was captured by Gilbert de Clare. When Edward & his men found out, Edward was urged to flee to Pevensey Castle & from there toward France. Edward refused to abandon his father, but the de Lusignans fled the battle, as did John de Warenne, Hugh le Bigod, Dafydd ap Gruddydd & over 300 knights. Only Edward's cousin Henry of Almaine (Richard of Cornwall's son) & Edwards household knights remained with him. Edward got through John FitzJohn's surrounding encampment to his father in the priory, Simon then offered a 12 hour truce & accepted their surrender the following morning. Lewes resulted in 2700 known dead (one of every five men). Under the Mise of Lewes, the Oxford Provisions were again reinstated as the law of the land, with an arbitration commission. Under no circumstances could Henry appoint aliens onto his council. Henry's extravagent spending was also to be brought under control & he to live within his means & pay off his enormous debts. A full amnesty was proclaimed for all rebels. No ransoms were to be paid for men captured at Lewes nor earlier at Northampton. Edward & Henry of Almaine surrendered themselves as hostages for their fathers' good faith. Edward was confined at Wallingford Castle with Richard of Cornwall. King Henry was lodged securely at the palace of the Bishop of London, In June 1264, Simon called a Parliament, one that included knights & town officials. The effect of Lewes that while Henry was still King, Simon had command of the realm. He also called for the terms of the Chivalric code to cover not only knights, but also commoners & Jews. In October 1264, the Pope (who hated Simon & the English Lords who had refused to succor his (the Pope's) abortive plans for Sicily) formally excommunicated Simon, his sons Henry, Bran & Guy, Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, the Mayor of London Thomas FitzThomas, & many of their supporters. The Bishops of Worcester, London & Winchester refused to publish the sentence of anathema; the Pope laid England under Interdict Oct 21 1264, but the English clergy continued to support Simon & services & rites of the Church continued to be performed. After the great victory, Simon's problems with governing began to mount. He wielded the King's authority without the right, & many began to question his motives for power. Also, an economic crises mounted as the sailors of the Cinque Ports had siezed all shipping in the Channel. In November 1264, kinsmen of the Earl of Hereford, Humphrey de Bohun V (Humphrey de Bohun VI was a staunch Montfort supporter) waged an attack on Wallingford Castle to free Edward. Guy de Montfort, Edward's cousin & Simon's son, cooly told Edward to have the besiegers call off the attack or he (Guy) would order Edward hurled at them in the Castle mangonel. Such was the bad blood between them that Edward did as ordered. At the Battle of Kenilworth, Edward borrowed from Simon's never before heard of tactics & underwent & forced night march of 30 miles & surprised Bran de Montfort outside Kenilworth Castle (Bran had foolishly encamped outside, rather than in, the castle). Bran had a large army & cache of supplies gathered for the relief of Simon, who had been trapped in Wales for a month; however, Bran had been lax in speedily coming to his father's rescue & in enforcing military discipline. Edward's forces completely overwhelmed Bran's army; Edward captured so many horses he was able to mount every man in his army. At Evesham (4 Aug 1265) Edward flew false colors of Robert de Vere of Oxford (captured at Kenilworth) & of Bran and entrapped Simon there. It was less a battle than a slaughter; Edward allowed his men to mutilate the dead, etc.

In the Barons war 1264-67 he defeated the Barons at Evesham (1265) as King
he is noted for encouraging Parliamentary institutions at the expence of
feaudalism and for subdueing Wales on which he imposed the English system of administration. This was after his first campaign in Wales when he was still prince. He & his father Henry III were led an army into Gwynedd & were defeated at Deganwy Castle August 1257 leaving all of Wales (and all of Prince Edward's Welsh lands) in the control of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. Edward & Henry's forces were defeated by Llywelyn in less than a month. He later tried to assert his authority over Scotland and died while on his way to fight Robert Bruce.
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REF: British Monarchy Official Website: Edward I (1272-1307), who succeeded his father, was an able administrator and law maker. He re-established royal power, investigating many of the abuses resulting from weak royal government
and issuing new laws. Edward was an effective soldier, gaining experience from going on crusade to Egypt and Syria before he became king. In 1276
Edward invaded Wales where Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, had built up considerable power. In a series of campaigns Edward gained control of Wales, building strong castles to secure his conquests. Llewelyn was killed
and in 1284, the Statute of Wales brought Wales under Edward's rule. In 1301, he created his eldest son, Edward, the first English Prince of Wales. Wanting to unite the country behind him and to raise money for all these campaigns, in 1295 the king called what became known as the 'Model Parliament'. To this he summoned not only the aristocracy and the prelates, but also the knights of
the shires, burgesses from the towns and junior clergy, thus creating a Parliament in approximately its modern form. From this date onwards, this
system of representation became the norm. In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, successfully seizing the king of Scots and the Stone of Scone. However, a guerrilla war broke out and William Wallace, the Scottish leader, defeated the English at Stirling Bridge. Wallace was finally captured and executed in 1305. Edward died in 1307, when he was about to start another campaign against the
Scots. In 1314 Robert the Bruce, who had become king of Scots in 1306, defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.

REF: Sharon Kay Penman "Falls the Shadow": He was on fairly friendly & respectful terms with his uncle, Simon de Montfort, and even initially supported Simon's calls for honoring the Oxford Provisions. But, after Richard of Cornwall's mediation in the dispute between Edward & his father Henry, Simon had his final break with de Montort in April 1260. In late June 1260, Edward, attempting to alleviate Henry's money crisis, by subterfuge under cover of darkness requested admittance into the New Temple of the Knights Templar in London & robbed the treasuries of the city guilds. In June 1263 Prince Edward's foreign Flemish troops burned Bristol; the populace rose up & besieged him & his army in the castle. The Bishop of Worcester, Walter de Cantelou placated the townsfolk by taking Edward's pladge to make peace with de Montfort & the barons (Edward had no intention of honoring his pledge). March 1264 Simon's sons Henry & Bran de Montfort trap Prince Edward at Gloucester Castle, but Edward solemnly avows to Henry (they were extremely close, growing up together) that if Henry grants him a truce he will work with King Henry & Richard of Cornwall to arrange a truce & avoid war. Henry de Montfort was in command, & believed him. Edward was lying through his teeth. As soon as Henry & Bran de Montfort's army were out of sight, Edward siezed the town & imposed harsh fines & penalties. On April 5 1264 the defeat at Northampton by Edward of Simon's forces (de MOntfort was in London) crippled rebel forces. Northampton defenses had been allowed to decay in the years previous to de Montfort's occupation there, plus the battle was lost due to the treachery of the Prior at St. Andrew's. After the defeat, Edward allowed his army to have their sport on the town, culminating in utter destruction, rapine, murder, etc. of its inhabitants. Some 80 barons & knights were taken prisoner & the rebel army was gutted. The defeat touched off a riot in London (since Londoners were very favorable to Simon) on Apr 9, 1264 in which hundreds, mainly Jews, were slain. In May 1264 Edward looted lands of Robert de Ferrers, the Earl of Derby, & after Derby lost Tutbury Castle, he defected from Simon's support. King Henry meanwhile took Leicester & Nottingham. Simon & Gilbert de Clare attacked Rochester Castle (which surrendered) & besieged the town when Edward approached London so Simon went back to defend it. King Henry & Edward were practicing fierce cruelty by chopping off the nads & feet of all common soldiers captured from de Montfort's army. The Cinque Ports & Dover Castle held fast for Simon, & did not obey Henry & Edward's command for a naval force to attack London. Thwarted, Edward takes Gilbert de Clare's Tonbridge Castle. Simon continued to hold London, but was surrounded by Edward & Henry. In May 1264, the Bishop of Chichester tried to convince Henry III to negotiate, but he refused. The Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) try to do the same on the eve of the Battle of Lewes; again Henry refuses. At Lewes, Montfort was outnumbered 2:1; Royalist forces numbered some 10,000. Montfort introduced a new strategy to warfare; he established a reserve command to be commanded by himself, plus he intoduced the concept of the night march. He was thought to be miles away by the Royalist forces on the eve of the battle, but he & his army undertook a night march to focre the battle on May 14, 1264. Henry was utterly taken by surprise, & his garrison lodged at the Priory were in some confusion; however, Edward, who garrisoned his men at Lewes Castle, was able to meet the rebel left flank of greenhorn & untrained Londoners under the command of Nicholas de Segrave. Edward routed them with no care for the "rules" of war in that he & his knights undertook a pursuit miles away from the battle only to slay every man they could find. This was thought caused by the Londoner's steadfast support for Monfort and their animosity toward Henry & especially Edward's mother Queen Eleanor (including the London mob's attack on her barge July 1263). From these beginnings Edward had a lifelong hatred for Londoners. On the eve of the Battle of Lewes, 14 May 1264, after Henry had refused the entreaty of the Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) to negotiate, Simon formally renounced all allegiance to Henry, & was followed by his men. including Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, Humfrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", John Giffard, Sir John FitzJohn, Nicholas de Segrave, & Robert de Vere. Clare & Vere had the most to lose of any rebel supporters. At the battle itself, the left flank of green & hastily trained but no battle-experience Londoners was under the command of Nicholas de Segrave with 2nd an inexperienced John Giffard; the right flank was commanded by Simon's sons Henry & Guy de Montfort (Bran still being held in captivity at Windsor Castle by Henry) with 2nd Humphrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", the center column was commanded by Gilbert de Clare, 2nded by Sir John FitzJohn, with Simon himself commanding the new reserve force 2nded by Hugh le Despenser. For the Royalists, Henry commanded the center column, Richard of Cornwall commanded the left flank, & Edward commanded the vanguard. Royalist forces outnumbered the rebels by some 2:1 with some 10,000 men. Henry's force was augmented by a Scots force sent by his son in law Alexander III the Glorious, King of Scotland. With Edward were Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Hugh le Bigod, Henry Plantagenet of Almaine, Richard of Cornwall's son (& Edward's cousin & Simon's nephew), & John de Warenne. At the time of the battle, Simon was thought to be miles away, & still unable to ride a horse due to his broken leg. After Edward had absented himself from the field so long (carrying out his vengeance on the Londoners) Simon attacked & obliterated King Henry's force. Henry fled to the Priory. Richard of Cornwall was captured by Gilbert de Clare. When Edward & his men found out, Edward was urged to flee to Pevensey Castle & from there toward France. Edward refused to abandon his father, but the de Lusignans fled the battle, as did John de Warenne, Hugh le Bigod, Dafydd ap Gruddydd & over 300 knights. Only Edward's cousin Henry of Almaine (Richard of Cornwall's son) & Edwards household knights remained with him. Edward got through John FitzJohn's surrounding encampment to his father in the priory, Simon then offered a 12 hour truce & accepted their surrender the following morning. Lewes resulted in 2700 known dead (one of every five men). Under the Mise of Lewes, the Oxford Provisions were again reinstated as the law of the land, with an arbitration commission. Under no circumstances could Henry appoint aliens onto his council. Henry's extravagent spending was also to be brought under control & he to live within his means & pay off his enormous debts. A full amnesty was proclaimed for all rebels. No ransoms were to be paid for men captured at Lewes nor earlier at Northampton. Edward & Henry of Almaine surrendered themselves as hostages for their fathers' good faith. Edward was confined at Wallingford Castle with Richard of Cornwall. King Henry was lodged securely at the palace of the Bishop of London, In June 1264, Simon called a Parliament, one that included knights & town officials. The effect of Lewes that while Henry was still King, Simon had command of the realm. He also called for the terms of the Chivalric code to cover not only knights, but also commoners & Jews. In October 1264, the Pope (who hated Simon & the English Lords who had refused to succor his (the Pope's) abortive plans for Sicily) formally excommunicated Simon, his sons Henry, Bran & Guy, Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, the Mayor of London Thomas FitzThomas, & many of their supporters. The Bishops of Worcester, London & Winchester refused to publish the sentence of anathema; the Pope laid England under Interdict Oct 21 1264, but the English clergy continued to support Simon & services & rites of the Church continued to be performed. After the great victory, Simon's problems with governing began to mount. He wielded the King's authority without the right, & many began to question his motives for power. Also, an economic crises mounted as the sailors of the Cinque Ports had siezed all shipping in the Channel. In November 1264, kinsmen of the Earl of Hereford, Humphrey de Bohun V (Humphrey de Bohun VI was a staunch Montfort supporter) waged an attack on Wallingford Castle to free Edward. Guy de Montfort, Edward's cousin & Simon's son, cooly told Edward to have the besiegers call off the attack or he (Guy) would order Edward hurled at them in the Castle mangonel. Such was the bad blood between them that Edward did as ordered. At the Battle of Kenilworth, Edward borrowed from Simon's never before heard of tactics & underwent & forced night march of 30 miles & surprised Bran de Montfort outside Kenilworth Castle (Bran had foolishly encamped outside, rather than in, the castle). Bran had a large army & cache of supplies gathered for the relief of Simon, who had been trapped in Wales for a month; however, Bran had been lax in speedily coming to his father's rescue & in enforcing military discipline. Edward's forces completely overwhelmed Bran's army; Edward captured so many horses he was able to mount every man in his army. At Evesham (4 Aug 1265) Edward flew false colors of Robert de Vere of Oxford (captured at Kenilworth) & of Bran and entrapped Simon there. It was less a battle than a slaughter; Edward allowed his men to mutilate the dead, etc.

In the Barons war 1264-67 he defeated the Barons at Evesham (1265) as King
he is noted for encouraging Parliamentary institutions at the expence of
feaudalism and for subdueing Wales on which he imposed the English system of administration. This was after his first campaign in Wales when he was still prince. He & his father Henry III were led an army into Gwynedd & were defeated at Deganwy Castle August 1257 leaving all of Wales (and all of Prince Edward's Welsh lands) in the control of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. Edward & Henry's forces were defeated by Llywelyn in less than a month. He later tried to assert his authority over Scotland and died while on his way to fight Robert Bruce.
[large-G675.FTW]

REF: British Monarchy Official Website: Edward I (1272-1307), who succeeded his father, was an able administrator and law maker. He re-established royal power, investigating many of the abuses resulting from weak royal government
and issuing new laws. Edward was an effective soldier, gaining experience from going on crusade to Egypt and Syria before he became king. In 1276
Edward invaded Wales where Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, had built up considerable power. In a series of campaigns Edward gained control of Wales, building strong castles to secure his conquests. Llewelyn was killed
and in 1284, the Statute of Wales brought Wales under Edward's rule. In 1301, he created his eldest son, Edward, the first English Prince of Wales. Wanting to unite the country behind him and to raise money for all these campaigns, in 1295 the king called what became known as the 'Model Parliament'. To this he summoned not only the aristocracy and the prelates, but also the knights of
the shires, burgesses from the towns and junior clergy, thus creating a Parliament in approximately its modern form. From this date onwards, this
system of representation became the norm. In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland, successfully seizing the king of Scots and the Stone of Scone. However, a guerrilla war broke out and William Wallace, the Scottish leader, defeated the English at Stirling Bridge. Wallace was finally captured and executed in 1305. Edward died in 1307, when he was about to start another campaign against the
Scots. In 1314 Robert the Bruce, who had become king of Scots in 1306, defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.

REF: Sharon Kay Penman "Falls the Shadow": He was on fairly friendly & respectful terms with his uncle, Simon de Montfort, and even initially supported Simon's calls for honoring the Oxford Provisions. But, after Richard of Cornwall's mediation in the dispute between Edward & his father Henry, Simon had his final break with de Montort in April 1260. In late June 1260, Edward, attempting to alleviate Henry's money crisis, by subterfuge under cover of darkness requested admittance into the New Temple of the Knights Templar in London & robbed the treasuries of the city guilds. In June 1263 Prince Edward's foreign Flemish troops burned Bristol; the populace rose up & besieged him & his army in the castle. The Bishop of Worcester, Walter de Cantelou placated the townsfolk by taking Edward's pladge to make peace with de Montfort & the barons (Edward had no intention of honoring his pledge). March 1264 Simon's sons Henry & Bran de Montfort trap Prince Edward at Gloucester Castle, but Edward solemnly avows to Henry (they were extremely close, growing up together) that if Henry grants him a truce he will work with King Henry & Richard of Cornwall to arrange a truce & avoid war. Henry de Montfort was in command, & believed him. Edward was lying through his teeth. As soon as Henry & Bran de Montfort's army were out of sight, Edward siezed the town & imposed harsh fines & penalties. On April 5 1264 the defeat at Northampton by Edward of Simon's forces (de MOntfort was in London) crippled rebel forces. Northampton defenses had been allowed to decay in the years previous to de Montfort's occupation there, plus the battle was lost due to the treachery of the Prior at St. Andrew's. After the defeat, Edward allowed his army to have their sport on the town, culminating in utter destruction, rapine, murder, etc. of its inhabitants. Some 80 barons & knights were taken prisoner & the rebel army was gutted. The defeat touched off a riot in London (since Londoners were very favorable to Simon) on Apr 9, 1264 in which hundreds, mainly Jews, were slain. In May 1264 Edward looted lands of Robert de Ferrers, the Earl of Derby, & after Derby lost Tutbury Castle, he defected from Simon's support. King Henry meanwhile took Leicester & Nottingham. Simon & Gilbert de Clare attacked Rochester Castle (which surrendered) & besieged the town when Edward approached L