Warwickshire, South-Central England, British Isles

On 23rd October 1642 the Battle of Edge Hill was fought at Edge Hill [Map]. The Royal army was commanded by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 41) (with his son King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 12) present), Prince Rupert Palatinate Simmern 1st Duke Cumberland (age 22) and Richard Spencer (age 49) commanded the army that included Maurice Palatinate Simmern (age 21), Richard Byron 2nd Baron Byron (age 36), Lucius Carey 2nd Viscount Falkland (age 32), Charles Cavendish (age 22), Henry Newton aka Puckering 3rd Baronet (age 24), Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton (age 41), Thomas Salusbury 2nd Baronet (age 30), John Byron 1st Baron Byron (age 43) and William Feilding 1st Earl Denbigh (age 55).

George Stewart 9th Seigneur D'Aubigny (age 24) was killed.

Of the Parliamentary army Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh (age 34) and Robert Devereux 3rd Earl Essex (age 51). Oliver St John 5th Baron St John (age 39) was wounded.

Samuel Sandys (age 27) commanded a troop of horse.

Richard Sandys (age 26) was killed.

Thomas Strickland (age 20) was knighted on the field for his gallantry.

Henry Hunloke 1st Baronet (age 24) was knighted by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland.

William Dugdale (age 37) witnessed the battle and subsequently surveyed the battlefield.

John Hinton (age 38) was present.

Edward Verney (age 52) was killed.

John Assheton (age 29) was killed.

Robert Bertie 1st Earl Lindsey (age 59) was killed. His son Montagu (age 34) succeeded 2nd Earl Lindsey, 15th Baron Willoughby de Eresby.

William Pennyman 1st Baronet (age 35) commanded a regiment, of which he served as Colonel, which he led for the King.

Edward Stradling 2nd Baronet (age 42) fought for the King, was captured imprisoned for seven months, and died a month after his release.

Chronicle of Geoffrey the Baker of Swynebroke. In the year of Christ 1312¹, around the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist [24th of June], for the defense of Piers Gaveston¹, he was removed from Bamburgh Castle [Map] and placed under the custody of Aymer de Valence (age 37), Earl of Pembroke. The Earl had sworn before the King, having taken the most sacred oath upon the altar, that he would protect Gaveston from all his enemies for a certain period, within which the King intended to reconcile him with the barons. However, envy, which corrupts even the greatest loyalties, and the desire to please Gaveston's enemies, led his guardian to abandon his oath through negligence. Eventually, Gaveston was taken against his will by one of his familiar enemies and delivered into the hands of his foes at Deddington Manor, located between Oxford and Warwick. There, neither natural hiding places nor fortifications could shield him from the proximity of the Earl of Warwick. That night, Pembroke departed from Gaveston, and at dawn, Guy de Beauchamp (age 40), Earl of Warwick, accompanied by a small force and great commotion, arrived. Gaveston was then taken to Warwick Castle, where, after deliberation with Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, and Humphrey, Earl of Hereford, he was executed in their presence at a place called Blacklow Hill [Map] on the 19th of June [1312]. His body was entrusted to an honourable burial² in the Dominican friary at Langley [Map] by order of the King.

Anno Christi MCCCXJ, circa festum Nativitatis Ioannis Baptiste, pro defensione Petri, Petrus revocatus a castro de Bamborgh committitur custodie Adomari de Valence, comitis Penbrochie, adiurati coram rege, inspecto sancto sanctorum sacramento altaris, quod ipsum indempnem quatenus posset contra omnes adversarios suos custodiret ad certum tempus, citra quod intendebat rex alico modo Petrum regni proceribus reconciliasse. Set fidem invidia inter summa lacescens et amor placendi inimicis Petri tutorem ipsius contra iuramentum in negligenciam abduxerunt. Ducitur tandem Petrus quo non vellet per familiarem inimicum in mediam potestatem inimicorum, in manerium videlicet Dathintone, que est inter Oxoniam et Warewyc, ubi nec latibulum naturale nec castrum aut munimentum aliquod artificiale posset a vicinitate comitis Warewyc Petrum sequestrare, Adomarus nocte ab ipso Petro recessit, et in aurora Guido Warewyc cum comitiva mediocri et hutesio accessit. Petrum quoque ductum ad castrum Warewyk, habita deliberacione cum Thoma comite Lancastrie et comite Herefordie, in ipsorum conspectu in loco qui dicitur Caveresich XIX die mensis Iunii fecit decapitari; cuius corpus in ecclesia fratrum ordinis Predicatorum de Langliþe rex honourifice commisit sepulture.

Note 1. Baker has entirely omitted Gaveston's movements in 1311-12. He seems to have confused Bamborough and Scarborough. By the Ordinances, Gaveston was again banished 1st November, 1311. He went to Flanders, but returned almost immediately, and rejoined Edward at York at the beginning of the new year; the king's writ declaring his banishment illegal bearing date the 18th January 1312. Fœdera, ii. 153; Annales Londonienses, 203: "Edward, by the grace of God, etc., to the sheriffs of London. Whereas Sir Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, was formerly exiled from our kingdom contrary to the laws and customs of the said kingdom, which we are bound to uphold and maintain by the oath we made at our coronation, and in which exile he was named other than good and loyal; and whereas the same earl, by our command, has now returned to us in our said kingdom, ready to appear before us against any who wish to accuse him of anything, according to the aforesaid laws and customs; therefore, we consider him good and loyal to our faith and our peace, and in no way do we regard him otherwise. We, by our royal authority, command you to hold him as such, and to have this declaration publicly proclaimed throughout your jurisdiction. Given at York, the 18th day of January, in the fifth year of our reign."

On the approach of the confederate lords Gaveston fled from Newcastle and took refuge in Scarborough early in May; was besieged, and surrendered, 19th May to the earl of Pembroke. Annales Londonienses, 204: "And when news of this reached the king, he, almost growling with rage, immediately boarded a ship by night together with the said Piers (Gaveston); and crossing the seas, they landed at Scarborough. Entering the castle, they fortified it with defenses. The king entrusted the said castle, well-defended, to the said Piers for safekeeping, and to preserve his life within it; and the king departed toward the castle of Bromholm, and afterward to York. Meanwhile, Aymer de Valence, John de Warenne, and Henry Percy approached; they laid siege to the said castle of Scarborough with vigor for three weeks and more. But the said Piers addressed them with soothing words, by which he caused them to favour his will, through the deed that follows, drawn up in a chirograph between them: To all those who shall hear or see these letters, Lord Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Wexford and Montignac, Lord John, Earl of Warenne and Surrey, and Lord Henry Percy, greetings in God. To all those who shall hear or see these letters, Lord Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Wexford and Montignac, Lord John, Earl of Warenne and Surrey, and Lord Henry Percy, send greetings in God. Be it known to you that on Friday, the nineteenth day of May, at Scarborough, there was an agreement made between us and all the other good men who were present there, on behalf of the commonality of the realm of England on the one part, and at the request of Sir Piers Gaveston on the other part, as follows: That we, the said earls and barons and the above-mentioned good men, have undertaken by our oaths, given and sworn upon the body of our lord (the king), that we shall bring and keep the aforesaid Sir Piers Gaveston, knight, safe from all manner of harm from ourselves and our people and from all others, and conduct him to the abbey of St. Mary's in York. There, in the presence of our lord the king and the Earl of Lancaster or another person approved by the said earl, he shall explain the discussions agreed upon between us and the said Sir Piers Gaveston. If it pleases our lord the king that these discussions remain in force until the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist next coming, so that during that time further negotiation may occur with the archbishops, bishops, earls, barons, and other good people of the land, he shall remain in our custody under the same agreed form. And if, by chance, it does not please our lord the king or the said Sir Piers Gaveston, knight, to accept the said arrangements, we, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, Lord John, Earl of Warenne, and Lord Henry Percy, and the other good men who were present, shall return the said Sir Piers Gaveston safely and without harm to the castle of Scarborough, without injury to his body and without any kind of fraud. Furthermore, the castle of Scarborough shall not be entered, nor deprived of provisions, supplies, or arms by the said Sir Piers Gaveston or any of his men in any way, so far as he is able to prevent it, between now and the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Those who remain in the castle shall be able to take what they need for their sustenance in the town or elsewhere, paying for each day's needs with their own money. And if it should happen that any of those in the castle fall ill or must leave, we grant and allow that Sir Piers may replace them as he pleases, Gascon for Gascon, Englishman for Englishman, so long as the number of people does not exceed those who were in the castle on the day of the agreement. For all these matters, we have sworn upon the body of our lord (the king) and on the holy Gospels that we shall faithfully keep, uphold, and maintain everything stated, and God forbid that we should go against any of the above points. We bind ourselves to be in default to our lord the king in the greatest way we can for ourselves and our heirs, and to make this agreement more firm, if it is violated in any way, this writing shall be used as evidence against us. We acknowledge that we are to be held as false and disloyal in all courts, and that we should never again be trusted in any matter we might say. Moreover, we promise that neither we nor any of us shall cause any harm or damage to our lord the king's castle of Scarborough between now and the said feast day, nor to anyone inside. And the said Sir Piers Gaveston, knight, promises on his good faith and loyalty, without fraud, that he will not attempt to procure anything from the king or from his allies other than what is stated above and agreed upon. In witness of this matter, we have interchangeably affixed our seals. Given at Scarborough, the 19th of May, in the fifth year of the reign."

The Chronicle of Lanercost, 217, ascribes his unfavourable reception in Flanders to the influence of the king of France: "Now let us return to Peter. The oft-mentioned Peter of Gaveston, within the time allotted to him, namely, within the fortnight after the Feast of Saint Michael [October 12], departed from England and entered Flanders. But because he was poorly received there, where he had landed (this being the work of the King of France, who detested him greatly since, as was said, the King of England, who had married the French king's daughter, loved her less because of the said Peter), he returned, unfortunately for himself, to England, though in secret, fearing the earls and barons. The king received him and took him with him as far as York, and there they laid waste to the city and the countryside, because they had nothing with which to pay for their expenses."

The story of his surrender and subsequent capture by Warwick is told by the Monk of Malmesbury, Vita Edward II, 177: "So when Peter saw that the siege had already begun, that the king's aid had been cut off, the castle was without provisions, and his companions were insufficient for battle, he sent word to the Earl of Pembroke, expressing his willingness to surrender under a condition. And this was the condition: that the said earl would keep Peter safe and unharmed until the Feast of Saint Peter's Chains (August 1st), and that if in the meantime the earls were willing to come to some arrangement, then well and good; but if not, he would be returned to his former state that is, to the castle from which he had departed, and to the company of the lady (his wife) whom he had previously left. The earl, pleased with this capture, and acting without the counsel of his allies. Indeed, taking advice from his own mind alone, took Peter into custody. He accepted the terms and, for Peter's safe-keeping under the agreed conditions, pledged lands and holdings to the king as security. The king himself was aware of this, for the matter had proceeded with his counsel; he had hoped to provide sufficient aid to Peter before the stated deadline. For, had Peter waited until August as it is said, he would have regained his freedom at will. For the pope and the King of France had arranged a remedy, since the King of England had offered Gascony to them as a fief. The Earl Pembroke, therefore, departed from the north with his prisoner Peter, making his way toward the interior of England. After they had journeyed for around five days or more, they came at last into the county of Northampton. There, the earl said to Peter: 'You must be weary from the journey, and would benefit from some rest. There is a small town nearby, a pleasant place with spacious buildings. As for me, I must leave for a short time to attend to certain matters, stay there until I return.' And Peter gratefully accepted what the earl offered and was sent to the said town under guard. But the earl never saw Peter again in England. But when the Earl of Warwick learned all that was being done concerning Peter, he gathered a strong force, summoned the entire local population, and secretly made his way to the place where he knew Peter to be. Very early on a Saturday morning, he entered the gate of the manor and surrounded the chamber. Then the earl cried out in a loud voice: 'Get up, traitor, you are taken!' And Peter, hearing the earl and seeing that his force was superior, and that the guards assigned to him offered no resistance, put on his clothes and came down from the chamber. Thus Peter was captured, not as a noble earl, but as a thief, and he who once rode on palfreys was now forced to go on foot. And when they had gone a short distance from the town, the earl ordered a horse to be brought for Peter, so that he might hasten his journey more quickly. Behind Peter followed blaring horns, shouting people, and a dreadful noise. Peter had now laid aside the belt of knighthood, and like a thief and traitor, he was led toward Warwick. Upon arriving there, he was thrown into prison. Now Warwick had placed Peter in chains, he who had once scornfully called Warwick 'the dog of Warwick' was himself brought low."

Warwick made Gaveston his prisoner at Dedington on the 10th June, Annales Londonienses, 206: "At last, when he (Piers Gaveston) was approaching Deddington with his men, on Saturday, the eve of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, namely the 10th of June [1312], after the sun had already risen, a cry was raised in the branches (or surrounding area) against the said Piers, louder than the voice of Rachel when she wept most bitterly. The house in which Piers was resting was surrounded. And when Piers, seeing such misfortune hastening upon him, looked around in all directions in hopes that some aid might appear, and when he saw that no help was coming, he surrendered himself to the aforementioned earl, barefoot, clothed only in a tunic, with his head uncovered. Then the earl (of Warwick) seized him and led him to Warwick, to his own castle, and handed him over to four guards to be safely held. Meanwhile, the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford, and Arundel, and many others, praised the Earl of Warwick for acting faithfully and consulted among themselves about what should be done with Piers. Their counsel and collective decision were soon clearly revealed in action."

He gave him over to Lancaster, who with his confederates led him out to execution, the earl of Warwick remaining in his castle. Murimuth (Rolls Series), p. 17, is evidently wrong in stating that Warwick dismissed him and that he was afterwards made prisoner again. In the following extract from the Annales Londonienses, 207, it will be seen that his execution took place at Blacklow-hill, or Gaversike, which lies about a mile north of Warwick, in order that the earl might be relieved of immediate responsibility: "On the Monday immediately before the feast of Saint John the Baptist, in the aforementioned year, that is, on the 19th day of June, the aforesaid counts came to Warwick with their men and requested the body of the said Peter from the aforementioned Earl of Warwick; the aforementioned Earl of Warwick delivered the body to the said counts, safe and sound; and they had the body of the said Peter taken out of the town of Warwick, and out of the fief of the said Earl of Warwick to Gaversweche [Map], between Warwick and Kenilworth, in the fief of the Earl of Lancaster, and there he was beheaded, around noon, by the hands of a certain Breton, in front of all the people assembled there. And thus each returned to his own place, leaving the body of the said Peter in the area where he was beheaded. Then four cobblers from Warwick placed the body of the deceased on a ladder, carrying it back towards Warwick, there to be buried; but the Earl of Warwick, who had not left the castle throughout the time of the beheading, had the body taken back to the same place where he was first beheaded, outside his fief; and behold, the Dominican friars led his body to Oxford, where it is kept with much honour: hence, they are greatly hated by the aforementioned counts".

The nicknames which Gaveston gave, with such deadly offence, to certain lords are noticed by several of the chroniclers. All does not appear to have been properly explained. The Chronicle of Lanercost, 216, refers to them in these words: "For he (Peter), believing himself to be permanently established in his earldom, though he was a foreigner and had attained such honour solely by the grace of the king, had become so puffed up with pride that he scorned all the noble earls of the land, and mockingly gave them low and insulting nicknames. Among them, when he called the Earl of Warwick, a man truly wise and honourable, 'the Black Dog of Arden,' and this was later reported to the earl, he is said to have replied with patience: 'If he calls me a dog, then surely I will bite him when I see my time.'"

The prose Brute chronicle has also some interesting particulars on this point. This chronicle is extant in both a French and an English version. Of the French version there are two editions, both compiled in the reign of Edward III, and ending with the account of the battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. From the second edition of this French version the English version was translated; and to this translation further additions were subsequently made. The names of the writers are unknown, but it appears that one of the later editions of the English version is due to John Maundeville, rector of Burnham Thorp, co. Norfolk, 1427-1441 (Notes and Queries, 1856, p. l). To the authorship of the second edition of the French version perhaps a clue may be found in certain extracts, or rather translations, from a French chronicle, which are printed in Leland's Collectanea, i. 454. At the head of these extracts Leland has this note: ' Wylliam de Pakington, Clerk and Tresorer of Prince Edwardes, sunne to Edwarde the 3, household yn Gascoyne, did wryte a Cronique yn Frenche from the ix. yere of King John of Englande on to his tyme and dedicated it to his Lord Prince Edwarde. Owte of an epitome in French of this aforeseyde cronique I translatid carptim thes thinges that folow yn to Englische." Many of these extracts prove that much of Pakington's chronicle must have been word for word the same as the revised edition of the French Brute. The English Brute chronicle was printed by Caxton in 1480, with the title Cronicles of England.

Caxton's Cronicles do not appear to have had the attention of modern historians as much as they deserve. Barnes, the writer of the History of Edward III., 1688, did not know the book; but he found in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, a MS. of the English Brute chronicle, and made ample use of it, referring to it as ' MS. Vet. Angl. in C.C.C. Cantab. Barnes's quotations have been cited by later writers, who have failed to recognize in them the text of Caxton. In the following notes I have printed some interesting passages from the English Brute, making use of Harley MS. 2279 and Egerton MS. 650.

Gaveston's nicknames for the barons are thus described: 'Kyng Edward lovede Piers of Gavastone so moche that he mygte nougte forlete his companye; and so moche the kyng yaf and behigte to the peple of Engelonde that the exiling of the forsaide Piers shulde bene revokede atte Staunford thurj hem that him exilede. Wherfore Peris of Gavastone come ayen into Engelonde, and, when he was come ayen into this lande, he despisede the gretteste lordes of this lande, and callede sire Robert of Clare, erle of Gloucestre, horeson; and the erle of Nicole, sire Henry Lacy, brust bely; and sir Guy, erle of Warwyke, blak hounde of Arderne; and also he callede the noble erle and gentil Thomas of Lancastre cherle; and meny other scornes and shame hem saide, and by many other grete lordes of Engelonde. Wherfor thei were towardis him ful angry and sore annoyede.' The terms for these names in the French version (Royal Ms. 20 A. iii) are 'filz a puteyne', 'boele crevee,' 'noir chien de Ardene,' and 'vielers.' This last word the English translator has not understood. In the extract in Leland's Collectanea there are additional words: 'vielers, porceo quil est greles et de bel entaille.' Misunderstanding the first two words of this sentence, Lingard has made out that Lancaster was called 'Old Hog.' But the words mean: 'Fiddler, because he is slim and tall.' This seems to be confirmed by Walsingham (Hist. Angl., i. 115) who says that Gaveston called Lancaster 'histrionem,' and further that Pembroke was nicknamed 'Joseph the 'Jew,' the reason being 'quod pallidus erat et longus [because he was pale and tall].' The 'pallidus' and 'longus,' which do not appear to be specially descriptive of a Jew, would perhaps belong better to the 'Play-actor,' just as 'greles' and 'de bel entaille' are applied to the 'Fiddler.'

Note 2. Gaveston's body lay for two years at Oxford, Vita Edward II, 209: "A few days after Christmas, the lord King Edward had the body of Piers Gaveston, his former special friend, transferred from Oxford to Langley. For now more than two years had passed since Peter's beheading, and until this time he had lain unburied among the friars at Oxford. It is said that the king had intended first to avenge Peter's death, and only afterward to commit his body to burial. But now those from whom the king had once sought vengeance had been reconciled with him in friendship. So the king, at Langley, where he had previously established a house for the Dominican friars, had the body of his Peter buried with great honour.

See also Knyghton, 2533: "This Piers was buried at Langley, and the king founded there a house of Dominican friars (Preachers), endowed as if with possessions, to pray daily for the soul of the said Piers."

and Annales Londonienses, 232: "In the same year, Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, who had been killed and had not yet been buried but lay unburied at the house of the Dominican Friars in Oxford, was at last laid to rest at Langley with the greatest honour. For his sake, the king built a church of the Dominican Friars there. In the same year, the Earl of Warwick was made chief of the king's council."

From the Annales Paulini, 273. we learn that the endowment was "an annual endowment of 500 marks, namely, 5 marks each for 100 friars, for their maintenance."

Annals Londonienses. On the Monday immediately before the feast of Saint John the Baptist, in the aforementioned year, that is, on the 19th day of June, the aforesaid counts came to Warwick with their men and requested the body of the said Peter from the aforementioned Earl of Warwick; the aforementioned Earl of Warwick delivered the body to the said counts, safe and sound; and they had the body of the said Peter taken out of the town of Warwick, and out of the fief of the said Earl of Warwick to Gaversweche [Map], between Warwick and Kenilworth, in the fief of the Earl of Lancaster, and there he was beheaded, around noon, by the hands of a certain Breton, in front of all the people assembled there. And thus each returned to his own place, leaving the body of the said Peter in the area where he was beheaded. Then four cobblers from Warwick placed the body of the deceased on a ladder, carrying it back towards Warwick, there to be buried; but the Earl of Warwick, who had not left the castle throughout the time of the beheading, had the body taken back to the same place where he was first beheaded, outside his fief; and behold, the Dominican friars led his body to Oxford, where it is kept with much honor: hence, they are greatly hated by the aforementioned counts.

Die ergo Lunæ proxima ante festum Sancti Johannis Baptistæ, anno prædicto, videlicet xix die Junii, prædicti comites cum suis venerunt apud Warwyke et petierunt corpus dicti Petri a prædicto comite Warwiciæ; quem prædictus comes Warwiciæ dictis comitibus tradidit corpus ejus sanum et salvum; at ipsi fecerunt conduci corpus dicti Petri extra villam Warwiciæ, et extra feodum dicti comitis Warwiciæ ad Gaverissweche, inter Warwyk et Kilneworthe, in feodo comitis Lancastriæ, et ibidem fuit decollatus, circa horam meridiei, per manus cujusdam Britonis, coram omni populo ibidemn coadunato. Et sic recesserunt unusquisque ad propria, relinquentes corpus dicti Petri in area ubi ipse decollatus est. Tunc quatuor sutores de Warwick posuerunt corpus mortui super scalam, reportantes versus Warwyk, ibidem sepeliendum; sed et comes Warwiciæ, qui toto tempore decollationis non exivit de castro, fecit corpus reportare ad ecundem locum, ubi prius decollatus fuit extra feodum suum; et ecce fratres Jacobini conduxerunt corpus ejus apud Oxoniam, ubi multum honorifice custoditur: unde multum sunt in odio de comitibus prædietis.