Rout of Winchester

Rout of Winchester

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Rout of Winchester


caption=
partof=The Anarchy
date=September 14, 1141
place=Winchester, England
result=Royal victory
combatant1=England
combatant2=Angevins
commander1=Queen Matilda of Boulogne
William of Ypres
Henry, Bishop of Winchester
commander2=Empress Matilda
Robert of Gloucester
Earl Reginald of Cornwall
strength1=Unknown
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=Light
casualties2=Main body destroyed,
rear guard captured
In the Rout of Winchester the adherents of the captive King Stephen of England led by his Queen Matilda of Boulogne and William of Ypres smashed the army of Empress Matilda's Angevin faction commanded by Earl Robert of Gloucester on September 14, 1141. This is a major event during The Anarchy, a civil war in English history.

Background

During The Anarchy, King Stephen, a nephew of Henry I of England contended with Henry's daughter, "Empress" Matilda (also called Maud), for control of the kingdom. At the Battle of Lincoln on February 2, 1141, rebel barons Robert of Gloucester and Ranulf of Chester defeated and captured Stephen. Empress Matilda went on to seize London but its residents, irritated by her high-handed conduct, chased her out of the city on June 24. The forces of Stephen's queen, also named Matilda, soon occupied London.

Stephen's brother, Henry, Bishop of Winchester, who had earlier defected to Empress Matilda's Angevin faction, changed sides again to support Stephen's queen. With a small force, Henry laid siege to the royal castle at Winchester which was situated at the southwest corner of the city walls. To relieve the royal castle, Empress Matilda sortied from Oxford in late July with a substantial army commanded by Robert of Gloucester. On July 31, the Angevin army swooped down on Winchester.

iege and Counter-siege

Bishop Henry fled while his men installed themselves in Wolvesey episcopal castle at the southeast corner of the city walls. While putting Wolvesey under siege, Empress Matilda set up her headquarters in the royal castle and Earl Robert established his command post at St. Swithun's cathedral. On August 2, the bishop's men set fire to the city, destroying a large part of Winchester.

Queen Matilda quickly assembled an army of relief which included mercenaries hired by Bishop Henry, a levy of the queen's feudal tenants from Boulogne, the nearly 1,000-strong London mililtia, William of Ypres' Flemish mercenary cavalry and other supporters of Stephen. The queen's army set up camp on the east side of Winchester and proceeded to blockade Empress Matilda's forces in the city. While the queen's army was well-provisioned, the Angevin forces soon began to suffer from lack of food. To weaken the blockade, Earl Robert attempted to fortify Wherwell Abbey, six miles to the north of the city, but William of Ypres defeated the Angevins with heavy losses.

Rout

The Wherwell Abbey fiasco convinced Earl Robert that he must quit Winchester, so he planned an orderly withdrawal. Earl Reginald of Cornwall and Brian fitz Count led a crack force which formed the advance guard and protected Empress Matilda. The main body and the baggage followed the advance guard. Earl Robert, commanding the rear guard, followed the main body. The Angevins exited from the west side of Winchester on the Salisbury road. Ahead of them, the road crossed the River Test at Stockbridge, about eight miles to the northwest.

As soon as the Angevin host left the city, the queen's army swarmed to the attack. They pressed past Earl Robert's rear guard to attack the main body. In the ensuing fight, the advance guard clawed its way out of the trap and delivered Empress Matilda safely to Gloucester. The rest of the army was not so lucky. The queen's army destroyed the Angevin main body as an effective fighting force; only remnants managed to escape. Earl Robert held the rear guard together, but when his soldiers reached the Test, they could go no further. Surrounded by William of Ypres' mercenaries and facing a bridge clogged with fugitives, Earl Robert surrendered with his men.

Result

The Rout of Winchester was a major setback for Empress Matilda. She exchanged Robert of Gloucester for King Stephen and the latter reassumed the throne. Ultimately, Empress Matilda saw her son Henry II of England crowned king, but Stephen's stormy reign lasted until his death in 1154.

References

* Beeler, John. "Warfare in Feudal Europe 730-1200." Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1971. ISBN 0-0814-9120-7

External links

* [http://www.britannia.com/history/siegewinch.html Britannia: The Council, Siege and Rout of Winchester]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Second Battle of Winchester — Infobox Military Conflict conflict = Second Battle of Winchester caption = Sketch of the Second Battle of Winchester , by Jedediah Hotchkiss. partof = the American Civil War date = June 13ndash June 15 1863 place = Frederick County and Winchester …   Wikipedia

  • The Anarchy — For the societal state involving a complete lack of government, see Anarchy. The Anarchy Date 1135–1154 Location England Result Treaty of Wallingford …   Wikipedia

  • Jean le Maréchal — ou John FitzGilbert († 1165), maréchal de la maison royale d Angleterre, fut un petit baron anglo normand du Wiltshire qui choisit le camp de Mathilde l Emperesse dans la guerre civile (1139 1153) pour le trône qui opposa cette dernière à Étienne …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Битва при Винчестере — Гражданская война в Англии 1135 1154 Дата 14 сентября 1141 г. Место Винчестер (Англия) Итог …   Википедия

  • Битва при Уинчестере — Битва при Винчестере Гражданская война в Англии 1135 1154 Дата 14 сентября 1141 г. Место Винчестер (Анг …   Википедия

  • 1141 — Events* February 2 Battle of Lincoln: Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester and Empress Matilda wrest control of the English throne from King Stephen. * September 14 Rout of Winchester: Empress Matilda returns to the throne after Robert is captured by… …   Wikipedia

  • List of battles 1801–1900 — List of battles: before 601 601 1400 1401 1800 1801 1900 1901 2000 2001 current See also: Battles of the American Civil War 19th century 1801 to 1825* 1801 ** Battle of Aboukir March 20 British Turkish army under Sir Ralph Abernathy defeats… …   Wikipedia

  • 24th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 24th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry caption=Iowa state flag dates= September 18, 1862 to July 17, 1865 country= United States allegiance= Union branch= Infantry equipment= battles=Battle of Port Gibson Battle of …   Wikipedia

  • 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry — 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry Flag of Virginia Active June 10, 1863 to April 21, 1865 Country …   Wikipedia

  • World War II — the war between the Axis and the Allies, beginning on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland and ending with the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, and of Japan on August 14, 1945. Abbr.: WWII * * * or Second World War (1939–45)… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”