Henry III and the Baronial Reform Movement

Henry III's character
1. Came to the throne in 1216 at just 9 years of age.
2. He was very pious and simple, he attended mass several times a day and fed a large number of paupers.
  1. Rebuilding of Westminster Abbey.
3. Magna Carta become definitive through the reissues of his reign.
4. Revolutionary developments to government and politics in his reign
5. King reduced to a cypher by baronial council in the program of reforms in the 1250s and 60s.
Simon de Montfort
1. Roughly same age as Henry but different in personality, he was quick-witted, silvertongued, lively and driven.
2. Had influential friends, but also had many enemies.
3. Son of a great noble Frenchman, came to England in 1230s to make good his families claim to the earldom of Leicester.
  1. 1236: made Earl of Leicester.
  2. Quickly becomes a favourite of Henry, marries his sister in 1238.
4. Passionate upholder of values of Christian knighthood.
5. Odd leader of the movement, he did not lead it from the beginning.
  1. He was foreign and it was a time of extreme xenophobia.
6. Lieutenant in Gascony so had the military experience to lead army in Battle of Lewes.
  1. Was a man of action, a warrior not a diplomat
  2. Led movement between Lewes and Evesham and essentially governed England.
  3. Committed to enterprise of reform.
Why did Henry's rule provoke opposition?
1. Financial issues to do with investing his son as the king of Sicily in 1255.
  1. Owed a lot of money to papacy and needed parliament to raise taxes.
  2. Believed he was threatened with excommunication, but pope had actually been kind in letters.
2. Unpopular because of his simpleness. pre-occupation with religious buildings.
3. Henry hadn't given SDM any marriage portion or dowry- he gave him quite a small earldom.
4. Political rivalry at court between Savoyards and Lusignans, competing for favour, excempt from law.
  1. Foreign influence was unwanted.
  2. Received a great deal of patronage at the expense of others.
5. Government unjust and inaccessible to most, violated clauses of the Magna Carta
  1. He was not an impartial judge, he favoured his foreign relations.
Provisions of Oxford, 1258.
1. Magnates came to court/parliament fully armed which scared Henry into agreeing to their terms.
  1. They didn't event specifically promise Henry aid, they said they would use their influence to try.
2. A long term plan that was unacceptable to the king, the papacy and France
  1. Mise of Amiens.
3. Forced by a commune of magnates to call an assembly at Oxford to discuss reform.
4. Situation with the papacy, he didn't want to end up excommunicated like his father.
5. Set up a baronial council of 15 to rule on Henry's behalf
  1. Transfer of executive authority away from Henry.
  2. Called for 3 parliaments a year.
  3. Gave them power to amend and redress things as they needed amending or redressing.
6. He should give generously so people have no reason to take from others.
1258-65
1. 1261 Papacy absolved Henry from his oath to the commune and the provisions of oxford.
2. 1264 Mise of Amiens.
3. 1264 Battle of Lewes.
4. Civil war.
5. Henry and his son held captive after Lewes.
6. De Montfort and his supporters renewed pressure for Provisions to be upheld.
7. Battle of Evesham
  1. Death squad hired by Royalist forces who hunted SDM down and mutilated him.
    1. Supporters chased down as far as inside the abbey.
    2. Henry taken along to the battle in uniform of opposing side, he was injured and had to use his identity to save himself.
  2. Both sides wore crusader crosses.

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Henry III and the Baronial Reform Movement

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