Rebel Reserve Ward Knights: Research Revised
One of the several difficulties I face in returning after so long to my research is my own lack of notes on the subject. I have several books on Lewes and they are all boxed and in storage (unhelpful). I have created documents in the past but they are often thin on citations - which of course is my own fault - requiring me to go over ground I must have covered before.
This is very much like genealogy except I'm not related to anyone. I have to be certain the names refer to the men actually at the battle on the day. This can be tricky as men had a habit of naming their sons after themselves for several generations - so I need to make sure I am including the right Robert or John and not their father, uncle, nephew or son. The spelling varied greatly in this period which affects search engines and when it comes to discovering blazons in armorial rolls and the like I may need to go further afield than just England.
I had also made mistakes in my previous list for the knights I decided to include in de Montfort's reserve. These errors will be found in my original army lists - which is why I need to update the versions. The problem with identifying militarily active rebels is that they may be in rebellion one month and return to the King's favour the next.
Having said all of that, I'm content that I now have the final ten knights who will fight shoulder to shoulder with de Montfort. It includes three speculative inclusions - the other seven are confirmed. I cannot say for certain my speculative inclusions fought at Lewes but they were active military men, in open rebellion preceding and following Lewes and in the field with de Montfort at Evesham. So, my ten are as follows:
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He was the brother of John de Vescy of Alnwick who was himself a devoted follower of de Montfort. William rebelled against the crown previous to Lewes and held Gloucester castle against the King. William's blazon is often shown on-line as being that of his brother John's with a label differenced but that heraldic convention is normally reserved for sons. Instead, Matthew Paris provides an illustration included above - sometimes a full white cross on a red field. Williams' inclusion is speculative.
HUGH le DESPENSER
Sometimes referred at the first Baron le Despencer. An active and prominent ally and rebel, featuring in the chronicles as such and present at Lewes - confirmed. Born 1223, he was 41 years of age at Lewes. He died with Simon de Montfort at Evesham the following year.
THOMAS de CLINTON
A knight of Amington, Warwickshire he was born 1239 and died 1264 aged 25. His Father Thomas was an active rebel who was 58 by the time of Lewes and lived until 1278. Whilst speculative, it seems completely plausible that the younger Thomas would have taken up arms on the field for his Father who otherwise actively supported the rebellion by other means. I further speculate that the young Thomas bore his Father's arms with a label (3) differenced - typically in either red, white or blue.
RALPH HERINGOT
Also Heringaud, Heringod or Horingunder. This Sussex knight has the unfortunate notoriety as being one of few participants named as having been killed at Lewes and fighting for the Rebel cause - confirmed.
ROBERT de ROS
Of Helmsley, Yorkshire, de Ros was born 1237 (so 27 years old at Lewes) and we may surmise was at the height of his physical powers. He witnesses Kings edicts from 30 May 1265 (Fine Rolls) with other rebels - confirmed.
ROBERT FITZ PAYN
A Dorset knight. His presence at Lewes is confirmed by Ridgeway (2012) and an examination of the Fine Rolls confirms remission of debts by order of the King for service at Lewes - when the King was in the custody of the Rebels.
WALTER MAUREWARD
Fine Rolls confirms remission of debts by order of the King for service at Lewes - when the King was in the custody of the Rebels. Note: the blazon depicted is properly constructed but the colours are wrong: Field is blue, fess (bar) is white, cinquefoyles are yellow.
The Fine Rolls confirmed he fought with Maureward at Lewes.
Of castle Bytham, Walter was a Linconshire baron, summoned to King’s court in 1264 following Lewes when the King was in de Montfort’s possession so clearly a rebel and I'm speculating to be at Lewes. Born 1225 he would have been as 39 on the day of battle.
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POSTSCRIPT
I had other knights who are confirmed to have been at Lewes but for whom I have been unable to locate their blazon. Naturally, when painting figures of knights I need to know at least what their heraldry was. The extra confirmed knights were Gervase de Bestanour and William de Goviz.
At some stage in my previous research I had listed the name John de Barres but I made insufficient notes to indicate where I came by him and I have been unable to confirm his presence at Lewes.
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