PROJECT LEWES

In a previous post (Book Review: E.L. Mann’s ‘The Battle of Lewes’) I referred to Mann’s analysis of the motivation for engagement at Lewes. Mann believed that the forces were near to equal and that the battle fell in favour of de Montfort when King Henry gave up his advantage of a strong defensive position from within Lewes. Furthermore, the drive for coming out to battle is explained in terms of the knightly class pursuit of glory in a chivalric tradition. From my discourse on the subject of the size of the armies present at Lewes in 1264 (Discourse: How Big was Lewes?) my position on the armies remains that there existed a Royal superiority in the vicinity of 3:2 or greater. If so, Mann’s estimation of numbers is at odds with mine. This in turn undermines any sympathy I can have with criticism of Henry in giving up a necessary defensive advantage. On the contrary, his superiority was more than quantitative inasmuch as his overwhelming advantage in heavy cavalry would have given t

When it comes to identifying the Rebels, and I'm really talking about the knights, I have been presented with a number of problems. The first is that such a list does not appear to exist. This is most probably because no one until now (ie: me) required one. After all, who but a wargamer, attempting to represent a battle visually with as much accuracy as possible, would need to identify individual knights present on the fieled of Lewes? The list which follows is a work in progress and stems from my research into secondary sources as well as an examination of chronicles, the Fine Rolls of Henry III for the years 1263 and 1264 (available now on line) and the Patent Rolls of the same years made available on line by the Iowa University Library. Perhaps obvious to the wargamer, it is not enough to identify a knight named as a Rebel. Identified Rebel knights also need to have an identifiable blazon or shield device in order for me to paint a corresponding figure and depict that person i

Published by Pen & Sword Military press (2006), Brian Carey and Joshua Allfree have assembled the best military analysis of the medieval age I have ever read. Accompanied by the fantastically explanatory and evolutionary illustrations of John Cairns, this book demonstrates applied tactical doctrine through 33 battles and their accompanying campaigns, debugging the persistent historical myths and misconceptions of medieval warfare and generalship. Specific to mid thirteenth century warfare, Chapter 5 'Late Medieval Warfare: The Return of Light Infantry" dedicates 38 pages to an analysis of the battle of Bouvines (1214) and the campaigns of Edward in Wales and Scotland to demonstrate the importance of combined arms fieldcraft, the importance of infantry in the age of chivalric warfare and the increasing presence and impact of ranged weaponry of the crossbow and selfbow armed soldiery. Of particular interest is a discussion of horse armour in response to archery. Whilst

By way of a crude figure comparison, from left to right are examples from Gripping Beast, Curteys Miniatures, Wargames Foundry and Essex Miniatures. The left two will feature in my spear units for the Rebel Right Ward. The Curtey's figures are of a smaller stature than the Gripping Beast figures but will mix well. It has long been my philosophy that figures within a wargames unit, like real life, should reflect the differences in human appearance, more so for irregular units predominant in the 13th century.   For some unknown reason half of my square on shots of this selection (taken from Curteys ME33 pack) will not upload without rotating (go figure) so you get the angled shot above. I have to say that on first impression I am extremely excited about these miniatures.  They are superbly detailed and are realistically proportioned - not at all toy like or chunky. As Curteys range suggests, they are also designed specifically for the mid-thirteenth century period and

Published in 1976 by M Harman St Nicholas Bookshop, Lewes, this pocket sized 32 page account appears to be aimed at the tourist, high school student or as an introduction to the subject of the battle at Lewes. It is a general account, not academically referenced and E L Mann's self drawn map is simplistic. The author does go into some considerations and analysis not found elsewhere. It is to be remembered that by the date of publication, subsequent academic treatments such as Dr Carpenter's Battles of Lewes and Evesham remained many years in the future. Under the 'Notes' section (page 27) the author discusses strategy. Mann's position that the size of the armies present being comparable for an engagement to have occurred forms the basis of a criticism of Henry in giving up a strong, fortified defensive position. This and the declaration of no major battle having been fought in England for fifty plus years forms the basis for commenting that military organisa

This was a relatively fast turn out for me and well it should have been - a skirmish unit of twelve archers. The exercise was interesting in itself because it is a combination of two new paint jobs and a touch-up of ten very old ones (more than 15 years at a guess). If you hadn't figured, the old ones are on top. I will point out that the bases are also partially upgraded as my older archers are based on balsa wood - something I rarely use for that purpose these days - and I have chamferred the edges. The static grass is to be touched up also as what you see is too green and not blended. I have added magnetised sheet to the base which reinforced the balsa and helps for transport in my collection of metal toolboxes. Deficiencies in my previous paint jobs were essentially to be found in the faces which I have redone, and the lack of detail in the arrow bundles - now remedied. Some previous archers have their bows strung with my wife's hair (thank you darling) but I have

Rebel Army V3

Perhaps the pivotal event of the entire battle was the collapse of the Londoner's under Prince Edward's massed cavalry attack. Formed up on the high ground atop Lewes Downs nearest the chalk pits were the foot soldiers of London under the command of Nicholas de Segrave. Advancing toward them was the cream of the Royalist Army, the overwhelming ranks of knights, sergeants and squires; an entire cavalry ward of some 2,600 horse (see posting Discourse: How Big was Lewes ). Two things are recounted in every treatment of this battle - the Royalist cavalry attached first and the Londoner's were routed convincingly. Thus far; however, I have seen no analysis of the events surrounding this aspect of the battle or any attempt to understand what occurred occurred during this fatal engagement. [Map pictures is section taken from that produced by The Battlefields Trust copyright 2004. It is plotted across a 1km grid and the rear dispositions in unshaded blocks represent the disposit

In researching and understanding the battle of Lewes, until such time as Osprey Campaign Series release an attempt at our subject, this work remains the one essential buy if you purchase no other. Don't be dismayed by this slender, 83 page work because it is economical and value packed, succinctly drawing upon all primary sources and running invaluable comparisons across subject issues such as the numbers present at Lewes and the location of the battlefield. Specific to the battle of Lewes is chapter 4 The Road to Lewes and chapter 5, The Battle of Lewes running to a total of 25 pages but, as I say, all particularly useful pages. Of special interest is the bibliography which Carpenter offers which points the student in the direction of all pertinent primary sources, near to contemporary sources (the thirteenth century chroniclers) and specific new research emerging at the time of writing. Just a quick note on the author, David Carpenter whose credentials in brief at th

For any student of what many term the Second Barons' War, J R Maddicott's Simon De Montfort (Cambridge University Press 1994)  is one of the two cornerstone works together with David Carpenter's The Battles of Lewes and Evesham 1264/65 . This is the cover of the second print (1995), the illustrations for which are taken from those drawn by the chronicler Matthew Paris for Prince  Edward and Eleanor, interpreted as depicting an apolcalyptic scene with de Montofort's banner in sinister tinctures of reversed shades. The arms depicted atop are also of de Montfort by Paris being the reverse of those more typically cited and used by me for the standard of his son, Henry de Montfort. Whilst not specifically about the campaigns of 1264/5, Maddicott's work is irrevocably concerned with the events surrounding Lewes with much highly pertinent information to be found in chapters 6, 7 and 8 which concern themselves with the decline of the reform movement, the return of t

Some thoughts on modelling my cavalry units sprang to mind this morning as I surfed the Gripping Beast and Curtey's Miniatures websites, thinking about which mounted figures to buy for my next unit of ten knights. If you have read through any of my other postings, you will know that I have spent a considerable amount of time researching knights who rebelled against the King and who were present at Lewes (albeit it speculative in some cases). I have to date established a list of about 40 knights/barons all of whom I have their heraldry recorded ... so they can be represented. It is possible; however, that I've overdone it. My army lists represents what I think to be a reasonable assessment of the numbers present at Lewes in 1264 at a representative scale of 1/20. For my rebel army, therefore, I needs only 40 heavy horse in total - ten per ward. having finished the Right Ward knights (10) I see I have a body of fighting horsemen represented only by members of the knightly cla

A month of painting and simultaneous research and I have finished the painting of the Right Ward knights. At this stage I am electing not to complete the bases until the rest of the ward is finnished - I have commenced the archers and will then proceed to the two units of foot. The centre figure (representing William de Munchensy) I now realise should be with Gilbert de Clare's ward and not with this unit, so he is one of the two seperately based figures and will be replaced when I paint the next horse unit. John de Neville (foreground) and Hugh de Neville (rear) pictured left. I had originally intended that Hugh would be the unit leader (required under WAB) but changed to John de Burgh. You will note that my Hugh has a painted helm (the only one) and I have to admit that if you refer to my Right Ward Knights: Research & Heradlry pdf you will see that his blazon should be paly (6) azure and or - not paly (6) or and azure as I have it here. As if that wasn't irritati

This list is of knights I researched who are confirmed Montfortian rebels who were either at the battle of Lewes or can be safely surmised to have been. They represent the knights in the van of the right ward under Simon de Montfort (the younger) and there are only nine as this represents a 1/10 representation for my army list based upon my calculation of the army size, less one knight to allow for the standard bearer/trumpeter. Right Ward Knights V1