PROJECT LEWES

I know very little about Henry of Sandwich but it's not for want of trying. He features as little more than an historical footnote across the internet, known for rebelling against the King with Simon de Montfort and for being Bishop of London, but little else. Our Bishop was witness to the Inspeximus of Magna Carta in 1265 when King Henry promised (for the third time) to abide by its provisions. The difference this time being that the King did so following his defeat at Lewes and thus did so under sufference. Whilst on the one hand, one might expect one of the witnesses would be the bishops assembled (eight others) so this might not necessarily signify the Bishop's political affiliations. On the other hand, he was excommunicated by the Papal Legate following immediately after the rebellion failed at Evesham, thus he was clearly identified as having been in rebellion himself. Of the lay signatories listed are Simon de Montfort Earl of Leicester, Hugh Despenser Justiciar of Engla...

Walter de Cantilupe, Bishop of Worcester was the leading ecclesiastical proponent of the attempts at church and governmental reform. Walter took de Montfort's part in rebellion during the second Barons War, taking the lead role as advocate from his high-minded and reforming mentor Robert Grosseteste, the former Bishop of Lincoln. The two churchmen had been at Oxford together in the 1220s, Walter was attaining his Master's Degree and Robert lectured there. Formerly a clerk of the King's exchequer by 1215 and a one time justice, be entered holy orders and received consecration as Bishop of Worcester in 1237.  Between 1208 and 1236 Walter had held a total of thirteen benefices and ecclesiastical offices at one time or another but had not been consecrated until after his attainmet of his Bishopric. Some of these 'estates' had been royal but others were hereditary including Brailes at Kenilworth. Moving from courtier to rebel, Walter became opposed to Papal polic...