PROJECT LEWES

I have been absent for some time now from both home and this blog, but not entirely idle - I have been thinking and purchasing. It had long been my intention to commence building my terrain for this project once I had reached the half way mark on building the Rebel army, which I have now done. This was essentially to ensure a complete match between my table-top battlefield and my figures' bases. Whilst not able to commence construction for a further two months, I nevertheless require consideration of what my table top should look like. DEBATE Yes, you guessed it - opinion remains divided on the issue of where the respective armies both formed for battle and thus where the battle took place specifically on the Lewes Downs. As used to be the case with Bosworth field, until such time as a full archaeological survey is undertaken we have two preferred sites remaining to chose from in Lewes. Without getting drawn into this ongoing and academically speculative debate, it must ...

It's been some time since I progressed this blog and my project for that matter. I have not been completely idle; however, having purchased a goodly quantity of synthetic teddy-bear fur and sourced polystyrene for the terrain. More on the table-top plans soon. What I did want to briefly discuss was the concept and notions surrounding peasant soldiery and their makeup within the Montfortian army at Lewes. PRE-CONCEPTIONS In spite of much work having been done in the last two generations within academia to rectify enduring misconceptions, peasantry are largely regarding today as being wholly constituted of a downtrodden serfs, wallowing in agrarian poverty, bounded by hopeless illiteracy and living in an ignorance barely one level above the beasts in their charge. If you were to conduct random interviews with people in the high street, the lingering notions of rag-clad unfortunates, less capable and clever than ourselves would be the consistent theme. Even in wargames...

This would have to be the first gratuitous posting for the Project Lewes blog but probably not the last. I am celebrating the fact that the first two wards of four for the Montfortian army at Lewes has been completed (bar the base texturing). This is also a tester for the frontage of the table top. Whilst I will be designing and building specific scenery for Lewes, I need to see what the board size needs to be. The layout here is fairly representative of how the army will array itself - at least for infantry frontage - and I clearly need to allow for at least half as much width again to accommodate the central ward (the left and right being those in shot and built thus far). Whilst I believe Simon de Montfort kept his fourth ward as reserve and out of sight to the rear, I will nevertheless build the battlefield to allow manoeuvre - something not often done in wargaming from my observation. As an aside, I have long felt that table-tops should accommodate at least a third as much area...

Well, I finally finished painting the ten knights and sergeants comprising my Left Ward cavalry for the Rebel army at Lewes. I will not repeat what i have previously posted as each knight within the unit has his own posting on this blog. This unit has what I regard as two sergeants and a squire (trumpeter) - the two former in the service of Rober de Vere, Earl of Oxford and the latter, a squire of the de Montfort family. As with my other units, I have not completed the bases until I have built the scenery making for the filed at Lewes. Only then, when my colours and textures are complete, will I match my bases to the terrain. This essentially marks the half way point for my baronial army in the command of Simon de Montfort. For those who follow this blog, I have taken considerable pains to research each and every knight and as usual, hand painted the lot. I can certainly appreciate why this particular period is not more popular than it is in wargaming - the blazons and capari...

Azure, a bend between six escallops, argent Ankerus de Freshevill aka Auker de Freschville aka Aucher, Ankere. The Freschvilles, like so many baronial families, came to England with William of Normandy in 1066 and by 1200 through marital connections had inherited and established their power base in Stavely, Derbyshire. Of Stavely Manor, Ankerus de Freschville (son of Ralf) was of age when he succeeded to the family estates in February 1261 but we do not know the date of his birth. If of age, then he was at least 21 years so cannot have been born later than 1240. Ankerus appears to have married twice, firstly to a Joanna (who presumably died) and then married Amice Musard (daughter of Robert) who was a local lady, bringing with her additional, adjacent manors in dowry. Ankerus had significant holdings (Stavely, Woodthorpe, Whitwell, Crich, Bunny and Scarcliff) and with Amice he fathered a son and heir, Ralph (born not before 1265) who was to inherit but does not appear to hav...

John de Bracebridge was born 1232, Kingsbury, Warwickshire and came into his inheritance (Kingsbury Manor) in July 1252 (aged 20). He deferred his knighthood; however, in 1256 for three years through the payment of fines (2 marks in gold) to the crown. It should be noted that this was in all probability a purely economic expedient for Bracebridge to avoid the knight’s fee and associated costs. It would appear that John was not the wealthiest of landholders. He took up arms with the Montfortians in 1263/4 (48th year of Henry’s reign) and was at the siege of Northampton with Simon de Montfort (the younger) at its fall. As a direct result, John is recorded as having been confined at Shrewsbury, imprisoned there by Hugh de Tuberville for ransom. He secured his release (either from entering into some recognizance, parole or payment of ransom) but from this point the record is both sketchy and inconsistent. We do not know when or under what conditions John was released. John Bur...

Ermine, three bars wavy, gules William de Goldingham was a knight of Essex (holding Chigwell Manor and seisin (freehold) of Burebache Wood) and may have come into the possession of family estates at Goldingham Hall (a manor in Bulmer parish, Yorkshire) and Ryshton, Yorkshire which was held earlier by Hugh de Goldingham. Nevertheless, the chief estate for the Goldinghams was Chigwell, formerly of William Brito and believed to have come into their possession as tenancy in demesne (or ownership) some time after 1254. The manor of Grange, which gave its name to Grange Hill, was originally part of Chigwell Hall and altogether the estates must have comprised significant land holdings and income as William de Goldingham and Aline (his wife) confirmed to Robert, Abbot of Tilty, gifts to the abbey of 3 messuages (house and land) and 234½ acres of land in Chigwell in 1258. Having said that, he is generally judged a knight of average means. The Goldingham family lineage through open sourc...