PROJECT LEWES

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...

LtoR: John de Grey, John de Vescy, John de Vipont, William of Birmingham, Squire to Hauteville, Thomas de Hauteville (Leader), Geoffrey de la Mar, Hughes de Bures, Thomas de Astley and Roger de Mohaut. For the centre ward knights of my rebel army I adopted heavier lances by using a thicker gauge wire than I have used to date and gave each lance a graper which I have not done before. In comparison to previous knights in my army, these gents look far more the ticket for a mid to late thirteenth century knight. My last unit will be similarly equipped. These figures are also from different ranges to my previous knights, coming from Crusader Miniatures 'Later Crusader' range (MCF010 and MCF012) as well as Gripping Beast 'Crusading Knights' (LCCO1 02 and 06) with some minor alterations. They are all solid sculpts and very animated and are all highly detailed which made for a demanding paint job.  They took an unusual commitment and I have definitely developed a grea...

Gilbert de Clare the "Red" Earl of Hertford and Gloucestershire had by the time of Lewes attained the age of 21 and his earldom after the death if his father, Richard in 1262. He had been married aged ten to the King's niece, Alice de Lusignan (also known as Alice de Valence). By Lewes, he had fathered two daughters - Isabella and Joan. We are told that Gilbert was called the "Red" due to his hair or his temper. Gilbert's powerful marcher earldom was said to be exceeded in wealth and estates only by the King. His grandfather Richard was a leader in the first Baron's War against King John and Gilbert continued a tradition of prosecuting the interests of his family similarly. Gilbert either initiated, lead or at the very least allowed the massacre of the Canterbury Jews consistent with the Montfortian pogrom, the actions for which confirm his capability for brutality. Prior to the battle of Lewes, Gilbert and his brother Thomas were knighted by Ea...

I have no idea what's come over me, but it's a good thing. I'm on a roll with my Lewes Project - I think it happens the same time each year. Having just finished John Fitzjohn's foot unit, an order for archer arrived just in time and I've turned them around quick-smart .  They are from the Crusader Miniatures range of archers for early 100 years war - specifically MEH002 and MCF028 packs and for me these particular sculpts fit in just perfectly for my period, giving me yet more variety. For this unit I adopted a new technique of layering for the faces and hands using Vallejo paints shading up and down with about six applications for the skin tones. I am more than happy with the results and can only get better at it over time. I've been happy with my previous techniques of washing but the use of Flesh Wash doesn't seem to have come up as well under the macro lens. For the rest of the figures the song remains the same using wash method and good old Hum...

For my next unit of mounted knights I've changed things a little from previous practice. After re-watching a favourite documentary on the lance I noted the move toward a heavier lance by the time of Lewes and the introduction of the 'graper' . So I decided that I too would follow suite. It was one of those experiments where everything I did just worked. I upped the gauge of my steel wire I make my lances from 1.25mm to 1.57mm - the former being in-shot without the graper. It takes bit more beating when I hammer the ends on my anvil to make the points. When beaten flat they flange or fan out at the ends which I then snip with cutters to make the points. I opt for a broader diamond with my spears but made them much sleeker for a lance. Once filed it was then onto the graper .   The graper needs to feature more toward the butt end of the lance shaft and was introduced to stop the lance from sliding rearward under the couched arm after impact. It enabled the whole body to...

I decided to complete the basing for my latest unit of Fitzjohn's foot in an experiment to try as best I can to match my basing with the battlefield. I broke from personal practice and edged my MDF bases in Jo Sonja's Sap Green, being the same base coat for spraying my synthetic fur terrain. As it turned out, I had to mix it with some Folk Art Raw Sienna to tone down the brightness which is pretty well what happens when the diluted spray-gunned Sap Green hit the camel coloured fur in the first place. I apply my own blended static grass by dotting the bases and building up an uneven textured field of tufts. I started by matching with the terrain - by eye-balling it. I haven't bothered to measure proportions - I'll keep matching by eye. I applied the second series of static grass dots in the gaps left from the first round and then the last series in the few gaps left. Due to the covering on my terrain boards, I didn't bother with including stones or showing muc...

At long last, another unit of my Baronial Rebel Army is painted. This time I've complete a 30 man spear armed unit under the command of John Fitzjohn. John Fitzjohn John followed his father John Fitzgeoffrey into rebellion, who was a former Justiciar of Ireland and a leading magnate. Fitzgeoffrey opposed the King in 1258 after a loss of influence in Prince Edward 'court' and position in the face of rough justice (or no justice) when attacked over his disputed Shere manor (Surrey) by the royal relative and favorite Aymer de Valence. Again, these foreign relatives of the royal family placed another family, this time the Johns in opposition to the royal regime. As a leading magnate, Fitzgeoffrey was a leading rebel so his 'sudden' and untimely death placed his son and heir Fitzjohn as a leading partner with de Montfort. He had married Margery de Basset making him the son-in-law of Phillip de Basset, the Justiciar of England and his opponent in the war. ...