Battle of Burton Bridge

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The River Trent at Burton. The bridge was built in 1863 and replaced the medieval bridge.

The Battle of Burton Bridge was a military confrontation during the rebellion of the Earl of Lancaster against the English King Edward II. In March 1322 the rebel army at the Burton Bridge over the Trent delayed the advance of the royal army for several days until the Royal troops bypassed the rebel positions on March 10, forcing them to retreat.

prehistory

After King Edward II put down the rebellion of the Marcher Lords in January 1322 , the remaining rebels from the Welsh Marches had fled to northern England to join the also rebelling Earl of Lancaster. The king followed them with his troops. On March 3, he reached Lichfield , where Hugh le Despenser the Elder and his son of the same name Hugh le Despenser joined him with a large force. When Lancaster heard of the approach of the royal army, he broke off the siege of Tickhill Castle . Together with the Earl of Hereford he moved to Burton, where he took up a defensive position on March 1st on the bridge over the Trent not far from his castle Tutbury Castle .

Battle for the river crossing

Before March 7th, the King reached Caldwell south of Burton. The royal army tried for the next three days to cross the river via the Burton Bridge or through a nearby ford, but the rebel troops fended off all attempts. They destroyed the bridge and the city went up in flames during the fighting. Eventually the king decided to bypass the rebels on the flanks. On March 10, he sent the Earl of Surrey with his troops to cross the river over a bridge about three miles downstream. At the same time, the Earl of Richmond and the Earl of Pembroke with about 300 men were to cross the river through a recently discovered ford near Walton upstream . Then the king wanted to cross the river with the bulk of the army also at Walton. Robert le Ewer was to cover this bypass with another attack on the Burton Bridge. When Lancaster realized that the royal troops had crossed the Trent, he was initially ready to face battle. He let his banner unfold, with which he openly revealed himself as a rebel against the king. But then he and Hereford recognized the numerical superiority of the royal army. They also learned of the betrayal of Robert de Holand , the leading vassal of Lancaster, who had switched to the royal side with a force of around 500 men. Then Lancaster and his remaining followers left their positions and fled to Pontefract .

consequences

The royal troops did not follow the rebels immediately, but first captured Tutbury Castle on the same day . During the conquest they fell into the hands of the mortally wounded Roger Damory . Then the King pursued Lancaster and Hereford. These then left Pontefract Castle with their troops and fled further north. On March 16, they were confronted by Andrew de Harclay at the bridge of Boroughbridge in Yorkshire and decisively defeated in the following battle .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ John Robert Maddicott: Thomas of Lancaster, 1307-1322. A Study in the Reign of Edward II. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1970, p. 309.
  2. ↑ John Robert Maddicott: Thomas of Lancaster, 1307-1322. A Study in the Reign of Edward II. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1970, p. 310.
  3. ↑ Seymour Phillips: Edward II . New Haven, Yale University Press 2010. ISBN 978-0-300-15657-7 , pp. 346.
  4. ↑ Seymour Phillips: Edward II . New Haven, Yale University Press 2010. ISBN 978-0-300-15657-7 , pp. 346.
  5. ↑ John Robert Maddicott: Thomas of Lancaster, 1307-1322. A Study in the Reign of Edward II. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1970, p. 310.
  6. ↑ John Roland Seymour Phillips: Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, 1307-1324. Baronial politics in the reign of Edward II. Clarendon, Oxford 1972, ISBN 0-19-822359-5 , p. 223.
  7. ↑ Seymour Phillips: Edward II . New Haven, Yale University Press 2010. ISBN 978-0-300-15657-7 , pp. 346.

Coordinates: 52 ° 48'24.1 "  N , 1 ° 37'25.7"  W.