Battle of Winchester (1141)

The Battle of Winchester from 1141 was a military conflict between the part of the Empress Matilda and her relatives Stephan discharged long civil war (1135-1154) for control of England and Normandy . Due to her defeat against Stephan's wife Mathilda von Boulogne and her general Wilhelm von Ypres , Mathilde lost the advantage that she had gained for a short time through Stephen's capture.

prehistory

On February 2, 1141, Stephan fell into the hands of his opponents in the First Battle of Lincoln . He was incarcerated in Bristol . His brother Henry was Bishop of Winchester and papal legate. The relationship between the brothers had already deteriorated in 1139. A council of the English Church that met on April 7, 1141 in Winchester Cathedral, chaired by the legate, appointed Empress Mathilde to Angliae Normanniaeque domina (Lady of England and Normandy).

A little later Mathilde went to London . Perhaps she was aiming for her coronation as Queen of England. She arrived in Westminster around June 20, but allegedly appeared very arrogant there and immediately demanded high taxes. When the captive king's wife, Mathilda of Boulogne, arrived with an army near London, the citizens attacked the palace where the empress resided. She had to leave the capital in a hurry on June 24th and move to Oxford .

Siege of the besiegers

Bishop Henry of Winchester now switched back to his brother's side. At the end of July Mathilde went to Winchester with her half-brother and most important military leader, Robert of Gloucester , to force the bishop into submission. But he was able to escape while his men holed up in the bishop's palace Wolvesey, which was at the southeast end of the city wall. Empress Mathilde had the bishop's palace besieged and set up her quarters in the royal castle. Her half-brother resided in St. Swithun's Cathedral. A fire started by the bishop's party on August 2nd destroyed large parts of Winchester.

Stephen's wife Mathilda von Boulogne soon made a counterattack and ordered troops to be raised in Boulogne . These soldiers, mercenaries of Bishop Heinrich and Wilhelm von Ypres and a 1,000-strong London militia surrounded the armed forces of Empress Mathilde, who therefore soon suffered from food shortages. To break the blockade, Robert von Gloucester wanted to fortify Wherwell Abbey, 6 km north of the city, but suffered heavy losses against the soldiers of William of Ypres.

Mathilde's defeat and flight

Now Robert of Gloucester pleaded for an orderly retreat, which was carried out on September 14th. Reginald, Earl of Cornwall and Brian FitzCount formed the vanguard with their elite troops and took over the protection of Empress Mathilde. Then the main army and baggage followed, while Robert of Gloucester commanded the rear guard and covered his half-sister's back. The Army left Winchester on the Salisbury road that crossed the River Test eight miles northwest at Stockbridge . But no sooner had the troops started to withdraw than their rearguard was attacked by the advancing enemy army. Empress Mathilde escaped with the front part of the troops and reached Devizes Castle, between Salisbury and Bristol . At first she rode in the men's saddle to make her escape faster and was finally so exhausted that she had to be carried by two horses while lying on a stretcher. This gave rise to the legend that she was piled up hidden in a coffin.

The bulk of Empress Mathilde's army was wiped out. Robert of Gloucester held his rearguard together for a while, but found the way over the bridge blocked by refugees on reaching the River Test and was surrounded by the mercenaries of William of Ypres, so that he and his soldiers had to surrender. Winchester was looted by the London militia after the fighting ended, and many prisoners were tortured and killed.

consequences

Mathilde agreed to an exchange of prisoners - Stephan for Robert - which also took place on November 3rd. The released Stephen was proclaimed king again on December 7, 1141 by another synod under the leadership of his brother Henry, the coronation ceremony took place on December 25 in Canterbury Cathedral .

Remarks

1. ^ Marjorie Chibnall : Matilda . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB), 2004, Vol. 37, pp. 321-329, here p. 324; Karl Schnith : Empress Mathilde. In the S. (Ed.): Women of the Middle Ages in Life Pictures. Graz 1997, pp. 189-213, here pp. 201-205.