Rout of Winchester
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| Rout of Winchester | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The Anarchy | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| England | Angevins | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Queen Matilda of Boulogne William of Ypres Henry, Bishop of Winchester |
Empress Matilda Robert of Gloucester Earl Reginald of Cornwall |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Light | Main body destroyed, rear guard captured |
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In the Rout of Winchester the adherents of the captive King Stephen of England led by his Queen Matilda of Boulogne and William of Ypres smashed the army of Empress Matilda's Angevin faction commanded by Earl Robert of Gloucester on September 14, 1141. This is a major event during The Anarchy, a civil war in English history.
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[edit] Background
During The Anarchy, King Stephen, a nephew of Henry I of England contended with Henry's daughter, "Empress" Matilda (also called Maud), for control of the kingdom. At the Battle of Lincoln on February 2, 1141, rebel barons Robert of Gloucester and Ranulf of Chester defeated and captured Stephen. Empress Matilda went on to seize London but its residents, irritated by her high-handed conduct, chased her out of the city on June 24. The forces of Stephen's queen, also named Matilda, soon occupied London.
Stephen's brother, Henry, Bishop of Winchester, who had earlier defected to Empress Matilda's Angevin faction, changed sides again to support Stephen's queen. With a small force, Henry laid siege to the royal castle at Winchester which was situated at the southwest corner of the city walls. To relieve the royal castle, Empress Matilda sortied from Oxford in late July with a substantial army commanded by Robert of Gloucester. On July 31, the Angevin army swooped down on Winchester.
[edit] Siege and Counter-siege
Bishop Henry fled while his men installed themselves in Wolvesey episcopal castle at the southeast corner of the city walls. While putting Wolvesey under siege, Empress Matilda set up her headquarters in the royal castle and Earl Robert established his command post at St. Swithun's cathedral. On August 2, the bishop's men set fire to the city, destroying a large part of Winchester.
Queen Matilda quickly assembled an army of relief which included mercenaries hired by Bishop Henry, a levy of the queen's feudal tenants from Boulogne, the nearly 1,000-strong London mililtia, William of Ypres' Flemish mercenary cavalry and other supporters of Stephen. The queen's army set up camp on the east side of Winchester and proceeded to blockade Empress Matilda's forces in the city. While the queen's army was well-provisioned, the Angevin forces soon began to suffer from lack of food. To weaken the blockade, Earl Robert attempted to fortify Wherwell Abbey, six miles to the north of the city, but William of Ypres defeated the Angevins with heavy losses.
[edit] Rout
The Wherwell Abbey fiasco convinced Earl Robert that he must quit Winchester, so he planned an orderly withdrawal. Earl Reginald of Cornwall and Brian fitz Count led a crack force which formed the advance guard and protected Empress Matilda. The main body and the baggage followed the advance guard. Earl Robert, commanding the rear guard, followed the main body. The Angevins exited from the west side of Winchester on the Salisbury road. Ahead of them, the road crossed the River Test at Stockbridge, about eight miles to the northwest.
As soon as the Angevin host left the city, the queen's army swarmed to the attack. They pressed past Earl Robert's rear guard to attack the main body. In the ensuing fight, the advance guard clawed its way out of the trap and delivered Empress Matilda safely to Gloucester. The rest of the army was not so lucky. The queen's army destroyed the Angevin main body as an effective fighting force; only remnants managed to escape. Earl Robert held the rear guard together, but when his soldiers reached the Test, they could go no further. Surrounded by William of Ypres' mercenaries and facing a bridge clogged with fugitives, Earl Robert surrendered with his men.
[edit] Result
The Rout of Winchester was a major setback for Empress Matilda. She exchanged Robert of Gloucester for King Stephen and the latter reassumed the throne. Ultimately, Empress Matilda saw her son Henry II of England crowned king, but Stephen's stormy reign lasted until his death in 1154.
[edit] References
- Beeler, John. Warfare in Feudal Europe 730-1200. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1971. ISBN 0-0814-9120-7
