Battle of Evesham

Overview

The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by the future King Edward I, who led the forces of his father, King Henry III. It took place on 4 August 1265, near the town of Evesham, Worcestershire.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Evesham was one of the two principal engagements of the Second Barons' War and proved decisive in ending the baronial rebellion against the English crown. Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, the leader of the rebel barons, was defeated by the royal forces commanded by Prince Edward, acting on behalf of his father King Henry III. The rebels suffered severe casualties — approximately 4,000 of a force of 5,000 — indicating near-total destruction of the baronial army. The death or neutralization of de Montfort and senior commanders including Henry de Montfort, Guy de Montfort, Peter de Montfort, and Hugh le Despenser effectively broke the organized military resistance of the barons. By extinguishing the leadership of the rebellion in a single engagement, Evesham restored royal authority and ended the constitutional crisis that had defined the conflict since 1264.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (12)