Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort arrived in England in 1229 with no knowledge of the English language. He was a younger son of Alix de Montmorency and Simon de Montfort, the fifth Earl of Leicester. His father had died during the Siege of Toulouse in 1218 after being struck by a stone from a mangonel. The elder Simon had acquired vast domains during the Albigensian Crusade but lost them when his eldest son Amaury could not retain them. King John refused to allow the elder Simon to succeed to the earldom of Leicester. Instead he placed the estates into the hands of Ranulf, the Earl of Chester. Simon approached the older man and persuaded him to cede the title. It took another nine years before Henry III formally invested him as Earl of Leicester.
In January 1238 Montfort married Eleanor of England without consulting the great barons. She was the sister of King Henry III and daughter of King John. Eleanor had previously been married to William Marshal and sworn a vow of perpetual chastity upon his death. The archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Rich condemned the marriage for this reason. Richard Earl of Cornwall rose up in revolt when he learned of the union. King Henry eventually bought off Richard with 6000 marks to restore peace. The marriage brought the manor of Sutton Valence in Kent into Montfort's possession. Relations between King Henry and Montfort were cordial at first until political tensions arose over debts owed to Thomas Count of Flanders.
As Earl of Leicester Montfort expelled the small Jewish community from the city in 1231. He banished them stating it would be so in his time or in the time of any of his heirs to the end of the world. His parents showed similar hostility to Jews in France where his mother gave the Jews of Toulouse a choice of conversion expulsion or death. During the Second Barons War his followers massacred Jews in London Worcester and Derby. In London one of his key followers John FitzJohn killed leading Jewish figures Isaac fil Aaron and Cok fil Abraham with his bare hands. Five hundred Jews died during these attacks. Each attack aimed at seizing records of debts stored in locked chests called archae which were legally mandated by the king.
Montfort used his victory to set up a government based on provisions first established at Oxford in 1258. His Great Parliament of 1265 included ordinary citizens from boroughs elected alongside knights. This body was not the first elected parliament in England but it took representation further than previous attempts. In 1254 King Henry summoned a parliament consisting of knights elected by their shires. Montfort who was present took the innovation further by including ordinary citizens from boroughs also elected. The list of boroughs which had the right to elect a member grew slowly over centuries as monarchs granted charters to more English towns. The last charter was given to Newark in 1674. The right to vote varied between county constituencies and individual boroughs with varying arrangements.
An ominous black cloud hung over the field of Evesham on the 4th of August 1265 as Montfort led his army against superior forces.
Prince Edward attacked Simon's forces after capturing banners at Kenilworth. When he saw an army approaching Evesham Montfort initially thought it was his son's forces. It was however Edward's army flying the captured Montfort banners. Roger Mortimer killed Montfort by stabbing him in the neck with a lance. Montfort's last words were said to have been Thank God. His body was mutilated in a frenzy by royalists. News reached London that the head of the earl was severed from his body and his testicles cut off and hung on either side of his nose. Such remains as could be found were buried before the altar of Evesham Abbey church by the canons.
Following Montfort's death he became the focus of an unofficial popular miracle cult centered
on his grave in Evesham Abbey. It was practiced in secret for at least two years because of an official ban but lasted until 1280. The so-called Evesham miracle book documents some 200 alleged miracles associated with his name. Napoleon Bonaparte described Simon de Montfort as one of the greatest Englishmen. Today Montfort is principally remembered as one of the fathers of representative government. Leicester City Council made a formal statement in 2001 that rebuked De Montfort for his blatant anti-Semitism. A memorial stone erected in 1965 on the site of his former grave bears witness to this complex legacy. Various local honors were dedicated to his memory including De Montfort University named after him.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did Simon de Montfort arrive in England?
Simon de Montfort arrived in England in 1229 with no knowledge of the English language. He was a younger son of Alix de Montmorency and Simon de Montfort, the fifth Earl of Leicester.
Why did King Henry III buy off Richard Earl of Cornwall after Simon de Montfort married Eleanor of England?
King Henry III bought off Richard Earl of Cornwall with 6000 marks to restore peace because Richard rose up in revolt when he learned of the union between Simon de Montfort and Eleanor of England. The marriage brought the manor of Sutton Valence in Kent into Montfort's possession despite the archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Rich condemning it for violating a vow of perpetual chastity.
What happened to the Jewish community during the Second Barons War under Simon de Montfort?
During the Second Barons War his followers massacred Jews in London Worcester and Derby where five hundred Jews died. Each attack aimed at seizing records of debts stored in locked chests called archae which were legally mandated by the king.
How did Simon de Montfort die on the field of Evesham on the 4th of August 1265?
Roger Mortimer killed Montfort by stabbing him in the neck with a lance as Prince Edward attacked Simon's forces after capturing banners at Kenilworth. His body was mutilated in a frenzy by royalists before remains such as could be found were buried before the altar of Evesham Abbey church by the canons.
Why is Simon de Montfort remembered today regarding representative government and anti-Semitism?
Today Montfort is principally remembered as one of the fathers of representative government because his Great Parliament of 1265 included ordinary citizens from boroughs elected alongside knights. Leicester City Council made a formal statement in 2001 that rebuked De Montfort for his blatant anti-Semitism following historical attacks against the Jewish community.