Battle of Evesham

Death and mutilation of Montfort at the Battle of Evesham

Date	4 August 1265 (1265-08-04)
Location	Evesham, Worcestershire 52°06′21″N 1°56′40″W / 52.1058726°N 1.9445372°W / 52.1058726; -1.9445372Coordinates: 52°06′21″N 1°56′40″W / 52.1058726°N 1.9445372°W / 52.1058726; -1.9445372
Result	Royal victory

Belligerents

Royal forces

Baronial forces

Commanders and leaders

Prince Edward

Gilbert de Clare

Simon de Montfort †
Peter de Montfort †

Strength

c. 10,000

c. 5.000

Casualties and losses

Few

Nearly 4,000; estimates are unreliable.

The Battle of Evesham (4 August 1265) 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 Prince Edward – later 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.

With the Battle of Lewes Montfort had won control of royal government, but after the defection of several close allies and the escape from captivity of Prince Edward, he found himself on the defensive. Forced to engage the royalists at Evesham, he faced an army twice the size of his own. The battle soon turned into a massacre; Montfort himself was killed and his body mutilated. Though the battle effectively restored royal authority, scattered resistance remained until the Dictum of Kenilworth was signed in 1267.

Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, had gained a dominant position in the government of the Kingdom of England after his victory at the Battle of Lewes a year earlier. He also held the King, Prince Edward, and the King's brother Richard of Cornwall in his custody. However, his sphere of influence rapidly began to deteriorate due to loss of key allies. In February, Robert de Ferrers, Earl of Derby was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower. An even more important collaborator, Gilbert de Clare, the Earl of Gloucester, deserted to the side of the King in May of the same year. With Gloucester's assistance, Prince Edward escaped from Montfort's captivity.

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