POLITICAL HISTORY 



whole county was in a state of disorder. Louis of France had received 

 reinforcements, and with the insurgent barons he besieged the castle of 

 Mountsorrel in Leicestershire. A plundering expedition into the surround- 

 ing country was made by the besiegers early in 1217, but some knights, 

 reconnoitring (exploratores milites] from Nottingham, learning of their coming, 

 set out to meet them, and succeeded in killing three of the enemy, and 

 capturing ten knights and twenty-four squires. 1 Raising the siege of 

 Mountsorrel, Louis and his allies turned to besiege Lincoln Castle, which 

 held out for the king, although the town had surrendered. William 

 Marshall hastened to gather an army, and ordered all governors of castles 

 and their soldiers to come together at Newark, to proceed thence to Lincoln 

 and break up the siege. And they came joyfully, being eager to fight with 

 the Frenchmen.' After the fall of Lincoln and the defeat of the French 

 fleet by Hubert de Burgh, Louis realized that his cause was hopeless, and, 

 making peace with William Marshall, retired to France. But even after 

 peace was made there were many who could not keep their hands from 

 pillage (' nunc post pacem denuntiatam et omnibus concessam non potuerunt 

 manus a praeda cohibere'). Thus Robert de Gaugi, even after several 

 remonstrances from the king, refused to deliver up the castle and town of 

 Newark to Hugh, bishop of Lincoln, to whom it properly belonged by right 

 of its foundation by Alexander (see supra). Therefore the Earl-Marshal, by 

 the king's orders, raised a large army, and, accompanied by the king, attacked 

 the castle. The siege lasted for nearly eight days, during which time the 

 friends of Robert treated for peace with the bishop, and a final agreement 

 was made that the castle should be delivered to the bishop on payment of 

 >Tioo sterling. And thus the siege being raised, every one returned to his 

 home. 8 



From this time the reign of Henry III seems to have been one of 

 material prosperity for Nottinghamshire. The frequent visits that Henry paid 

 to the county are shown by the number of letters patent dated from Southwell, 

 Newark, and Nottingham. 4 Moreover, he confirmed John's charter of 1200 

 to the burgesses of Nottingham, and granted them many fresh rights and privi- 

 leges. 1 In 1264 the county was for the first time actively concerned in the 

 Barons' War. The failure of the Provisions of Oxford to bring about any lasting 

 settlement had resulted in the siege and capture of Northampton by the royal 

 forces. Thence the army marched through Leicester into Nottingham. The 

 castle was then held for the barons by William Bardolf, who, on the advance of 

 the royal troops, immediately came out and surrendered to the king. While 

 the army was quartered at Nottingham several Scotch nobles came to the 

 king's help, among them John de Balliol, Robert Bruce, and Peter Bruce, 

 with a strong fighting force. 8 From Nottingham the king sent out Prince 

 Edward to harry the neighbouring counties of Derby and Stafford, and to 

 seize on the lands of Robert de Ferrers, earl of Derby, who was among the 

 hostile barons. When this was done, the king, hearing that Simon de 



1 Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Sen), iii, 1 1 ; Roger of Wendover, Florti Hist. (Rolls Scr.), ii, 208. 

 ' Roger of Wendover, floret Hist. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 12. 



3 Et sic, obsidione soluta, unusquisque ad propria remeavit. Ibid. 226-8. 



4 See various entries in the Calendars of Patent and Close Rolls. 

 4 Robt. Chart, in Tun: Lond. (Rec. Com.), 39. 



6 Matthew of Westminster, Fkres Hist. ( Rolls Ser.), ii, 488. 



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