Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...
, England in 1315 against the
Earl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267. It was succeeded by the title Duke of Lancaster in 1351, which expired in 1361. (The most recent creation of the ducal title merged with the Crown in 1413.)
King Henry ...
and his supporters. It took place in 1315 when a group of disaffected knights decided to revenge themselves on the Earl of Lancaster by attacking his chief retainer and their rival, Sir Robert de Holland. The group was led by Sir Adam Banastre of
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion in Bretherton, Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building and is at the centre of a private estate, surrounded by parkland. The hall was built on the site of an older house in 1608 by the Banastres ...
, Bretherton who had extensive landholdings in the county, Sir William de Bradshaigh of
Haigh Hall
Haigh Hall is a historic country house in Haigh, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Built between 1827 and 1840 for James Lindsay, 7th Earl of Balcarres, it replaced an ancient manor house and was a Lindsay family home until 1947, when it was ...
and Sir Henry Lea of Charnock Richard. The cause of their grievance was that the powerful earl, the dominant force in the North-west of England, appeared to be favouring the Holland family to their disadvantage.
The group met on 8 October 1315 at
Wingates
Wingates is a small settlement located in the town of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. The name is believed to mean 'a gate for the wind', and it seems likely as this is in an exposed position ab ...
, in
Westhoughton
Westhoughton ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, southwest of Bolton, east of Wigan and northwest of Manchester.Radcliffe. Adam de Radcliffe was captured and the raiding party moved to the home of Sir Henry de Bury looking for his brothers and Sir Henry de Bury was killed. The next day, they were joined by Sir Ralph Bickerstaff, the
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...
, and his men in Standish. That day the group raided the farm of the bailiff of the Rector of
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...
, another Holland supporter, stealing crops and other goods. They then raided
Norley Hall
Norley Hall is a country house in the village of Norley, Cheshire, England. It was built in about 1500 on the site of an earlier house for the Hall family, enlarged in 1697 for John Hall, rebuilt in 1782 for William Hall, and enlarged again in ab ...
, belonging to a Lancaster adherent Thurstan de Norley, seizing goods and livestock. The mob traversed far and wide across South Lancashire, attacking the homes and property of the earl's supporters.
Halton Castle
Halton Castle is a castle in the village of Halton, part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The castle is on the top of Halton Hill, a sandstone prominence overlooking the village. The original building, a motte-and-bailey castle beg ...
in Cheshire was captured by burning down the gates and a failed attempt made to capture
Liverpool Castle
Liverpool Castle was a castle in Liverpool, England, that stood from the early 13th century to the early 18th century (1237–1726).
Construction
The castle was probably erected in the 1230s, between 1232 and 1235, under the orders of William ...
(then in the hands of Sir Robert Holland).
Clitheroe Castle
Clitheroe Castle is a ruined early medieval castle in Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It was the ''caput'' of the Honour of Clitheroe, a vast estate stretching along the western side of the Pennines.
Its earliest history is debated but it is ...
was taken and
Preston
Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to:
Places
England
*Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement
**The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement
**County Boro ...
terrorised.
Eventually Edmund de Neville, the Deputy Sheriff of Lancashire, organised a force loyal to the earl and confronted the rebels at Deepdale in Preston. Within an hour the rebels were routed and Sir Ralph Bickerstaff killed. Joined by a force under Robert de Holland, Neville moved south to round up fugitives. Sir Adam Banastre and Sir Henry de Lea were captured at Charnock Richard after being betrayed and were summarily beheaded. Sir William Bradshaigh escaped, possibly to Wales, and was outlawed.
After the Battle of Boroughbridge the Earl of Lancaster was executed at
Pontefract
Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wak ...
and Sir Robert de Holland imprisoned. Sir William Bradshaigh was able to return to continue his feud with Sir Robert de Holland's successor, Sir Richard de Holland.
Edward II
Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...
had them arrested and Bradshaigh was imprisoned for several months. After Edward was overthrown in 1326, Sir Robert de Holland was released, only to be killed in 1328 by the new Earl of Lancaster's men for his treachery at Boroughbridge. Sir William Bradshaigh was killed in 1333 in a fight with the Radcliffes at Newton-le-Willows.