1310 - 1319 (10 Year Overview)
 
Main Key People Battles Construction
RulerCountryStart of ReignAge at 1310
Edward IIEngland130726
1310 SepEdward campaigns in Scotland 
1311 Qtr 1Lancaster pays homage 
1311 Qtr 1The rise of Thomas Earl of Lancaster  
1311 JulEdward returns to England 
1311 AugOrdinances 
1311 Nov 3Gaveston leaves 
1312 Qtr 1Edward looks to Scotland for help 
1312 Jun 19Gaveston executed 
1313 JunStirling Castle Siege 
1313 Dec 23Edward prepares for invasion 
1314 Jun 17Edward leaves Berwick 
1314 Jun 24Battle of Bannockburn 
1314 SepEdward loses power to Lancaster 
1314 DecGaveston buried 
1318 AugHugh Despenser is made Chamberlain 
1318 Aug 9Treaty of Leake 
1319 JunEdward marches to free Berwick 
1319 Sep 20Battle of Myton 
Robert IScotland1306?
1311 Bruce attacks the north 
1312 Qtr 1Edward looks to Scotland for help 
1313 The Scots regain ground 
1314 Bruce orders destruction of castles 
1319 JunEdward marches to free Berwick 
Philippe IVFrance1285?
1313 Montagne and Tournai fall to Philippe 
1314 Apr 20Pope Clement V dies 
1314 Nov 29Philippe IV, the Fair dies, and is succeeded by Louis X 
Louis XFrance1314?
John IFrance1316?
1316 Philippe V becomes King of France 
1316 Nov 15Birth of John I King of France 
1316 Nov 20Death of King John of France 
Philippe VFrance1316?
1316 Philippe V becomes King of France 
Edward II and Piers Gaveston
1310SepEdward campaigns in Scotland
  Supported by Earls of Gloucester, Warwick and Cornwall, Edward took an army into Scotland. Edward directed the assaults from Berwick. The campaign was fruitless eventhough Gaveston managed to reach as far north as Perth.
1311Qtr 1Lancaster pays homage
  Lancaster had to pay homage to the king for the new lands he had received with his new earldoms. Edward was in Scotland but Lancaster refused to leave England and Edward met Lancaster at Haggerston Castle on the border. Gaveston was with the king but Lancaster refused to meet him.
Qtr 1The rise of Thomas Earl of Lancaster
  While Edward II was in Scotland, his Regent, the Earl of Lincoln died. and was replaced by his son-in-law Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. Lancaster became the Earl of Lincoln and Salisbury, but already held the titles of Earl of Leicester and Derby. Holding so many titles, made Lancaster the most powerful Baron of the time. His hatred of Gaveston was to become a major problem for the king.
JulEdward returns to England
  Edward II left Scotland and returned to England to attend a session of Parliament. Gaveston was left behind at Bamburgh Castle where he was relatively safe from the Lords Ordainers.
AugOrdinances
  A series of government acts made by the lords Ordinaners to access control over Edward II. This involved increasing their control over Edward's finances and renewing the banisment of Piers Gaveston.
Sep 27Ordinances Proclaimed
  The Ordinances were publicly proclaimed at Paul's Cross. In addition, Gaveston was ordered to leave the country by the 1st of November and to be stripped of his titles.
Nov 3Gaveston leaves
  Gaveston left the country a few days later than he should have done, but even then he didn't go far. By Christmas he had returned to Edward's side and made public appearances with the King. Edward also gave Gaveston his title of Earl of Cornwall back to him.
1312Qtr 1Edward looks to Scotland for help
  Gaveston's return to England forced the Archbishop of Canterbury to honour his threat of excommunication and the Earls to prepare for civil war against the king. Edward and Gaveston travelled to Scotland to seek help from Robert the Bruce but were not welcome. At Tynemouth the King and Gaveston took a boat to Scarborough leaving behind them everything including Isabella, Edward's wife. Gaveston took refuge at Scarborough Castle and Edward went to York.
MayGaveston surrenders
  While the Earl of Lancaster set up camp midway between York and Scarborough to prevent Gaveston and the King rejoining, the Earls of Pembroke and Surrey besieged Scarborough castle. The castle was not prepared to withstand the stand-off and Gaveston surrendered after a couple of weeks. The terms of his surrender were generous and Pembroke gave his word that Gaveston would not be harmed until he was presented to Parliament.
Jun 19Gaveston executed
  The Earl of Pembroke with his captive Gaveston, stopped at Deddington for the night. Pembroke left Gaveston to attend to other matters. The Earl of Warwick took advantage of Pembroke's absence and took Gaveston from his bed. They went to Warwick castle and Gaveston was thrown in the dungeon. The four Earls, Lancaster, Warwick, Arundel and Hereford took the decision that Gaveston should be punished and took him to Blacklow Hill where he was executed. As Gaveston was under excommunication, the body was not buried straight away.
1314DecGaveston buried
  Edward had delayed having the body of Gaveston buried until he had taken revenge for the murder, but because the King was powerless to act against the Ordainers, he decided to hold a lavish ceremony to bury his dead friend.
Robert the Bruce
1310SepEdward campaigns in Scotland
  Supported by Earls of Gloucester, Warwick and Cornwall, Edward took an army into Scotland. Edward directed the assaults from Berwick. The campaign was fruitless eventhough Gaveston managed to reach as far north as Perth.
1311Bruce attacks the north
  The conflict within England gave Robert Bruce the opportunity to attack towns and forts in the north of England. He was commonly paid large sums of money by the towns' people to leave them alone. In this way he was able to raise enough money to buy better weapons for his army.
1312Qtr 1Edward looks to Scotland for help
  Gaveston's return to England forced the Archbishop of Canterbury to honour his threat of excommunication and the Earls to prepare for civil war against the king. Edward and Gaveston travelled to Scotland to seek help from Robert the Bruce but were not welcome. At Tynemouth the King and Gaveston took a boat to Scarborough leaving behind them everything including Isabella, Edward's wife. Gaveston took refuge at Scarborough Castle and Edward went to York.
1313The Scots regain ground
  Using stealth and surprise tactics Robert Bruce's army recaptured Perth, Dundee, Edingburgh and Roxburgh from English occupation.
JunStirling Castle Siege
  Stirling castle was still under the control of English forces but was under siege from the Scots led by Edward Bruce. Bruce and the English commander, Sir Philippe de Mowbray, came to an agreement that if English forces had not reached the castle by midsummer 1314, Mowbray would surrender the castle to the Scots. Bruce even let Mowbray leave the castle to inform the English king of the agreement.
Dec 23Edward prepares for invasion
  The king call upon the earls to provide men and arms and to meet at Berwick on the 10th of June 1314 to attack the Scots.
1314Bruce orders destruction of castles
  To prevent Scottish castles falling into English hands, Robert Bruce ordered that the castles at Roxburgh, Linlithgow and Edinburgh should be destroyed.
Jun 17Edward leaves Berwick
  Edward II and his army left Berwick to march to Stirling Castle which they had to reach before midsummer's day if the castle were to be saved from falling back into the hands of the Scots.
Jun 24Battle of Bannockburn
  Forces led by Edward II are defeated by Robert I at Bannockburn. Edward was trying to reach Stirling Castle to relieve the forces there. This was an important battle for the Scots to win and helped them to make some gains of land in northern England, even if it was short-lived.
1319JunEdward marches to free Berwick
  The last Scottish town to be held in English hands had been captured by Robert the Bruce. The loss of Berwick brought Edward and Lancaster together. Their common goal was to recapture the town and together with the Earl of Pembroke and Surrey they marched north.
Sep 20Battle of Myton
  While the best of the English army were at Berwick, a Scottish army led by Sir James Douglas invaded Yorkshire. With an untrained army the Archbishop of York, William Melton, tried to fight off the Scots but was defeated at Myton-in-Swalesdale. With the Scots threatening their lands in the north the earls, with Edward at Berwick, abandoned the siege and returned to their homes. Queen Isabella who was in York at the time managed to escape to safety at Nottingham.

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People who played important roles in this time period
Gaveston, Piers
Son of a prominent Gascon knight, Gaveston had a close friendship with Edward II, king of England. Edward's affection towards Gaveston alienated the people who were Edward's real counsellors, the barons. Gaveston was captured by the Earl of Warwick, the leader of the king's opposition in June 1312 a (more...)

Thomas (Earl of Lancaster)
Son of Edmund Earl of Lancaster and cousin of Edward II king of England, Thomas became one of the most powerful Lords of the time. As one of the leaders of the Lord Ordainers he attempted to limit the powers of the King and to remove Gaveston the King's favourite. Thomas was captured and executed as (more...)

Isabella (of France, Wife of Edward II, she-wolf of France)
Daughter of Philippe IV the king of France. Isabella married Edward II of England in 1308 and their eldest son became Edward III. Isabella was unhappily married to Edward and through a rebellion in 1327 had him imprisoned and ultimately executed and so she became know as the she-wolf of France. Isab (more...)

EDWARD (III, King of England 1327-1377)
Keeper of the Realm

After the poor reign of his father Edward III's reign lasted fifty years and restored the confidence of the English nation as a whole in the monarchy. Edward was declared Keeper of the Realm in 1326 when his father abdicated. The abdication was forced on the old king by (more...)

Louis (X, The Headstrong, King of France 1314-1316)
Louis, the eldest son of Philippe the Fair became king of France in 1314, but his reign was only to last eighteen months. During his short reign there were many riots and street fights. Examinations of the treasury found them bare and inquests into the state of the finances led to the hanging of ma (more...)

Despenser, Hugh (the younger)
The son of Sir Hugh Despenser (the elder). Hugh the younger was to play an important role at the side of Edward II in military aspects and as an advisor. Initially Hugh has been on the side of the Ordainers who had drawn up Ordinances to limit the king's powers. After the death of Gaveston, Hugh had (more...)


Battles that took place in this time period
1314 Jun 24 - Battle of Bannockburn
Forces led by Edward II are defeated by Robert I at Bannockburn. Edward was trying to reach Stirling Castle to relieve the forces there. This was an important battle for the Scots to win and helped them to make some gains of land in northern England, even if it was short-lived.

1318 Oct - Battle of Faughart
Edward Bruce was defeated and killed at the Battle of Faughart by the English led by John de Birmmingham.

1319 Sep 20 - Battle of Myton
While the best of the English army were at Berwick, a Scottish army led by Sir James Douglas invaded Yorkshire. With an untrained army the Archbishop of York, William Melton, tried to fight off the Scots but was defeated at Myton-in-Swalesdale. With the Scots threatening their lands in the north the earls, with Edward at Berwick, abandoned the siege and returned to their homes. Queen Isabella who was in York at the time managed to escape to safety at Nottingham.


Building work undertaken in this time period
Wells Cathedral 1310 - 1319
Work commenced on the Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral.

Dunstanburgh Castle 1313
Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, started the construction of a castle at Dunstanburgh on the Northumbrian coast.

Wells Cathedral 1315 - 1322
Work commenced on the central tower of Wells Cathedral. This needed strengthening and in 1338, new internal arches were added to support the weight.


     
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