Battle of Burton Bridge (1322)

Thomas, Earl of Lancaster had long been an enemy of the King, alienated by his practice of promoting young favourites (and alleged lovers) such as Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, who had at one stage been made regent in Edward's absence. Lancaster further demonstrated his disapproval of the King by his refusal to assist Edward in his Scottish campaigns, including the decisive defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. However such co-operation was short-lived as Despenser's continued rise threatened the holdings of the Welsh Marcher Lords and in 1321 Lancaster joined them in an outright rebellion against Edward. == Battle ==

Edward acted quickly against the Marcher Lords, defeating them easily due to a lack of co-ordination amongst them, before moving north to confront Lancaster. Lancaster sent out men to prevent the King from crossing the Trent elsewhere and outmanoeuvring him. Two such men were John de Myner, master forester of Needwood Forest, and Richard de Holland, who broke the bridges at Wychnor and Hamstall Ridware. De Holland was later fined 40 shillings by the King for his actions. De Holland's kinsman Lord Robert de Holland had long been a supporter of Lancaster, was said to be his closest friend, and had raised troops for him to send against the King's men in Cheshire. However, on 4 March de Holland received a secret order from the King to join him against Lancaster which he seems to have obeyed, forming a body of troops at Ravensdale Park in Derbyshire ostensibly to reinforce Lancaster's army at Burton. Edward arrived at nearby Cauldwell on 7 March 1322, intending to make use of the ford at Walton-on-Trent to outflank Lancaster. Lancaster awaited reinforcement from Holland, who had encamped with his men at Dalbury, north of Burton. Holland, however, apparently wished to await the result of the battle prior to committing himself and revealing his loyalties. Edward's troops were able to cross the Trent at Walton on 10 March 1322 and advanced upon Burton from the south. The casualties included the keeper of Alton Castle, Sir Roger D'Amory, who was injured in the fight and later died of his wounds at Tutbury. == Aftermath ==

The King's troops, led by John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey and Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, chased Lancaster to Tutbury and Kenilworth, capturing both towns and devastating the counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Holland, seeing the outcome of the battle and knowing that the King had recently imprisoned his daughter at the Tower of London, openly acted against Lancaster. He also ordered the men raised in Cheshire to march towards Burton and prevent the escape of Lancaster's troops to the River Mersey. Holland turned his troops over to the King at Derby on 13 March but was coldly received, his past alliance with Lancaster condemning him to imprisonment at Dover Castle and the loss of his estates. Upon taking Tutbury, Edward ordered D'Amory's corpse to be posthumously executed for treason. The Abbot of Burton was charged with concealing goods from the king after it was claimed he had taken the Earl of Lancaster's money and goods left behind after the battle, to the value of £200. The abbot claimed that all he had found was a single silver cup which he subsequently gave to the king. The finding in 1831 of a large quantity of silver coins, suspected to be part of Lancaster's treasure, in the River Dove, near Tutbury may support the abbot's case. In either case, the next year Edward felt able to award Burton Abbey the advowsons of Tatenhill and Hanbury, which had previously belonged to Lancaster, in "perpetual memory of the glorious victory which God gave to the King over his enemies and the rebels near Burton-on-Trent, and also to relieve the condition of the Abbey". The battle gave rise to a tradition at nearby Chartley Park, a holding of John de Ferrers, 2nd Baron Ferrers of Chartley. The baron maintained a herd of white cattle with black ears, descended from wild specimens found when the park was formed from part of the ancient Needwood Forest. In 1322 an unusual black calf was born in the herd that was said to have foretold the Battle of Burton Bridge and the subsequent downfall of the de Ferrers house (who were supporters of Lancaster). Subsequently it was said that the birth of a dark-hued or part-coloured calf in the herd would foretell a death in the de Ferrers family within the year. Such omens were said to have preceded the deaths of, amongst others, Robert Shirley, 7th Earl Ferrers; his wife; their son Robert Sewallis Shirley and his wife and the son, daughter and wife of Washington Shirley, the 8th Earl. Another local tradition places the legendary figure of Robin Hood at the battle fighting for Lancaster. == Notes ==