Henry ii (Great Rebellion)

Question 1

What image did Henry II create in 1178 in his country house in Winchester?

Answer 1

A mural of four baby eaglets pecking and eating a larger eagle, waiting for the perfect moment to peck its eyes out.

Question 2

What did Gerard of Wales report Henry II said about his sons and the mural?

Answer 2

Henry II said the four eaglets represented his four sons who persecuted him, with the youngest (John) eventually insulting him more grievously than the others.

Question 3

Who were involved in the Great Rebellion against Henry II?

Answer 3

Henry II fought against his sons (Henri, Richard, Geoffrey, John), Eleanor, Louis VII, William the Lion, David of Huntingdon, Hugh of Chester, and many barons.

Question 4

Who was known as ‘The Young King’ during the Great Rebellion?

Answer 4

Henri, as he had already been coronated twice.

Question 5

What did Henri promise William the Lion during the Great Rebellion?

Answer 5

Henri promised William the Lion swathes of northern land, like Northumberland, which had not been in Scottish control since the Anarchy.

Question 6

How many sieges, skirmishes, or battles did Henry II’s forces engage in during the Great Rebellion?

Answer 6

Over forty sieges, skirmishes, or battles.

Question 7

How did Louis VII contribute to the Great Rebellion?

Answer 7

Louis VII knighted Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, and Henri, making them fully loyal to him.

Question 8

What did the History of William Marshall say about Henri’s knighthood?

Answer 8

It describes how the Marshal knighted Henri, stating that being knighted would make their forces more effective.

Question 9

What did Henri’s knighthood aim to invalidate?

Answer 9

The knighthoods bestowed upon Richard and Henry by Angevin knights or by Henry II himself, as they were seen as tokenistic symbols of power.

Question 10

What were the first battles of the Great Rebellion?

Answer 10

The first battles were led by Henri who attacked Henry II’s forces in the Vexin, but failed and retreated to Louis VII

Question 11

Who did Henry fight against who was promised territory and money?

Answer 11

Henry fought against Philip of Flanders, who had been promised a huge sum of money and Dover castle, across Normandy

Question 12

How did Henry II’s speed help in the conflict with Louis VII?

Answer 12

Henry’s speed allowed him to travel across the border country, completing a three-day journey in a single day.

Question 13

Who did Henry II hire as mercenaries to fight Louis VII?

Answer 13

Henry also ensured success through paying thousands of Brabanter mercenaries to fight Louis VII. They were only loyal to those who paid, and had no religious lenciance

Roger Howden The Revolt of 1173-74: The Chronicle he had with him twenty thousand Brabanters who served him faithfully, but not without large pay which he gave them

Question 14

What was the main source of funding during the GR for henry?

Answer 14

Jewish usury was the main source of mercenary funds for Henry II

Question 15

How did Hugh Bigod respond after Henry II’s Brabanter mercenaries killed 1,500 of his men?

Answer 15

Hugh Bigod paid for a truce to end the conflict, this truce saw the capturing of 100 rebellious barons and the eventual subduing of all Brittany insurrection

Question 16

When did Louis pay for his truce?

Answer 16

By September 1174, seeing inevitable defeat, Louis VII paid for a truce

Question 17

What was the result of the 1174 truce with Louis VII?

Answer 17

Despite this, Richard continued to fight in Poitou. Without the support of Louis VII, the only military power in Aquitaine was that of Henry II, and so Henry II chased Richard around the countryside until he begged for forgiveness.

Question 18

What was significant about the Treaty of Montlouis?

Answer 18

It formally ended the Great Rebellion after Henry II’s repeated promises of generosity finally succeeded.

Question 19

What did the Treaty of Montlouis allow Henry II to do?

Answer 19

Henry II allowed his sons and their rebellious partners to regain their lands, with Robert of Leicester receiving his lands back, William was released.

Question 20

How did the people of England assist Henry?

Answer 20

The people of England also assisted in defending Henry II’s centre of power, when Robert of Leicester arrived in England, they had rocks thrown at them by peasants

Question 21

When were Robert and his wife captured and held?

Answer 21

Robert and his wife captured in October 1173, and were kept as prisoners in Normandy until 1177

Question 22

Did Wales get invlolved in the GR

Answer 22

After the 1170 Rhys homage, Wales would stay out of the rebellion

Question 23

Who was a major threat to England?

Answer 23

William the Lion was the major threat to English territory with William’s armies ventured as far as Yorkshire by 1173

Question 24

What was a weakness in William’s army?

Answer 24

Although William had no siege engines, and therefore could not take any castles, Scottish forces ravaged the countryside of the north of England

Question 25

How did William respond to Richard de Lucy marching north?

Answer 25

These haphazard methods of fighting were no serious threat to territorial power, and when Richard de Lucy marched north with an army, William fled back to Scotland, agreeing to commit to peace until January 1174

Question 26

What did William do in easter 1174 and what was Henry's response?

Answer 26

In Easter 1174, William tried another tactic – sparking violent rebellion in the north and gave the continental rebellions a new wave of confidence In July, instead of fighting off these rebellions, Henry II committed his penance to Becket, Richard de Lucy, Ranulf de Glanville and Geoffrey the bastard were sent to deal with William

Question 27

When was William captured and by who?

Answer 27

William was later captured in 1174 by Ranulf de Glanville, who snuck up on him whilst he was having his breakfast, this capture happened the morning after Henry II committed his penance

Question 28

What did Gerard of Wales say about Williams Capture?

Answer 28

Gerard of Wales: just as at the beginning of the war, everyone thought that God’s anger had brought this punishment on him, so now this same divine wrath, which nevertheless rejoices in the conversion of a sinner rather than in his ruin, seemed to have been fully placated in due course of time, and to have subsided, giving way to compassion

Question 29

What did the Treaty of Falaise (1174) entail for William the Lion?

Answer 29

The treaty of Falaise of 1174 dealt with William the Lion: William would pay homage and swear an oath of loyalty; all Scottish bishops and barons would swear loyalty to the English crown; England was given key castles for territorial control (Edinburgh, Stirling and Berwick in particular); William was also to give Henry II 21 hostages, including his brother David who had rebelled against Henry during the rebellion

Question 30

How did Henry reward his bastard son Geoffrey's loyalty?

Answer 30

Henry II would later reward this loyalty by making him chancellor in 1181

Question 31

How was Eleanor punished?

Answer 31

Eleanor remained in prison for 15 years after her attempted escape. She was kept in the luxury of Salisbury castle but was never allowed to see or communicate with her sons.

Question 32

What did Henry do in 1173?

Answer 32

In September 1173, eager to resolve this conflict as quickly as possible, Henry met with Henri, Richard, Geoffrey, Louis and their rebel partners in a parley to reach an agreement Henry offered them all money and promised Geoffrey Brittany if he married the heiress of Brittany, but no one agreed

Question 33

What did Henri receive after the Treaty of Montlouis?

Answer 33

Henri was given two castles in Normandy and a salary of £15,000 a year, but very little power.

Question 34

What was Richard given after the GR?

Answer 34

Richard was given two properties in Poitiers and half of its annual income, as the other half went straght to Henry and was made to pay Henry homage

Question 35

How did Gerard of Wales describe the lack of power given to Henry II's sons in the peace treaties?

Answer 35

Gerard of Wales described the terms of peace as 'more shadowy than real.'

Question 36

What was Eleanor's status after the peace treaties?

Answer 36

Eleanor was not mentioned in the peace treaties, remaining untrusted and separated from her sons.

Question 37

What did Henry II do in 1176 to prevent rebellion?

Answer 37

Henry II passed the Assize of Northampton, which banished barons of ill repute and required oaths of fealty from all landholders.

Question 38

What two Eyres were passed alongside the Assize of Northampton?

Answer 38

This was passed alongside an eyre where justices were instructed to collect information on who owned what castles – any rebel castles which had been partly destroyed would be demolished Alongside this, a forest eyre was ordered to regain forest lands taken during the rebellion. The harsh punishments for purpresture led to crown revenue increase by £12,000