Simon de Montfort

I was first introduced to Simon de Montfort in the wonderful novels by Sharon Penman. Having always had a keen interest in history, Simon fascinated me. So few people from medieval history are so well known as Simon de Montfort.  What attracted me to him was his fiery ambition, his strength of purpose and his unwavering belief that his cause was just.

While tracing my family history, I found that I share a common ancestor with Simon. Bertrade de Montfort is my 26 x great grandmother. Her father, another Simon de Montfort (b.1117), was Simon’s grandfather.

I was lucky enough to visit Evesham a number of years ago, to see the site on which a memorial stands to Simon, erected in 1965 on the 700th anniversary of his death at the Battle of Evesham on 4 August 1265.

The following pages are dedicated to Simon, his family, his achievements, the king whom he betrayed and his reasons for so doing.