1250.
Edmond son to Richard earle of Cornwall borne.
An ambassage sent to the pope.
In the feast of All saints, the archbishop Bonifacius was inthronized at Canturburie, and kept a solemne feast, at the which the king and quéene, with the more part of all the prelats of the land were present. About this season was a great tornie and iusts holden at Brackley, where the earle of Glocester (contrarie to his accustomed maner) fauoured the part of the strangers, whereby they preuailed. In somuch that William de Valence handled one sir William de Odingesselles verie roughlie, the same sir William being a right woorthie knight. About the same time, the countesse of Cornewall at Berkehamstéed was deliuered of a sonne named Edmund. This yeare about the beginning of the spring, the kings brother the earle of Cornewall with other Noble men of the realme, as the earle of Glocester, Henrie Hastings baron, & Roger Thurkebie, went ouer into France in princelie arraie and furniture to visit the pope, who held his court still at the citie of Lions. The bishop of Lincolne also and the bishop of Worcester went thither. For what cause the other went, it was not openlie knowne. But the bishop of Lincolne went thither about such businesse as he had in hand against the Templers, Hospitalers, and such other which had appealed from him to the court of Rome, where he could not bring his purposse to passe, for his aduersaries with monie had purchased the iudges fauour. And so the bishop returned, hauing spent his trauell and monie in vaine.
The king taketh on him the crosse.
The lord Roger de Monthault.
On the 6 of March being sundaie, the king tooke vpon him the crosse, with his brother de Valence, and a great number of other Noble men, and amongst other the abbat of Burie, to the preiudice (as was thought) of his order. Roger de Monthault, a baron of great honour, meaning verelie to go in that iournie, to recouer monie towards his necessarie furniture, set and sold the most part of his liuings. His woods and possessions, which he had about Couentrie, he sold and let to fée farme vnto the couent there. The like chieuance was made by sundrie noble men, which prepared themselues to go in that iournie.
Gaston de Bierne submiteth himself to the king.
The earle of Leicester his seruice in Gascoigne.
Vpon the 27 day of Aprill those that had taken on them the crosse, assembled at Bermondsey besides London, to treat of their setting forward, determining that the same should be at Midsummer next: but by the popes letters which the king procured, they were commanded to staie till the king himselfe went. Thus their iournie for that time was disappointed. There was of them and their retinues that meant thus to haue gone, fiue hundreth knights, besides yeomen or demilances and other common souldiers in great numbers. Gaston de Bierne was so driuen to his shifts by the high prowesse of the earle of Leicester, that in the end he was constreined to come ouer into England, and submit himselfe to the king, whom he found at Clarendon, where he gat such mercie at the kings hands, that he was pardoned and restored to his lands. But the earle of Leicester put the king in possession of the castels of Fronsacke, Egremount, and others, and banished Rustein, and William de Solares, with diuerse other stubborne and disloiall rebels, depriuing them of their lands and inheritance in that countrie.