John and the loss of Normandy
John’s inheritance
- John had inherited Anjou from his father and acquired Aquitaine by his
marriage to its duchess, Eleanor in 1152
- Aquitaine had been inherited by Eleanor from her father and included Poitou
and Gascony as well as Aquitaine
Situation in France in 1199
- Richard I, John’s elder brother, returned from the Third Crusade in March in
1194 and spent the rest of his reign recovering lands which Philip II had
captured during Richard’s enforced absence
- John was successful in campaigning around Rouen and in taking towns such
as Beauvais
Arthur of Brittany’s claim
- Arthur was the son of Geoffrey, the third son of Henry II and Eleanor, and
Constance of Brittany
- in 1199 Arthur was twelve years old
- Richard I had recognised Arthur as his heir at the Treaty of Messina in 1191
but then acknowledged John as his successor on his deathbed
- the barons of Brittany, Anjou, Maine and Touraine recognised Arthur as their
lawful ruler
- Arthur paid homage to Philip for his lands in April 1199
- Philip attacked Evreux and sent troops to Le Mans and Tours, while Arthur
and his mother made for Angers - the aim of these manoeuvres was to cut the
Angevin lands in two, separative Normandy from Aquitaine
John’s defeat of Arthur
- John had the advantage of being the adult, he was 33 years old, with
experience in war and government
- Arthur was a child and was controlled by his mother Constance, who did not
enjoy universal popularity
- the balance of opinion in England favoured John - Hubert Walter, the
archbishop of Canterbury, did prefer Arthur initially but was won over by the
arguments of William the Marshal I (one of the most respected of the barons).
William thought Arthur would rule in the interest of the Bretons, not the
English
- the justiciar, Geoffrey FitzPeter, John and many important barons met at
Northampton and were quickly won over to John by argument and promises
to redress perceived grievances and swore fealty to him
- John took immediate action to secure his position - he heard the news that his
brother had died when he was visiting Arthur in Brittany in early April 1199
and he sent Hubert Walter and William the Marshal I to England while he rode
to Chinon, where the Angevin treasury was situated, to take possession of
both the wealth and the castle which was strategically important in the control
of the Loire valley
- when he faced opposition from Breton troops he withdrew to Rouen where he
was consecrated as Duke of Normandy on April 25, which secured his rule in
that duchy
