Editing Battle of Lewes (section)

== Background ==
Henry III was an unpopular monarch due to his autocratic style, displays of favouritism and refusal to negotiate with the barons. The barons eventually imposed a constitutional reform known as the [[Provisions of Oxford]] upon Henry, including provision for a thrice-yearly meeting led by [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester|Simon de Montfort]] to discuss matters of government. Henry sought to escape the restrictions of the provisions and applied to [[Louis IX of France]] to arbitrate in the dispute. Louis agreed with Henry and annulled the provisions. Montfort was angered by this and rebelled against the King along with other barons in the [[Second Barons' War]].<ref name=bt>{{cite web|title=Battle of Lewes|url=http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/medieval/battleview.asp?BattleFieldId=22|work=UK Battlefields Resource Centre|publisher=Battlefields Trust|access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref>

The war was not initially openly fought, each side toured the country to raise support for their army. A series of massacres of Jews in Worcester, London, Canterbury and other cities was conducted by Montfort's allies.<ref name=KJ>{{Citation |publisher = Continuum |ol = 24816680M |isbn = 9781847251862 |location = London |title = The king's Jews |url = https://archive.org/details/kingsjewsmoneyma00mund |author = Robin R. Mundill |lccn = 2010282921 |date = 2010 |oclc = 466343661 }}</ref>{{rp|88–90}}<ref name=JE>{{Cite Jewish Encyclopedia|title=England|first=Joseph |last=Jacobs|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5764-england|volume=5|pages=161–174}}</ref>

By May, the King's force had reached [[Lewes]] where they intended to halt to allow reinforcements to reach them.<ref name=bt/> The King encamped at [[St. Pancras Priory]] with a force of infantry, while his son, Prince Edward (later [[King Edward I]]), commanded the cavalry at [[Lewes Castle]] {{convert|500|yd|-2}} to the north.<ref name=m271>Maddicott, p. 271</ref> De Montfort approached the King with the intention of negotiating a truce or, failing that, to draw him into open battle. The King rejected the negotiations, and de Montfort moved his men from [[Fletching, East Sussex|Fletching]] to Offham Hill, a mile to the north-west of Lewes, in a night march that surprised the royalist forces.<ref name=bt/><ref name=m271/>