PanzerKaput Goes To Barons' War
A Most Ignoble Feud - Character Set
“And so, on the fifth day after the Feast of Saint Barnabas, in the thirteenth year of King John’s reign, did the ignoble scoundrel Gerard de Furnival, Lord of Hallamshire launch a most grievous assault upon the person of his master William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey. During the melee, several of the Earl’s servants were maimed, and his prize destrier injured. In response, the king decreed that the Lord of Hallamshire be stripped of his possessions, and brought to heel.”
A fictional excerpt from Roger of Wendover’s chronicle, describing the history of England under King John.
Gerard de Furnival, Lord of Hallamshire
A crusader’s blood ran in Gerard’s veins, his father having stood shoulder to
shoulder with Richard the Lionheart at the Siege of Acre. He acquired his lordship through marriage to Maud, great-granddaughter of the builder of Sheffield Castle, William de Lovetot.
Little is known of Gerard’s conduct during the Baron’s War, but in 1219 we find him outside the walls of Jerusalem with the Fifth Crusade, where he unfortunately perished.
William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey
Cousin to King John, and one of his closest allies, William served the King faithfully in many capacities. He was present at the King’s coronation in 1199, and a couple of years later we find him as Lieutenant of Gascony. When the French seized Normandy in 1204, he lost his continental holdings, but was apparently generously recompensed by John.
His star continued to rise, seeing him appointed as Warden of the Cinque Ports, then later the Welsh Marches. During the unrest in 1212, he was given custodianship of the northern shires.
He was one of the few nobles that sided with the king during The Baron’s War fighting at his side to its conclusion. William is also remembered for encouraging the king to sign the Magna Carta. He remained a staunch supporter of the crown until his death in 1240 at the ripe age of 73.
I have painted both the characters, Gerard de Furnival, Lord of Hallamshire and William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey, though I have not painted them the way they should be so they can be used for other knights too.
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