King Stephen did swim the Isis to scale the town walls. He even built two mounds from which he could use his mangonels but he did not use them. Instead he prepared to starve the garrison to death. The Empress escaped just as the food was about to run out. Robert D'Oyly died before the Empress escaped. I have made up the manner of his death. I just know he died and not the intimate details. The Empress' escape from Oxford castle is well known however a word of caution to any who use Wikipedia for research. The article about the Empress Matilda has her escaping in early 1143 or late 1142. I lean to late December 1142 however the Wikipedia article about Oxford castle has her escaping Stephen in December 1141- patently impossible as he was in London being crowned and did not besiege Oxford until the following year. For those interested I have put the links to three sites so that you can compare for yourself.
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Empress-Maud/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Castle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Matilda
The Earl of Gloucester spent the summer and autumn of 1142 in Normandy helping Geoffrey to recapture more territory from Stephen's supporters. By 1143 the Norman campaign was over.
Counter castles were built close to a castle under siege. A force besieging a castle would build one to mount their own war machines. There would be a palisade around it to prevent a sortie. The two at Oxford were called Jew's Mount and Mount Pelham. For some reason they were not used. Below is a photograph of Pickering Castle and the counter castle built there. It is the high green area to the left of the castle.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Books used in the research:
The Varangian Guard- 988-1453 Raffael D’Amato
Saxon Viking and Norman- Terence Wise
The Walls of Constantinople AD 324-1453-Stephen Turnbull
Byzantine Armies- 886-1118- Ian Heath
The Age of Charlemagne-David Nicolle
The Normans- David Nicolle
Norman Knight AD 950-1204- Christopher Gravett
The Norman Conquest of the North- William A Kappelle
The Knight in History- Francis Gies
The Norman Achievement- Richard F Cassady
Knights- Constance Brittain Bouchard
Knight Templar 1120-1312 -Helen Nicholson
Griff Hosker
August 2016
Other books
by
Griff Hosker
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Ancient History
The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 128 A.D.)
Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior (prequel)
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11 Roman Treachery
Book 12 Roman Wall
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Book 1 Housecarl
Book 2 Outlaw
Book 3 Varangian
The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)
Book 1 Saxon Dawn
Book 2 Saxon Revenge
Book 3 Saxon England
Book 4 Saxon Blood
Book 5 Saxon Slayer
Book 6 Saxon Slaughter
Book 7 Saxon Bane
Book 8 Saxon Fall: Rise of the Warlord
Book 9 Saxon Throne
The Dragon Heart Series
Book 1 Viking Slave
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Book 4 Viking Kingdom
Book 5 Viking Wolf
Book 6 Viking War
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Book 12 Viking Dragon
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The Norman Genesis Series
Horseman
The Anarchy Series England 1120-1180
English Knight
Knight of the Empress
Northern Knight
Baron of the North
Earl
King Henry’s Champion
The King is Dead
Warlord of the North
Enemy at the Gate
The Fallen Crown
Warlord's War
Modern History
The Napoleonic Horseman Series
Book 1 Chasseur a Cheval
Book 2 Napoleon’s Guard
Book 3 British Light Dragoon
Book 4 Soldier Spy
Book 5 1808: The Road to Corunna
Waterloo
The Lucky Jack American Civil War series
Rebel Raiders
Confederate Rangers
The Road to Gettysburg
The British Ace Series
1914
1915 Fokker Scourge
1916 Angels over the Somme
1917 Eagles Fall
1918 We will remember them
Combined Operations series 1940-1945
Commando
Raider
Dieppe
Toehold in Europe
Sword Beach
Other Books
Great Granny’s Ghost (Aimed at 9-14 year old young people)
Adventure at 63-Backpacking to Istanbul
For more information on all of the books then please visit the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com where there is a link to contact him.
Table of Contents
Part One Anjou and the Winter of Despair
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Part Two- Warlord's War
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20