Some of the people in 1216
King John
John was not involved in the siege at Dover, although he was King of England.
Hubert de Burgh is credited with coining the phrase the 'Key of England' to describe
Dover Castle and it was he who presided over the only important test of the castle's
defences.
Hubert held highly influential posts in King John's court. He was one of the barons who
drew up Magna Carta in 1215. As Earl of Kent and Sheriff of Norfolk Hubert de Burgh was a
major power in the land during the reign of Henry III. He held the post of Justiciar or deputy
to the king in the 1220s. He is best known in Dover, however, for the part he played in the
siege of 1216 when he was Constable of Dover Castle.
The castle of Hubert's day was similar in plan to today's monument, only the main entrance
and the walls to the east and west have been altered. The siege mounted by Prince Louis of
France drew attention to the weakness of the northern defences which look out onto
higher land. In undermining King John's new north entrance, the French successfully
exploited the weak spot of the castle and the North Gate was blocked up soon after the
siege. However, the fact that the castle held out for five months is testimony to its strong
design and the effectiveness of its food storage and water supply.
Petronilla is the only female servant mentioned by name in Eleanor de Montfort's account
rolls (1180s, just a short time before the siege). She was paid a penny a day for her labours,
which included keeping the linen on the high table clean. She would have washed and
repaired the countess's fine bed linen and would have known her castle well.
Louis VIII the Lion (5 September 1187 – 8 November 1226) reigned as King of France
from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris,
France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois
from 1190, inheriting the county from his mother.
As Prince Louis
At the age of 12, Louis was married to Blanche of Castile on 23 May 1200, following
prolonged negotiations between Philip Augustus and Blanche's uncle John of England (as
represented in William Shakespeare's historical play King John).
In 1216 the English barons rebelled in the First Barons' War against the unpopular King John
of England (1199–1216) and offered the throne to Prince Louis. Louis invaded and was
proclaimed King in London in May 1216, although he was not crowned. There was little
resistance when the prince entered London. At St Paul's Cathedral, Louis was accepted as
ruler with great pomp and celebration in the presence of all of London. Many nobles, as well
as King Alexander II of Scotland (1214–49), gathered to give homage to him.
On 14 June, Louis captured Winchester and soon conquered over half of the English
kingdom. However after a year and a half of war, and King John's death, most of the
rebellious barons defected and so Louis had to give up his claim to be the King of England by
signing the Treaty of Lambeth in 1217. The effect of the treaty was that Louis agreed he had
never been the legitimate king of England.
Williken of the Weald
Nothing very much is known about this character except he led a force that burnt the camp of
Prince Louis in Dover. A guerrilla leader, a Kentish Robin Hood?
Statue of Robin Hood in Nottingham
Siege engine. Trebuchet