This Day in History: 1329-01-01
On 1st January 1329, Edward III and Roger Mortimer arrived at Henry’s, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, lord of Pontefract, Kenilworth Castle but were refused admittance. By the 12th January, the king was in Lancaster’s town of Leicester whilst Lancaster had been raising anti-royalist troops in London. Very soon afterwards, at Bedford, Lancaster was forced to kneel before the king begging forgiveness and was sacked from all his offices save the seneschalship of England; he was also fined the sum of half the value of his estates but Archbishop Meopham secured his pardon from prosecution for treason.