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The Treaty of Wallingford, also known as the Treaty of Winchester or the Treaty of Westminster, was an agreement reached in England in the summer of 1153. It effectively ended a civil war known as the Anarchy (1135–54), caused by a dispute over the English crown between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. The Treaty of Wallingford allowed Stephen to keep the throne until his death (which was to come in October 1154), but ensured that he would be succeeded by Matilda's son Henry II.

Prelude to the treaty

In 1153, the Anarchy had dragged on for nearly 15 years of armed combat, in which neither King Stephen nor Empress Matilda could achieve victory in the struggle for the English throne. This long period was characterised by a breakdown in law and order and allowed rebel barons to acquire ever greater power in northern England and in East Anglia, with widespread devastation in the regions of major fighting. By the early 1150s the barons and the Church mostly wanted a long-term peace.

King Stephen, however, targeted Matilda's supporter Brien FitzCount at Wallingford Castle by building countercastles near Wallingford. Matilda's son Henry Curtmantle launched attacks on those countercastles, and a battle between the forces was expected. However William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel successfully argued the futility of further fighting. A temporary truce was reached at Wallingford on the banks of the Thames, but Stephen's son Eustace opposed settling. However, after Eustace's sudden death in August 1153, it appears that a more formal agreement was written at Winchester in November 1153, signed later at Westminster.

Fighting continued after Wallingford, but in a rather half-hearted fashion. Stephen lost the towns of Oxford and Stamford to Henry while the king was diverted fighting Hugh Bigod in the east of England, but Nottingham Castle survived an Angevin attempt to capture it. Meanwhile, Stephen's brother Bishop Henry of Winchester and Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury were for once unified in an effort to broker a permanent peace between the two sides, putting pressure on Stephen to accept a deal. Stephen and Henry Curtmantle's armies met again at Winchester, where the two leaders would ratify the terms of a permanent peace in November.

Terms of the treaty

Stephen announced the Treaty of Winchester in Winchester Cathedral: he recognised Henry Curtmantle as his adopted son and successor, in return for Henry doing homage to him. Other conditions included:

• Stephen promised to listen to Henry's advice, but retained all his royal powers;
• Stephen's remaining son, William, would do homage to Henry and renounce his claim to the throne, in exchange for promises of the security of his lands;
• Key royal castles would be held on Henry's behalf by guarantors, whilst Stephen would have access to Henry's castles;
• The numerous foreign mercenaries would be demobilised and sent home.

Stephen and Henry sealed the treaty with a kiss of peace in the cathedral. Henry II later rewarded Wallingford for its assistance in the struggle by giving the town its royal charter in 1155.

See also

• List of treaties

References

1. Bradbury, p. 184.
2. King (2010), pp. 279–280; Bradbury, p. 187.
3. King (2010), p. 280.
4. King (2010), pp. 280–283; Bradbury pp. 189–190; Barlow, pp. 187–188.
5. King (2010), p. 281.

Sources

• Bradbury, Jim. (1996) Stephen and Matilda: The Civil War of 1139–53. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-0612-X.
• King, Edmund. (2010) King Stephen. New Haven, U.S.: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-11223-8.

External links

• Wallingford History Gateway

v t e House of Plantagenet
Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou Wife: Empress Matilda Henry II of England Geoffrey, Count of Nantes William FitzEmpress Illegitimate: Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey Emma of Anjou Mary of Shaftesbury
Henry II of England Wife: Eleanor of Aquitaine William IX, Count of Poitiers Henry the Young King Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony Richard I of England Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile Joan of England, Queen of Sicily John, King of England Illegitimate: Geoffrey (archbishop of York) William de Longespée, Earl of Salisbury
Henry the Young King Wife: Margaret of France, Queen of England and Hungary William Plantagenet (died in infancy)
Richard I of England Wife: Berengaria of Navarre Illegitimate: Philip of Cognac
John, King of England Wife: Isabella of Angoulême Henry III of England Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall Joan of England, Queen of Scotland Isabella of England Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester Illegitimate: Joan, Lady of Wales Richard FitzRoy Oliver FitzRoy Geoffrey FitzRoy John FitzRoy Henry FitzRoy Osbert Gifford Eudes FitzRoy Bartholomew FitzRoy Maud FitzRoy Isabel FitzRoy Philip FitzRoy William de Forz
Henry III of England Wife: Eleanor of Provence Edward I of England Margaret of England Beatrice of England Edmund Crouchback Katherine of England
Edward I of England Wives: Eleanor of Castile Margaret of France, Queen of England Henry Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar Joan, Countess of Hertford and Gloucester Alphonso, Earl of Chester Margaret of England, Duchess of Brabant Mary of Woodstock Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Edward II of England Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent
Edward II of England Wife: Isabella of France Edward III of England John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall Eleanor of Woodstock Joan of the Tower Illegitimate: Adam
Edward III of England Wife: Philippa of Hainault Edward the Black Prince Isabella de Coucy Joan of England Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York Mary of Waltham Margaret, Countess of Pembroke Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester Illegitimate: John de Southeray Jane Northland Joan Skerne
Richard II of England Wives: Anne of Bohemia Isabella of Valois
Henry IV of England Wives: Mary de Bohun Joan of Navarre, Queen of England Henry V of England Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Blanche of England Philippa of England Illegitimate: Edmund Leboorde
Henry V of England Wife: Catherine of Valois Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England Wife: Margaret of Anjou Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales
Edward IV Wife: Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth of York Mary of York Cecily of York Edward V Margaret of York Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York Anne of York, Lady Howard George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford Catherine of York Bridget of York Illegitimate: Elizabeth Plantagenet Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle Grace Plantagenet
Edward V no consort or issue
Richard III of England Wife: Anne Neville Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales Illegitimate: John of Gloucester Katherine, Countess of Pembroke Richard of Eastwell
Category

• 1153 in England
• History of Oxfordshire
• Medieval Berkshire
• Treaties of medieval England
• 12th-century treaties
• Succession to the British crown
• The Anarchy
• Henry II of England
• Wallingford, Oxfordshire
• Stephen, King of England
• Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne