Who was Simon de Montfort

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A.� There were two of 'em. Simon de Montfort (c1160-1218), also known as Simon IV de l'Amaury, was created Earl of Leicester by King John in 1206. In 1218 he captured Toulouse, south-east of Bordeaux, during the Albigensian wars of 1209-29. These broke out when a papal legate was assassinated by heretics in the territory of Count Raymond of Toulouse. Pope Innocent III called for a crusade against the heretics. In 1209 de Montfort's troops massacred the inhabitants of Beziers.� Asked how to separate Christians from heretics, one of de Montfort's officers replied: 'Slay them all. God knows his own.'< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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A.� In that case, you must be thinking of his son Simon de Montfort (c1208-1265), Earl of Leicester, English politician and soldier.

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Q.� That sounds more like him.

A.� This de Montfort, born of an Anglo-French family in Normandy, came to England in 1229. He married Princess Eleanor, youngest sister of the King Henry III, on 7 January, 1239. They had five sons.

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Q.� So very much in the king's inner circle, then

A.� Far from it. He led the second Barons' War (1263-7), a rebellion of the English nobility against King Henry III.

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Q.� Why did that break out

A.� Henry, backed by Pope Urban IV, refused to use the Provisions of Oxford - amendments to the Magna Carta that had been adopted in 1258 in an attempt to stop Henry abusing his powers. King Louis IX of France was asked in 1263 to arbitrate between the king and barons; he found for the king. The barons refused to accept his decision and de Montfort and his supporters took up arms.

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Q.� Successfully

A.� Yes. They defeated Henry's forces at Lewes, Sussex, on 14 May, 1264, and took Henry prisoner. Montfort virtually took over the kingdom - and then in 1265, in the king's name, summoned a parliament.

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Q.� So this is where he made his name as a parliamentarian

A.� Yes. This was the first parliament in which the towns and shires were represented. It established principles of representation used in the development of the House of Commons.

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Q.� And this parliament settled the dispute

A.� No. Fighting broke out again and on 4 August, 1265, Henry's troops, led by his son Edward (later King Edward I) beat the barons at Evesham, where Montfort was killed.

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Q.� So he died a great freedom-fighter

A.� Up to a point. J R Green in his A Short History of the English People notes that de Montfort's life 'was pure and singularly temperate; he was noted for his scant indulgence in meat, drink or sleep. Socially he was cheerful and pleasant in talk, but his natural temper quick and ardent, his sense of honour keen, his speech rapid and trenchant'.

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Q.� Presumably he had a darker side

A.� Yes. Although de Montfort has long been revered as the founding father of English democracy, his reputation took a serious blow earlier this year from his adopted city.� Leicester city council formally agreed to renounce 'the sentiments and prejudices' contained in a land charter de Montfort wrote in 1231.

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Q.� Why

A.� Landlords had to sign this document if they wanted to own land in Leicester. One of the conditions was: 'No Jew or Jewess in my time, or in the time of any of my heirs to the end of the world hall inhabit or remain, or obtain a residence in Leicester.'

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Q.� And did this charter hold force

A.� No. The city is a thriving place with a multicultural population. Within 10 years it will become the first British city to have an ethnic majority. And th man who led the moves to renounce the anti-semitic charter is council leader Ross Willmott. He's Jewish.

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By Steve Cunningham

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