June 19th - Death of Piers Gaveston.

June 19th, 1312, marks the anniversary of the death of Piers Gaveston.  Having surrendered to Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke on May 19th, Piers must have hoped his luck would hold.  Surrendering at Scarborough Castle, Pembroke had sworn an oath to protect Piers while a solution was sort yet again to sever the relationship between Edward II and Piers.  If no solution could be reached, Pembroke promised that Piers could return to Scarborough and prepare for a long siege.  Piers must have though he was on a win, win situation.  Unfortunately for Piers, there were others that set out to prevent that from happening.

Arriving at Deddington Priory in Oxford, Pembroke decided to visit his wife at nearby Bampton.  He left Piers at the Priory with a small guard, content that Piers would not try to escape.  But it wasn't Piers or Pembroke who would break their oath.  Guy de Beauchmp, Earl of Warwick, detested Piers.  The fact that Piers had surrendered on very favourable terms must have been galling for Warwick.  It seemed that Piers would yet again wriggle off the hook.  

Warwick's hatred of Piers was seemingly driven by jealousy over the favour he enjoyed with Edward II.  This could have been based on his opinion that Piers had no right as he considered him low born and he was from Gascony.  No doubt, Piers lack of respect for Warwick infuriated him.   It was said that Piers had given him the nickname of the Black Hound of Arden.  We're not sure why, but possibly when Warwick was in a temper he seemed to foam at the mouth like a mad dog.  I can imagine Edward and Piers laughing at Warwick in a temper, with Piers likening him to a mad dog.  The fact that the Vita Edwardi Secondi mentions this nickname when Warwick came for Piers at Deddington shows Warwick's hurt pride.

Piers must have been sick to his stomach.  He must have known then his fate was sealed.  Warwick did his best to humiliate Piers as he took him to Warwick Castle.  He removed his belt so he was no longer a knight, and was dragged on foot, as the Vita says like a thief and traitor.  Once out of Deddington, Warwick knew the pace would be too slow, and had Piers tied to a nag to ensure they arrived at Warwick before the King could intercept.  Warwick must have taken a sadistic delight in his treatment of Piers, putting him in chains and then in the dungeon in Warwick.  A mockery of a trial was held, in which Piers was not allowed to speak, and not surprisingly, Piers was found guilty and sentenced to death.

For all Warwick's bravado, he would have nothing to do with Piers execution, leaving that to the King's cousin, Thomas of Lancaster.  He didn't even escort Piers to his place of 'execution'.   This was to be done not on Warwick's land, but Lancaster's - Blacklow Hill.  I can only be scornful of Warwick, hiding in his castle, thinking he would escape any blame, when it was his ambush that had proved to be Piers' death sentence.   Even Lancaster balked at taking a ringside seat, commanding 2 of his henchmen to take Piers and carry out the sentence.  I'm sure Piers drew some satisfaction at the cowardice of both Warwick and Lancaster.

Rest in peace, Piers.

Above, the inside the dungeon at Warwick castle. 

The track that leads to Blacklow Hill.

The listed monument for Piers, overgrown, but still standing.