Who won the siege of Rochester Castle?
Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, rebellious uncle of William II (r. 1087–1100), took control of the city and castle in 1088, but after a siege of several weeks William regained them. The king then commissioned Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester (d. 1108), to rebuild the defences in stone.
How did the siege of Rochester Castle end?
The captured Odo was forced to swear to hand over Rochester to William’s men. The king despatched a force with Odo in tow to demand Rochester’s surrender. Instead of yielding, the garrison sallied and captured the entire party. In response William laid siege to the city and castle.
How was King John finally managed to get into Rochester Castle?
The forces erected five great stone throwing engines to pound the defences as well as small-arms of bows and arrows. However, this was not enough and King John’s men finally managed to gain entry into the bailey (castle grounds) by undermining the castle wall. Meanwhile the defenders retreated into the keep.
Who took the crown after King John?
Henry III
Catching a fever, the king died on 18 October 1216 CE at Newark Castle; he was just 48. The dead and unlamented king was buried in Worcester Cathedral, as requested in his will. King John is the subject and title of a play by William Shakespeare (1564-1616 CE). John was succeeded by his son Henry III (b.
When did King John arrive at Rochester Castle?
Two days later, on October 13, King John himself arrived and ordered five siege engines to be set up on Boley Hill, directly south of the castle. These machines hurled rocks at the castle nonstop for a number of days.
Why was there a siege of Rochester Castle?
The whole siege was due to a struggle between King John and his barons. Those below him had begun to have ideas above their station, because of King John’s increasingly shaky hold upon power.
Who was the bishop who built Rochester Castle?
Interestingly, the curtain wall pre-dates the main castle keep, and was built in 1088 under the watchful eye of the Bishop of Rochester, Gundulf. Rochester Castle was one of the first stone castles to be built in England, and Bishop Gundulf also supervised the construction of the White Tower within the Tower of London.
When was the great keep of Rochester built?
In 1127 Henry I entrusted it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who began to build the great keep – a masterpiece of medieval architecture, and the tallest such building to survive in Europe. The castle endured three sieges, including a famous assault by King John in 1215, when one corner of the keep was destroyed.