Edward I Biography

Edward was an impatient man, displaying considerable military prowess at defeating Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265 and treating the rebels with great savagery. He relentlessly pursued the surviving members of the de Montfort family, who were his cousins.

In 1275, pirates in Edward's pay intercepted a ship carrying Eleanor de Montfort, Simon's daughter, to Wales to marry Llywelyn the Last. Llywelyn wanted the marriage largely to antagonise Edward.

Edward imprisoned Eleanor until Llywelyn would concede his terms for peace. Unexpectedly, Llywelyn's younger brother, Dafydd started a rebellion in 1282. Llywelyn was killed shortly afterwards in a skirmish, and Dafydd was captured and killed.

To finance his war to conquer Wales, Edward I taxed the Jewish moneylenders. When the Jews could no longer pay, they were accused of disloyalty. Edward decreed that the Jews were a threat to the country. All Jews were made to wear a yellow patch in the shape of a star, an idea Adolf Hitler would adopt 650 years later.

Over three hundred Jews were taken to the Tower of London and executed, while others were murdered in their homes. Finally in 1290, the King banished all Jews from the country.

In 1291, Scottish nobles recognized the authority of Edward I. He had planned to marry off his son to the child queen, Margaret I of Scotland, but when Margaret died he was invited by the Scottish nobles to select her successor, and he chose John Balliol (over Robert Bruce).

Opposition sprang up, and Edward mercilessly executed the focus of discontent, William Wallace, in 1305. His plan to unite the two countries never came to fruition.

Edward died in 1307, and was buried at Westminster Abbey.