Battle of Beverhoutsveld
Encyclopedia
Prelude
This battle was initiated when the city of Ghent had rebelled against their lord, count Louis II of FlandersLouis II of Flanders
Louis II of Flanders , also Louis III of Artois and Louis I of Palatine Burgundy, known as Louis of Male, was the son of Louis I of Flanders and Margaret I of Burgundy, and Count of Flanders.On his father's death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, he inherited the counties of Flanders, Nevers, and...
, in 1379. The powerful guilds in Ghent did not take kindly to his rule, and wanted more privileges and less interference from the count. The nearby city of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
was a loyal supporter of the count and this only served to fan the flames of the rivalry between the two cities, both commercial powerhouses.
The battle
The Battle of Beverhoutsveld took place on May 3, 1382, on a field situated between the towns of BeernemBeernem
Beernem is a rural municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders, located southeast of Bruges. The municipality comprises the towns of Beernem proper, Oedelem and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2006 Beernem had a total population of 14,642, mostly in Beernem proper and Oedelem...
, Oostkamp
Oostkamp
Oostkamp is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Hertsberge, Oostkamp proper, Ruddervoorde and Waardamme. On January 1, 2006 Oostkamp had a total population of 21,796...
and Assebroek
Assebroek
Assebroek is a suburb in the municipality and city of Bruges, Belgium. In 2004, Assebroek had 19,525 inhabitants. Since 1999, this number has hardly changed...
. It marked an important phase in the rebellion of Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(led by Philip van Artevelde
Philip van Artevelde
Philip van Artevelde was a Flemish patriot, the son of Jacob van Artevelde. Because of his father's prominence he was godson of English queen Philippa of Hainault, who held him in her arms during his baptism....
) against count Louis II of Flanders.
The Gent-Oostende canal is one of the oldest shipping routes in Belgium. A natural watercourse between the towns of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
and Beernem
Beernem
Beernem is a rural municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders, located southeast of Bruges. The municipality comprises the towns of Beernem proper, Oedelem and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2006 Beernem had a total population of 14,642, mostly in Beernem proper and Oedelem...
was adapted for this shipping route. It was this piece of canal that caused the conflict between the Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
and Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
people.
To force Ghent to surrender, the Count of Flanders had blockaded the access roads to the city. Philip van Artevelde, the leader of the Ghent rebels, was attempting to negotiate with the Count in Doornik, but these negotiations failed and the only option was to assault the town of Bruges to force access to the sea.
The Bruges warriors appeared on the battlefield after the annual Blood Procession, a religious holiday in Bruges. The soldiers came straight from the various inns and taverns around the area, and many had stopped along the way to drink themselves into extra courage. After a short battle Artevelde defeated the Bruges army (who were in no condition for serious combat), and occupied the town of Bruges that same day. Count Louis II managed to escape and fled to the town of Rijssel
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
. Legend says the Ghent warriors removed the Dragon from the St. Donaaschurch in Bruges and transported it to Ghent to mount it on the Belfort tower there.
Aftermath
Philip van Artevelde's victory caused uprisings all over Flanders; only DendermondeDendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
and Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Welden, Volkegem and a part of Ooike.From the 15th to the 18th...
remained loyal to the Count. This victory had repercussions abroad as well; uprisings and riots broke out in Holland, Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
and Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
.
Philip van Artevelde died a few months later in a new battle with the Count in the Battle of Westrozebeke
Battle of Roosebeke
The Battle of Roosebeke took place on November 27, 1382 on the Goudberg between a Flemish army under Philip van Artevelde and a French army under Louis II of Flanders who had called upon the help of the French king Charles VI after he had suffered a defeat during the Battle of Beverhoutsveld...
. Louis II of Flanders died in combat in Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
(Sint-Omaars) in 1384.
It was only in 1613 that the cities managed to negotiate an agreement to dig the canal between Ghent and Bruges. The execution of the work was entrusted to the Dutch in the Republic of the 7 United Provinces, and the canal was opened in 1621.
A memorial plaque commemorating the battle can be found in the Bibliotheekstraat in Ghent.