Amaury de Montfort, Canon of York

Who was Amaury de Montfort, Canon of York?

Amaury de Montfort was the third son of parliamentary pioneer Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and Eleanor of England, daughter of King John.

Amaury entered the priesthood as a young man, and held the positions of Treasurer of York Cathedral, canon of Rouen, Évreux, London and Lincoln. He served as a papal chaplain as well.

After the deaths of his father and older brother Henry de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, Amaury fled to France with his mother, younger sister, and surviving brothers.

Amaury de Montfort soon began studying medicine and theology at the University of Padua. His older brothers, Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola and Simon de Montfort were seeking their fortunes in Italy. A tragic turn of events lead to the bloody 1271 confrontation between Guy and Simon and their cousin Henry of Almain.

Henry, whom the de Montfort sons considered a traitor to their father's ideals, was attacked during mass at Viterbo, and murdered on the altar steps, resulting in the excommunication of both de Montfort sons. While Amaury was not in Viterbo, and was not involved in the murder, Edward swore vengeance upon all of Simon de Montfort's sons, Amaury included. Simon the younger died that year, reportedly of a tertian fever, while Guy managed to appeal to the pope, resulting in his return to the church.