Battle of Lewes remembered on milestone anniversary
A small ceremony was held May 13 at the Lewes Historical Society complex to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the Battle of Lewes in Sussex, England.
The sister city is in the midst of a month-long celebration of festivals and activities to honor the battle's significance in English history. Working in conjunction, the two cities organized a simultaneous singing of "The Sword of Freedom" by local choral groups more than 3,000 miles apart. Sussex County-based Nautical Sounds performed three sections of the song.
The town council of Lewes, England, commissioned Sussex composer Helen Glavin to create the song, which expresses the drama of the battle and resolute spirit of those who fought.
In 1264, a battle was fought between the armies of King Henry III and Simon de Montfort. Monfort was fighting for a fairer government and individual freedoms. After defeating the king, de Montfort set about calling England's first representative government, making Lewes, England, very significant in the history of English politics.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
