Biography of Richard Stafford 1302-1372

Chronicle of Robert de Avesbury. 22nd January 1356 The tenor of another letter, sent by the said John de Wyngfeld (age 36) to Lord Richard de Stafford (age 54), knight, who had been in Gascony and, having left his household there, came to England, is as follows.

Right dear lord and right trusty friend, touching news since your departure, please you to know that there are taken and surrendered five walled towns, to wit: Port-Sainte-Marie Clairac, Tonneins, Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Castelsagrat, and Brassac; and seventeen castles, to wit: Coiller, Buzet, Levynac, two castles called Boulogne, which are close together Montjoie, Viresch, Frechenet, Montendre, Pusdechales, Mont. pont, Montignac, Vauclaire, Benevent, Listrac, Plassac, Condestablison, and Montréal. And please you to know that my lord John Chandos, my lord James of Audley, and your men that are with them, and the other Gascons that are in their company, and my lord Baldwin Botetort and that compeny, and my lord Reginald Cobham, took the said town which is called Castelsagrat by assault, and the bastard of I'Isle, that was captain of the said town, was slain, as they were assaulting, and was stricken with an arrow through the head. And my lord Reginald is returned back towards Lanedac, and my lord Baldwin towards Brassac, with their company, and my lord John and my lord James and those of their company have remained in Castelsagrat, and have enough of victuals between this and St. John's day, save fresh fish and greens, as they have sent us word by their letters. Wherefore you need not concern yourself about your good folk. And there are in that town more than three hundred lances and three hundred foot soldiers and one hundred snd fifty archers. And they have ridden before Agen, and have burnt and destroyed all their mills, and also huve broken down and burnt their bridges which went over the Garonne, and have taken a castle without the said town and have fortified it. And my lord John of Armagnac and the seneschal of Agenois, that were within the town of Agen, would not once put out their heads, nor any of their men; yet have they been before the said town twice. And my lord Boucicaut came, and my lord Ernald of Spain, and Grismouton of Chambly, with three hundred lances and three hundred Lombard soldiers, and are in the town of Moissac, which is in Quercy, and is but a league from Castelsagrat and a league from Brassac. And you may well think that there will be a goodly company there for each man to make trial of his comrade. And please you to know that my lord Bartholomew is at Cognac with' six score men of arms of my lord's household and six score archers, and the captal de Bach, the lord Monferrand and the lord of Curton, which have with them full three hundred lances and six score archers and two hundred soldiers, and there are in ‘Taillebourg, Tonnay, and Rochefort some troops; so that they may well be, when they are gathered together, six hundred lances. And at the writing hereof they were gone out on a raid towards Anjou and Poiton. And the earls of Suffolk, Oxford, and Salisbury, the lord of Mucidan, my lord Elie de Pommiers, and other Glascons with them, which are full more than five hundred lances, and two hundred soldiers and three hundred archers, were at the writing hereof towards the parts of Notre Dame de Rochemade, and have been out more than twelve days, and were not returned back at the sending of these presents. My lord John Chandos, my lord James, and my lord Baldwin, and those that are in their company are also gone forth on a raid toward their side. My lord Reginald and they of the bousehold, with the Gascons which are in their company, are also gone forth on a raid toward their side. The earl of Warwick hath been at Tonneins and at Clairac, at the taking of those towns; and he is, at the writing hereof, toward Marmand, to destroy their victuals and all other things of theirs that he can destroy. My lord is at Libourne, and the lord of Pommiers is at Fronsac, which is but a quarter of a league from Libourne. And the people of my lord lie as well at Saint-Emilion as at Libourne. And my lord Bérard of Albret is there with him. And my lord watcheth for news which he ought to have there, and, according to the news that he shall have, he will dispose himself as seemeth best for his honour. At the writing hereof the count of Armagnac was at Avignon, and the king of Aragon is there. And all other reports which were in divers places, whereof you have knowledge, I cannot send you at the writing hereof. Right dear lord, other thing I know not to send unto you, save that you bear it in mind to send news to my lord the soonest that in any way you well can. Right dear lord, our Lord grant you a good life and long. Written at Libourne, the twenty-second day of January [1356].

Tenor vero alterius liters per dictum Johannem de Wyngfeld domino Ricardo de Stafforde, militi, qui fuerat in Vasconia et, ibidem dimissa familia sua, venit in Angliam, directæ, talis est.

Tres chier sire et tres fiable amy, endroit des novells puis vostre departir, voilletz savoir qe y sount pris et renduz V villes encloses, cest assavoir: Port seint Marie, Cleyrak, Tonynges, Burgh seynt Piere, Chastiel Satrat et Brassak; et XVIJ chastels, cest aesavoir: Coiller, Buset, Levynak, IJ chastels appellez Boloygnes, qe sount bien pres lun de lautre, Mounjoye, Viressch, Frechenet, Mountoundre, Pusdechales, Mounpoun, Mountanak, Valeclare, Benavaunt, Lystrak, Plasak, Contdestablison, et Moun Ryvel. Et voilez savoir qe mounsire Johan Chaundos, mouneire James Daudele, et vos geantz ge sount ovesqe eaux, et les aultres Gascoignes ge sount en lour companie, et monsire Baldewyn Botort et cele companie, et mounsire Renaud Cobham, pristrent la dite ville qad a noun Chastel Satrat par assaut, et le bastard de Lyle, qe feust capitan de la dite ville, feust tue, auxi come ils assaillerent, qe feust ferru od une saete parmy la teste. Et mounsire Renaud est retourne arere vers Lanedak, et mounsire Baudewin vers Brassak, od lour companye, et mounsire Joban et mounsire James et ceaux de lour companye sount demurrer en Chastiel Sacret et ount assets de toutes maners vivres entre cy et le Seint Johan, si ne soit de pessoun fres et chowes, com nous ount mande par lour lettres. Sur quey y ne covent pas qe vous pensez de vos bones geantz. Et sount en celle ville plus qe CCC gleyves et de CCC servauntz et CL archiers. Et ount chivache devaunt Agente, et ars et destruitz toutz lours molyns, et auxi ount debrusee et ars lours pountz ge aloient oultre Gerounde, et ount pris un chastel hors de la dite ville et le ount establi. Et mounsire Johan Dermynak et le seneschal Dagenoys, qestoient en la ville Dagente, ne voillent une foitz butere hora lour teste ne nules de lor geantz; unqore ount ils este devaunt la dite ville ij. foitz. Et mounsire Busgaund estoit venuz et monsire Ernald Despaigne et Grymotoun de Chambule, od CCC gleyves et CCC servauntz Lombardes, et sount en la ville de Musschak gest en Cressy, et nest forsqe une lien de Chastiel Sacret et une lieu de Brassak. Et vous purrets bien penser gil avera illeqes bone companie pur assaier chescun compeignoun anltre. Et voillets savoir qe mounsire Barthelemen est a Coinak ou VJ^xx hommes darmes del hostiel mounseignur et VJ^xx archiers, et la capitan de la Buche, le sire Mounferraunt et le seignur de Cortoin, qount bien ovesqe eaux CCC gleyves et VJ^xx archiers et CC servauutz, et sount en Tailborugh, Tanney, et Rocheforde dez geantz darmes; issint qils pount bien estre, qaunt ils sount ensemble, DC gleyves. Et a fesaunce du cestes estoient hors sur une chivache vers Aungo et Peyto. Et les countes de Suthfolk, Doxunforde, et de Salusbury, le sire do Mussendene, mounsire Elys de Pomers, et aultres Gascoignes ovesqe eaux, ge sount bien plus qe D gleyves, et CC servauntz et CCC archiers, et estoient a fesance du cests vers lez parties de Nostre Dame de Rochemade, et ount este hors plus qe XIJI jours, et nestoient revenuz au departier du cestes. Mounsire Johan Chaundos, mounsire James et mounsire Baudewyn et ceaux qe sount en lor companye sount auxi hors sur une chivache devers lour parties. Mounsire Renaud et ceaux de mesoun, od lez Gascoignes qe sount en lor companye, sount auxi hors en une chivache vers lours parties. Le counte de Warewik aad este a Tonynges et a Clerak, an prendre ycelles villes; et est a fesaunce du cestes devers Mermande, pur destruire lours vives et tout aultre chose qil purra destruire de eaux. Mounseignur est a Leybourne, et le sire de Pomers a Frensak, qe nest qe un quarter dun lieu de Leybourne. Et lez geantz moun. seignur gisoient auxi bien a Seint Milioun come a Leybourne. Et mounsire Berard de Bret est illeosqes ovesqe lui. Et mounseignur gaite novells le quels y¢ deyt aver, et, solone lez novels qil avera, il se tretera od il semble qe mieltz soit pur son honur. Au fesaunce du cestes le counte Dermynak estoit a Avinoun, et le roy Daragon est illesqes. Et toutz aultres parlaunces qe fusrent en diverses lieus, dont vous en avetz conisaunce, jeo ne vous say mander a fesaunce du cestes. Tres chier sire, anltre chose ne vous say mander, meas ge vous pensetz denvoier novels a mounseignur a le pluistot come en nulle manere bonement purretz. Tres chier sire, nostre Seignur vous doigne bone vie et longe. Escrite a Leybourne, le XXIJ jour de Janever.