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The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
See: Guînes Castle.
In 1200 Baldwin Guines III Count Guînes was born to Arnoul Guines II Count Guînes (age 30) and Beatrix Bourborg Countess Guînes at Guînes.
Chronicle of St Denis Book 17 Chapter 10. [15th August 1396]. Among all that was to be done, the king, with utmost diligence, intended to make the marriage of his firstborn daughter Lady Isabella (age 6) and the King of England conspicuous and in his presence; having been prevailed upon by the king with strong prayers, he sent to him the Duke of Burgundy, his uncle, to inquire how this could be accomplished more advantageously and honorably. He, according to the custom of the firstborn, recommending his departure to blessed Denis, when he had reached Guînes, a town in Picardy, on the vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary [15th August 1396], met the Counts of the Marshal and of Rutland (age 23); thence he encountered the prelates of the kingdom of England, and subsequently the Dukes of Lancaster (age 56) and Gloucester (age 41), the king's uncles, accompanied by five hundred knights and squires, who escorted him with musical instruments all the way to Calais.
Inter omnia gerenda, rex, summa sollicitudine intendens connubium filie sue primogenite domine Ysabellis et regis Anglie reddere conspicuum et in ejus presencia, ipsius regis victus vallidis precibus, ad eum ducem Burgundie patruum suum misit, ad querendum qualiter id commodius et honorificencius agi posset. Qui, primogenitorum more, recessum suum beato Dyonisio recommendans, cum Guinnas, Picardie villam, attigisset, vigilia Assumpcionis beate Marie, comites Marescalli ac Rotlandi obvios habuit, inde regni Anglie prelatos, ac successive Lencastrie et Glocestrie duces, patruos regis, quingentis militibus et armigeris stipatos, qui eum cum instrumentis musicis usque Calesium conduxerunt.
Chronicle of Gregory [1400-1467]. After 14th January 1460. Ande Duke Harry of Somerset (age 23) was i-commaundyd to goo to Gyon, and soo he dyd, and full manly made sautys to Calys, ande ranne byfore Calys almoste dayly, and many a men were hurte by him and his men.
Around 5th June 1460 when the relief expedition led by Osbert Mountfort was ready to to leave Sandwich, Kent [Map] for Guînes, waiting only for a fair wind, the Yorkists John Dynham 1st Baron Dynham (age 27), John Wenlock 1st Baron Wenlock (age 60), William Neville Baron Fauconberg (age 55) crossed from Calais and attacked Sandwich, Kent [Map] killing many of Osbert's men. Osbert Mountfort was captured. William Neville Baron Fauconberg remained at Sandwich is preparation for the subsequent landing by Yorkist forces at the end of the month.
Around October 1495 John Radclyffe 9th Baron Fitzwalter (age 43) was imprisoned at Guînes as a result of his joining the Perkin Warbeck Plot.
Inb 1359 Robert Assheton was appointed Governor of Guînes Castle.
A Brief Latin Chronicle. 12th October 1459. For in the year of our Lord 1459, the aforementioned lords, namely Richard, Duke of York, the Earl of March, son of the same duke, the Earl of Salisbury, and the Earl of Warwick, with a large retinue, near Ludlow around the feast of Saint Edward the Confessor, were preparing for open battle. Whether they had gathered to reform the ills of the kingdom, or for their own safekeeping, or for any other reason, God knows. Against them, the king himself with the nobles of the kingdom and a large army hastened to battle; however, after a delay there, many left the duke and the earls and, submitting themselves to the king, were received into his grace. The Duke of York fled. Indeed, the Duke of York went to Ireland with a few; the three remaining earls with very few reached Calais by ship. In the meantime, their estates were confiscated, and other properties were plundered. Meanwhile, occasional conflicts occurred between the Duke of Somerset, the captain of the castle of Guines, with his men, and the people of Calais, and many fell.
Nam anno Domini millesimo cccc°.lix°, insurrexerunt iterum predicti domini, scilicet Ricardus, dux Eboracensis, comes Merchie, filius ejusdem ducis, comes Sarum, comes Warwyc, cim grandi comitatu, et juxta Ludlaw circiter festum Sancti Edwardi Confessoris, ad bellum campestre se parabant. An sic convenerant ad reformandum mala regni, aut sui ipsorum salvam custodiam, vel quavis alia causa, novit Deus. Contra quos rex ipse cum proceribus regni et copioso exercitu in bellum properavit; mora autem ibi facta, recesserunt multi a duce et comitibus et regi se submittentes ad graciam ejus recepti sunt. Dux autem Eboracensis fugam inierunt. Dux namque Eboracensis cum paucis Hyberniam adiit; tres reliqui comites cum paucissimis usque Calisiam navigio pervenerunt. Confiscantur interim eorum predia, diripiuntur alia bona. Interim inter ducem Somersetie, capitaneum castri de Geynes, cum suis, et Calisienses, facti sunt interdum conflictus, et multi corruerunt.
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On 24th March 1460 Andrew Trollope was appointed Bailiff of Guînes Castle. He was forced to surrender the castle to the Yorkists shortly after as a consequence of Osbert Mundeford not providing a relief force.
Patent Rolls. Membrane 13d. 23rd May 1460. Commission to Osbert Mountford and John Baker, esquires, ordered, Coventry, by advice of the council, to bring 200 men at arms and archers to Henry, duke of Somerset (age 24), for the safe keeping and defence of the castle and town of Guysnes and to resist the king's rebels and enemies, appointing them to arrest ships and vessels necessary herein and masters and mariners therefor.
Commission to Thomas Thorp, Thomas Kiriell (age 64), knight, John Cheyne, knight, Thomas Broun, knight, Henry Lowes, esquire, John Scot and Robert Home, to take the muster of the said Osbert Mountfort and John Baker and the said men at arms, and to certify the king thereof in Chancery.
Diary of Edward VI. 14th June 1550. The surveiour of Cales was sent to Cales [Map]3, first to rase the walls of Risbank [Map] toward the sandhilles, and after to make the wall massy again, and the round boulwerk to chang to a pointed on(e), wich should rone 26 foot into the see to beat the sandhilles, and to raise the mount. Secondly, to Newmanbrig1a to make a hie hulwerk in the middest, with flankers to beat throw al the straight, and also four sluses to make Cales haven better. Afterward he was bid to goe to Guisnes, where first he shuld take away the iiij-cornered bulwerk, to mak the outward wall of the kepe, and to fill the space betwen the keep and the said outward wall with the foresaid bulwerk, and to raise the old kepe that it might (beat?) the town. Also he was bide to make Purton's bulwark wher it is now round without flankers both pointed, and also with 6 flankers to bete hard to the kepe.
Note 3. "June xiij. 1550. The commission given by the counsaill to the surveior of Calice tooching the fortifications there to be made.
"First, for the castell of Guisnez, he is appoinoted to go in hand withall according to the plott reformed and remaining with the counsaill, and to begin with the barbican of the keepe, then next to fynish Purton bulwarke, and a peece of Whetel's bulwarke, for the furniture whereof he shall take down the iiij-cornered bulwark for his quarrey, preserving the leade and timber for other the King's buildings thereabouts.
"He shall also repaire to Hames, there to make a plott of the present astate of it, and then another plott, adding that is necessary to be doonof newe according to th'instructions given him from hense.
"At Newneham bridge he shall make a square towre of xl foote platforme, and to eno-rosse the walle to Fraunce-ward, to be xxiiij foote thick; the reste to be taken doune at his discrecion, the stone and brioke to be emploied in those newe and other buildings, and the leade and timbre reserved to the King's majesties use in such other places as they shall neede.
"Further to make a skluse of iiij arches to let the sea in more largely for th'amending of the Haven, in such sorte as ij may serve for the continuall course of the water, and the other to serve for the surer stale or greater receiving of the water, as the case shall require.
"For Risebanke [Map] he is appointed to raise the walles of the same tmto such height as shall surmount the grounds without, and further to fortifie it according to the counsaiUes devise with aU expedicion possible. And likewise to fortifie Sercheours Towre as the counsaill hath devised." (Council Book.)
Note 1a. A fort out of Calais on the road to Boulogne; at this period usually called by the English Newnhambridge, but in earlier times Newlandbridge, and by the French Nieullet. See a note upon it in the introduction to The Chronicle of 'Calais, printed for the Camden Society, 1847, p. xxix.
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Henry Machyn's Diary. 13th July 1551. The thirteenth day of July ded the old knyght and gentyll sir John [Wallop] (age 61) and knight of the noble order of the garter, and captain of the castle [of Guines], for he was a noble captain as ever was, the which I [pray] Jesus have mercy on his soul; and he was buried with standard and [banners] of his armes, coat armour, helmet, target of the garter, sw[ord,] and eight dozen of eschutcheons; and a marmed was his crest; and [in his] stead is chosen captain sir Andrew Dudley (age 44) knight of the ga[rter.]
Note. Death of sir John Wallop, K.G. He died and was buried at Guines. Full particulars of him will be found in Collins's Peerage, edit. 1779, v. 64, with an abstract of his will, dated May 22, 1551, in which he styled himself "lievtenant of the castill and countye of Guysnes." See "The Chronicle of Calais," p. 203.
Calais in the Hands of the English. The Castle Of Guisnes.
The castle of Guisnes was a post of the greatest importance, situated immediately on the French frontier; and its custody was conferred on persons of the first distinction. The title they bore was that of (the king's) lieutenant, but they were also sometimes styled captain.
Sir James Tyrrell was "capitaine" of Guisnes in 1489 (see note in p. 2).
Sir Nicholas Vaux was lieutenant of Guisnes in the year 1513 (see p. 12). The document which now follows contains the conditions upon which the office was conferred upon him.
Sir William Fitzwilliam was lieutenant of Guisnes in 1524.
William Lord Sandys was "captain" of Guisnes in 1527.
Sir John Wallop, K.G. held this office in 1541 (see the preceding page), and he died possessed of it in 1551 (see p. 211).
Sir Andrew Dudley, K.G. was his successor.
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