James Audley 1318-1369

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. On Friday [20th November 1355], having been informed that the French were nearby and had formed themselves into five large battles, our forces advanced about one mile from their lodging and drew themselves up in a suitable field, prepared for battle. Thus, with the army arrayed, someone cried out that a hare had been roused; hearing this, the enemy sent out forty lancers, who, upon seeing the army drawn up in full order and quickly returning with this report, caused all the French to flee in great panic, as was reported by those captured in the pursuit. That day, Bartholomew de Burghersh [aged 27],¹ John Chandos [aged 35], and James Audley [aged 37], leading a force of eighty lancers, attacked the rear of the French host, capturing thirty-two knights and squires, among them the Count of Roumania,² and killing many baggage handlers, destroying their supplies. Later, the prince lodged at the town of Muwos, where four French men-at-arms who had fled into the church were captured by the English; they lost only their horses and arms. On Saturday, in rainy weather, they took a difficult and narrow road to the castle of Oradrie, where the prince spent the night, and the next morning had it burned.

Die Veneris, certificato quod Gallici in acies quinque magnas fuerant divisi de prope existentes, progressi nostri ad spacium unius miliaris de ospicio seipsos in campo apto ordinarunt ad preliandum. Itaque exercitu ordinato, quidam suscitatum leporem exclamarunt; quod audientes inimici emiserunt xl. lanceatos, per quos viso exercitu ordinato reversosque celeriter hec nunciantes, omnes fugerunt cum magno pavore, sicud retulerunt capti ex eiis in persecucione. Illo die Bartholomeus de Burghasche, Iohannes Chandos, et Iacobus Daudeleye, ad summam quater viginti lanceatorum ordinati discooperatores, accedentes ad caudam exercitus Gallicorum, captivarunt triginta duos milites et domicellos, et inter eos dominum comitem de Romenie; item, multos bigarios occiderunt, destruentes eorum victualia. Sero principe ospitato in villa de Muwos, quatuor Gallici armorum, Anglicos fugitivi in ecclesiam illius ville, equos et arma dumtaxat perdiderunt. Sabbato pluvioso carpserunt malum iter et strictum ad castrum de Oradrie, in quo princeps pernoctavit, et mane id combussit.

Note 1. The prince of Wales's letter to the bishop of Winchester (Deeds of King Edward III by Robert of Avesbury The two famous comrades of the Black Prince, sir John Chandos and sir James Audley, were both founders of the Garter. Chandos was mortally wounded in a skirmish near Lussac in Poitou, 31st December 1369.

Note 2. There was a seigneur de Romeny, but no count with that title.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Therefore, a rumour filled with terror struck the ears of the common people of France, and when it reached the hearing of the lord prince, who was staying at La Réole, it stirred the heart of that most compassionate prince deeply, he, as one who could not at all bear that the safety of his father should be entangled in the hazards of war, unless he were present and able to share in the toil and the burdens of uncertain fortune, whether hard or favourable. Accordingly, gathering the forces¹ he had with him in the duchy, with the intention of crossing France and presenting himself to his father with eager filial affection, he came to Bergerac. There, having been informed that the Count of Armagnac had attempted to ravage the region after his departure, and had been well-provided with a sizeable military force for this purpose, he sent back to safeguard the territory the seneschal of Gascony, and Lord Bernard de Libreto, along with the mayor of Bordeaux and other Gascons, as well as a large company of foot soldiers.

Igitur fama plena terroris populares aures Gallie perculsit, que ad auditum domini principis apud Regulam demorantis erat ventilata et viscera piissimi principis commovit egre, ceu nullatenus potentis sufferre sui patris salutem Martis amfractibus implicari, dummodo non esset presens et posset communicati laboris et ambigue fortune duras seu molles sarcinas conferre. Proinde, congestis copiis quas habuit secum in ducatu, cum intencione trans Franciam cupitis osculis paternis se presentare, venit ad Brugeracum, ubi, certificatus comitem Arminiaci voluisse post eius recessum patriam depopulasse et ad hoc milicia copiosa stipatum nec inparatum fuisse, remisit ad patrie tutelam senescallum Vasconie et dominum Bernardum de Libreto, maiorem quoque Burdegalensem, simulque cum eis alios Vascones et magnam classem togatorum.

Note 1. There are four contemporary documents which provide valuable particulars concerning the campaign of the prince of Wales, which culminated in the battle of Poitiers. They are:

1. Letter of the Prince of Wales to the Corporation of London.

2. Letter of the Prince of Wales to the Bishop of Worcester.

3. Letter of Bartholomew, lord Burghersh, to sir John Montagu (printed by Francisque Michel in his edition of Chandos Herald's Black Prince, 1883, p. 336-338.

And, above all, the itinerary of the campaign which is embodied in the Eulogium, a chronicle attributed to a monk of Malmesbury (ed. F. S. Haydon, Rolls Series, 3.215): "As the prince set out toward the land of France from Brigerac on Thursday, that is, on the fourth day of the month of August [1356], riding into French territory, on the following Saturday he arrived in the region of Périgord. There, Lord Bartholomew de Burghersh with his men had captured two large walled towns, which Lord de Marsan held in the prince's name. These same towns, to the great detriment of the enemy, he valiantly and vigorously held until the prince's arrival. On the following Sunday, namely the seventh day of the month of August [1356], the lord prince moved his army to a certain town which had belonged to the bishop of Périgord. Because a cathedral see was located there, a sentence of excommunication had been pronounced upon all marauders raging in that place against the will of the bishop. However, after the prince and the bishop had conferred together, that sentence had no effect. This discussion took place on the following Monday as they travelled along the road, and the lord prince spent the entire night near a very strong castle called Rammesforde. On the following Tuesday, the lord prince, with his battle, proceeded to a certain town called Bremptoun and there he spent the night. On Wednesday, that is, on the feast day of Saint Lawrence [10th August 1356], the prince crossed a large ford near a mill, above which there had once stood a very strong castle and a town called Quisser, where he remained throughout the night. On the following Thursday, the prince came to a town called Merdan; for there he found an abundance of fish for sale and purchase, and therefore he remained there peacefully throughout the night. On Friday, he came to the town of Rochewar. On Saturday, he came by the abbey of Peruche, where the nobles and magnates were lodged along the bank of the Wigan, beneath which flows the river so named. On Sunday, that is, the 14th day of August [1356], the prince crossed the aforementioned river and immediately unfurled his banners and came to a certain town called Litherp. There was a very strong abbey there, which resisted the prince for a long part of the day; at length, however, it surrendered to the will of the prince, with the people, the church, and its belongings being spared. The prince remained there through Monday, which was then the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the following Tuesday, the prince came to the town of Belelak, which belonged to the Countess of Pembroke. Out of love for her, the town was spared from being set on fire. On Wednesday, the prince came to a certain town with a very strong castle, both of which belonged to Lord James of Bourbon, whose wife was residing there. The church of that town resisted the prince for a large part of the day, but eventually submitted to his will. On that same day, the first division of the army captured two very strong castles by assault, where the prince remained for the following Thursday night. On Friday, the prince came to a town called Luchank, where he found a great abundance of fish; he spent the night there, and on the following day, he burned the town. On Saturday, he journeyed toward the town of Saint-Benoît-de-Sault, which was a very beautiful town. In it was an abbey where two nephews of the Lord de la Brette held a large sum of gold, amounting to 13,000 gold florins. On Sunday, namely the 21st day of the month of August [1356], the prince came to the town called Argenton, where there was a strong castle beneath the town; there he remained on Monday. On that same day, while on the march, a very strong castle was captured by some from that company. On Tuesday, the prince came to a certain town called in French Citerauf, which was a most beautiful town. On the same day, he came to another town called Saint Yman, where the rearguard encamped for that whole night. Afterwards, he came to another moated town where there was a noble and strong abbey called Burgo Dei ("Bourg-Dieu"). There indeed is a great pilgrimage to the relics of Saints Cosmas and Damian, which lie there in great veneration. There, the vanguard remained for the whole of Wednesday, because that day was the feast of Saint Bartholomew. On Thursday, the prince came to a great castle of the king of France, which is called Isoldoun; and there he remained on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, that is, the 28th day of August, the prince came to a strong castle called le Feerte, which belonged to the Viscount of Thouars, where Lords Berkeley and la Ware remained until the baggage train passed ahead of them. Afterwards, he passed through an old walled town, though broken, called Lury, for there used to be the boundary of the Duchy of Guyenne on that side. He then crossed a river, called the Cher, which divides the Duchy from the Kingdom of France, and spent the night in the town of Virizon. Three days earlier, the captain of La Buche had already ravaged the whole countryside. There had been a noble abbey, which was burned. That same day, Sir John Chandos [aged 36] and Sir James Audley [aged 38] launched an assault on the town of Daubene, took it by force of arms, and laid it waste with fire and flame. Also on that day, these two knights conducted a raid with 200 men, and encountered a Frenchman named Gris Motoun, who had with him eighty lances; all were routed and killed, although 18 knights and squires were taken prisoner. The English had only 10 lances, and Gris Motoun was the first to flee. On Monday, the feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist [29th August 1356], the prince arrived at a town called Frank', situated upon the river that divides the Kingdom of France from the Duchy [of Aquitaine]. That same day, the men of Lord de Camont captured eight knights and squires belonging to Lord de Crone and Lord de Bursigaud. Also on that day, news came to the prince that the King of France wished to engage him in battle, at which he rejoiced greatly. When the prince had ridden about 16 leagues from the city of Orléans, he heard that Lord de Crone and Lord de Bursigaud were advancing against him with sixty lances and a large company. The prince then boldly led his forces to meet them, until he arrived at a walled town called Romorantin, where the aforementioned enemies had taken refuge. There he pitched his tents and remained for three days beside a ford near the town, on a river called the Soudre. This likely occurred on Tuesday. On the following Wednesday, the prince ordered an assault to be made on the town, and so it was done; a very fierce one. Those inside resisted bravely, since there were many armed men within the castle. There was another fortress near the main one, very strong and within bowshot, which was called le Donjon. This inflicted considerable damage on the prince's men. At last, when the town was taken, the Donjon still resisted fiercely; it had been built in the form of a tower. There, a noble knight, though young, surnamed de la Brette, was killed, along with a noble squire who had served with the captain of la Buche. On the following Thursday, they constructed three wooden shelters (hurdesia) to attack and dismantle the tower. Of these: The Earl of Suffolk built one, Bartholomew Burghersh built another, and a great man of Gascony constructed the third. On Friday and Saturday, fire was set beneath the tower, such that those inside were unable to extinguish it effectively, having only a small quantity of wine and water within. Then, they began to negotiate peace and the surrender of the tower throughout that entire day, and in the end, they submitted themselves entirely to the prince's mercy, and the tower was surrendered. On the following Sunday, which was the fourth day of September [1356], the prince rested, and ordered his men to prepare their equipment. On the following Monday, the prince came to the land that belonged to the domain of the Count of Bisser and Burgilloun. On Tuesday, the prince came to a castle belonging to the county of Blois, which is situated on the river Cher. On Wednesday, the prince came to Amboise on the Loire near Tours, in the region of Touraine, a noble and very beautiful city; there he remained through Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, during which the prince's men made good progress. On Sunday, which was the 11th day of the month of September [1356], the prince moved his army and very early crossed a very dangerous river, which is called the Indre; and advancing, he came to the town of Montbazon and there spent the night near a strong castle. On the following Monday, the Cardinal of Périgord came to the prince along with an archbishop, several bishops, and other magnates, preaching about piety and mercy. At that time it was said that the Dauphin was at Tours in Touraine with a thousand men-at-arms, not counting attendants and footmen. And it was said that the King of France, with his host, would come forth to engage with the prince on the following Wednesday. On the following Tuesday, the prince passed through the town of Saint-Omer, where Lord de Croon holds dominion; and that day he spent the night at a town called La Haye, which is situated on the bank of the Creuse River. At that town, news came to the prince that the King of France wished to get ahead of us, for he greatly feared that perhaps the prince would flee upon seeing the French army. On the following Wednesday, the prince came to the castle called Chastel Heraud, which is a beautiful and large town situated on the river Vienne; and he remained there through Thursday and Friday. There he received news that the King of France had lodged on Saturday night on the same river at a small town called Chanigny. Therefore, the prince ordered a proclamation that all pack animals, wagons, and those carrying provisions should cross the bridge that same night, lest on the following day they hinder the army while crossing the bridge and hastening toward their enemies and so it was done. .

In his letter to the bishop of Worcester the prince says that he began the campaign on the eve of the Translation of saint Thomas of Canterbury, that is, on the 6th July. Baker begins with the prince's arrival at Bergerac, which he entered on the 4th August. Marching almost due north, his object being to join hands with the duke of Lancaster, who commanded in Brittany, he reached Argenton on the 21st, Chateauroux on the 23rd, and Vierzon on the 28th of the month. The combat with Philippe (called Grismouton) de Chambly took place on the latter day [Eulogium, 218].