In or before 1364 [his father] Hervé II du Chastel and [his mother] Méance de Liscoët were married.
In 1364 William du Chastel was born to Hervé II du Chastel and Méance de Liscoët.
In 1397 [his father] Hervé II du Chastel died.
Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. And it happened as the Armorican lord had prophesied, that Brittany mourned what England had lost. For a certain William Wilford, having joined to himself men of Dartmouth, Bristol, and Plymouth, sailed to Brittany, and before the castle of Brest captured six ships. On the day after his arrival, his companions captured four vessels loaded with iron, oil, and tallow. When this had been done, they crossed over to Belle Île, where they captured thirty vessels filled with wines from La Rochelle, to the number of one thousand tuns. Departing from there, at Penmarch almost four thousand of their companions went ashore, and they burned many towns and estates, penetrating the land for a distance of six leagues. On their return, they utterly destroyed by fire forty vessels, greater and smaller. Afterwards, turning aside, they took five thousand of our men at Saint-Mathieu, which they wholly burned down to ashes, together with the country for three miles around it, with no one opposing them. They stayed there for a day and a night, until the morrow of the following day. On that day the captain of Brest, Lord du Chastel [aged 39], and very many other nobles of the Bretons met our men, drawing together with them about three thousand household retainers or common people. They sent a certain man-at-arms to ask whether he wished to make satisfaction for the damages which they had inflicted on the region. Our admiral answered him that he wished to burn half of Brittany as satisfaction, and that they would have no other amends. Afterwards the admiral asked them whether they wished to give battle to our men. They answered that they would, if a truce of seven days were given to them. But our men answered that they did not wish to waste so much time uselessly and in vain. And so they returned, with affairs everywhere carried out prosperously, bringing joyful news to their country and leaving Brittany sorrowful.
Evenitque ut prophetaverat herus Armorieus, ut lugeret Britannia quod Anglia perdidisset; nam quidam Willelmus de Wilford, associatis Dortemouthensibus, Bristolliensibus, et Plummouthensibus, navigavit in Britanniam, et coram Castro de Brest cepit sex naves; et in crastino adventus sui socii cepere quatuor vasa onusta ferro, oleo, atque sepo; quo facto, transierunt ad Belile, ubi ceperunt triginta vasa, referta vinis de Rochelia, ad numerum mille doliorum. Indeque recedentes, apud Pennarche ascenderunt terram pene quatuor millia suorum sodalium, et combusserunt villas et prædia multa, penetrantes terram ad spatium sex leucarum, Redeundo vero, quadraginta vasa, majora minoraque, igne penitus vastaverunt. Expost vero divertentes, sumserunt quinque millia de nostris apud Sancti Matthæi, quam totaliter, ad cineres usque, conflagraverunt, et ad tria milliaria in circuitu ipsius patriæ, nemine obsistente; perbendinaveruntque illic per diem et noctem, usque in crastinum diei sequentis. Quo die occurrerunt nostratibus Capitaneus de Brest, Dominus quoque de Castellis, et alii quamplures proceres Britannorum, contrahentes secum ad tria millia familiarium seu plebanorum; miseruntque quendam servientem ad arma, qui requireret si vellet satisfacere pro damnis quæ intulerant regioni. Cui respondit noster Admiralius, quod vellet incendere medietatem Britanniæ pro satisfactione, et emendas alias non haberent. Postea vero petiit ab eis Admiralius, si vellent nostratibus bellum dare. Cui responderunt quod sic, si darentur eis induciæ dierum septem. Nostrates vero responderunt se nolle frustra in vanum consumere tantum tempus: sicque redierunt, rebus ubique gestis prospere, læta nova patriæ inferentes, et mœstam Britanniam relinquentes.
In April 1404 or May 1404 local forces defeated a French raid on the port of Dartmouth, South Devon, taking a number of prisoners and killing the French commander, William du Chastel [aged 40].
In April 1404 or May 1404 William du Chastel [aged 40] was killed at the Battle of Blackpool Sands.
Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. This Lord du Chastel [aged 40] himself experienced, for, while in the boldness of his mind he thought no one equal to himself, when he landed at Dartmouth he was overwhelmed by countrymen and killed by those whom he held in the greatest contempt. And thus from him
"Avenging Rhamnusia [Nemesis] exacted deserved punishments."
for the common people, or rustics, who lived nearby, when they had seen a great fleet lying at anchor for many days before the harbour of Dartmouth, judging, as was true, that enemies were present, flowed together by night to the town, to prevent the enemy from landing. But Lord du Chastel and those who were with him, supposing that the town lacked defenders, because they saw no one busily preparing resistance, leapt from the ships after six days. But it turned out otherwise than they hoped. For immediately three valets met Lord du Chastel, who had leapt out first, and when they wished to hinder his advance, they were killed by him, one after another, in a short time. Made bolder by this success, he tried to go forward, signalling to his men to follow. Many therefore followed, set in order by the example of their leader, and strove to reach dry land. But those of the country people who had already been lying hidden steadfastly burst out and met the adversaries with swords and clubs and other instruments of countrymen. From this it happened that Lord du Chastel, who was going ahead of the rest, was struck down before the rest. And because a multitude of Bretons had now landed and could not easily return, saying with certainty that their heads were now at stake, they tried to defend themselves with fierce spirit. But the glorious equipment of the enemy, their most costly clothing, and their shining armour prepared the minds and strength of our common people. Each man thought himself blessed if he could kill or plunder one of them. Women too, skilled in throwing with slings, struck down armed men who wished to advance with hard blows. It came about that the enemy were laid low no less by stones than by swords. Yet they did not once deign to surrender, but, raised up again by themselves or by their own men, delighted in defending themselves again, until, wearied and deprived of strength, they fell a second time. Nor was there, as is said, any one of them who submitted while he stood upright, but, thrown to the ground, they were forced to surrender. Many were killed by the rustics because they did not understand their language, although they had offered great sums for ransom. But the rustics, interpreting one thing for another, thought that those who were anxiously begging for life were making threats. On that day, namely the fifteenth day of the month of April, three lords and twenty knights were captured by the common people, besides those who were killed, very many esquires and valets, whose number we believe to have been great from the number of noble captives. For there were captured there the nobles, the Lord of Matignon, the Viscount of Faou, and the Lord of Jaille. The knights were Lord William de Launay, Lord Salomon de Kergué, Lord John de Quélenec, Lord John de Lognevez, Lord Alan de Cotigny, Lord Henry de Parc, Lord de Barrac’h, Lord James d’Avaugour, Lord John La Vache, Lord Hericot de Haye, Lord Pez de Fou, Lord Baw de Hale, Lord John Coëtmen, Lord Payen de Gaudin, Lord William de Saint-Maudez, Lord de Harcourt, Lord John Dartynge, Lord Wtradus de Gwyde, Lord Philip Quélenec, Lord William de Moulinblot, Lord Robert Reche, and Lord Ralph de Romillé. All these men of gentle birth and nobles, praise be to God, happened on that day to be captured by the common people. And God destroyed the arrogance of the proud on that day, who thought that no forces could have resisted them. And he gave to all future ages a fearful example, when so many free-born men were captured by commoners, so many nobles by ignoble men, so many lords or magnates by rustics of lower fortune, by the right of war. And he made servants command lords, and lead them bound wherever they pleased, like cattle.
Hæc expertus est ipse Dominus de Castellis, qui, dum putat in mentis audacia neminem sibi parem, dum apud Dortemouthe terram scandit, a ruralibus est oppressus, et hiis quos maxime habebat despectui interfectus. Atque sic ab eodem
"Exegit dignas ultrix Rhamnusia pœnas;"
siquidem plebani, sive rustici, qui prope morabantur, cum vidissent classem magnam per multos [dies] anchorare coram portu de Dortemouth, rati, prout erat, hostes adesse, noctibus confluxerunt ad villam, ut ascensum hostium prohiberent. Dominus vero de Castellis, et qui cum eo erant, augurati villam defensore carere, quia neminem videre sollicitum ad præparandum resistentiam, post sex dies navibus exsiliere. Sed aliter evenit quam sperabant; quia confestim occurrerunt Domino de Castellis, qui primus exsilierat, tres valetti; qui cum impedire vellent progressum suum, perempti sunt ab eo, unus post alium, brevi hora. Quo successu effectus audacior, progredi conabatur, suis innuens, ut sequerentur. Secuti sunt ergo plurimi, ducis exemplo compositi, et aridam contingere decertabant. Qui vero jamdudum de patriotis delituerant, constanter irrumpentes occurrunt adversariis cum gladiis et fustibus, et instrumentis aliis ruricolarum. Unde contigit ut Dominus de Castellis, qui præcedebat cæteros, præ cæteris sterneretur; et quia jam multitudo Britonum terram scanderat, nec facile reverti poterant, dicentes pro certo quod jam pro capitibus agebatur, animo feroci se defendere tentaverunt. Sed nostris vulgaribus animum paravere, et vires, gloriosus apparatus hostium, pretiosissimus amictus, et fulgens armatura. Reputabat se quisque beatum, si peremisse, vel prædasse, potuisset aliquem ex eisdem. Mulieres quoque, doctæ fundis jacere, armatos, volentes progredi, duris ictibus prosternebant: factum est autem, ut hostes minus lapidibus quam gladiis sternerentur. Nec tamen semel se dignabantur reddere, sed per se, vel per suos, relevati iterum se defendere delectabantur, donee lassati viribus destituerentur, et caderent iterato. Nec fuit, ut fertur, eorum aliquis, qui se submisit, dum stetit erectus, sed solo prostrati se reddere cogebantur. Plures à Tusticis occidebantur, eo quod ignorabant eorum linguam, quanquam grandes pro redemptione summas obtulissent. Sed rustici, alia pro aliis interpretantes, putabant eos comminari, qui pro vita sollicite supplicabant. Capti sunt eo die, scilicet, quinto-decimo die mensis Aprilis a communibus tres domini et viginti milites; præter eos qui perempti sunt, scutiferos et valettos plurimos, quorum numerum magnum fuisse credimus, per numerum nobilium captivorum. Nam capti sunt ibidem proceres, Dominus de Matynham, Vicecomes de Fow, et Dominus de Jaylly; milites vero, Dominus Willelmus de Lawne, Dominus Salamon de Kerge, Dominus Johannes de Kelevek, Dominus Johannes de Lognewiche, Dominus Alanus de Cotyny, Dominus Henricus de Park, Dominus de Barraght, Dominus Jacobus Dawerge, Dominus Johannes Laweche, Dominus Hericot de Hay, Dominus Peys de Fok, Dominus Baw de Hale, Dominus Johannes Coymys, Dominus Paganus de Gawdene, Dominus Willelmus de Syntymak, Dominus de Harecourt, Dominus Johannes Dartynge, Dominus Wtradus de Gwyde, Dominus Philippus Kelenek, Dominus Willelmus de Molinblos, Dominus Robertus Reche, Dominus Radulfus de Romyle. Hos omnes generosos et nobiles contigit eo die, Deo laudes, a communibus captivari; pessumdeditque Deus arrogantiam superborum die illo, qui putabant nullas vires illis resistere potuisse; deditque videri cunctis futuris sæculis experimentum formidabile, dum tot ingenui a plebanis, tot nobiles ab ignobilibus, tot domini, sive proceres, ab inferioris fortunæ rusticis, jure bellico caperentur; fecitque servos imperare dominis, et eos vinctos, quocunque liberet, abducere, velut pecudes.
Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. At that time, Lord du Chastel [aged 40], the Breton, puffed up in spirit by the damages which he had recently inflicted on the men of Plymouth without punishment, and hoping that he had won fortune to his side, gathered again the young nobility, both French and Breton, and with a great fleet cut across the sea, sailing towards England.
But, "This goddess shows how light she is upon her unstable wheel, she who always holds the highest place beneath an uncertain foot."
Indeed, "Fickle Fortune wanders with uncertain steps, and remains fixed and tenacious in no place."
For, "If now she stays joyful, now she assumes a bitter face, yet she is constant in her fickleness."
Ea tempestate, Dominus de Castellis, Britannieus, elatus animo de damnis quæ Plumouthensibus impune nuper intulerat, sperans sibi conciliasse fortunam, recollecta juventute nobilium, tam Galloram quam Britonum, cum magna classe mare secat, versus Angliam velificando.
Sed— "Hæc Dea non stabili quam sit levis orbe fatetur, Quæ summum dubio sub pede semper habet."
Nempe,— "Passibus ambiguis Fortuna volubilis errat, Et manet in nullo certa, tenaxque, loco."
Quia, — "Si modo læta manet, modo vultus sumit acerbos; Et tamen constans in levitate sua est."
Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. The commander of this fleet was the Lord [William] of Châtel, a Breton, a man exceedingly proud and arrogant, but ready with his hand. When he returned to his own land with much plunder, he boasted that he had brought great benefit to his country. One of the old lords of that land said to him, "And in what place of the kingdom of England did you display such prowess?" "At Plymouth," he said, "a populous town, abounding in merchandise, rich in wealth." "Beware of the tail," the old man answered, "because the English will not endure unpunished so many injuries inflicted upon them."
Ductor classis hujus fuit Dominus de Castellis, Brito, vir supra modum superbus et arrogans, sed manu promptus; qui, cum spoliis multis reversus ad propria, gloriabatur se multum patriæ contulisse. Cui quidam ex antiquis dominis illius terræ dixit;— "Et in quo loco," inquit, "regni Angliæ tantam exercuistis probitatem?" "Apud Plummouth" inquit, "villam populosam, mercibus abundantem, divitiis opulentam." — "Caveatis de cauda," respondit vetulus, "quia non impune tolerabunt Anglici tot sibimet illata damna".