Battle of Cravant
Battle of Cravant, 31st July 1423 On 31st July 1423 a Franco-Scottish army met an Anglo-Burgundian force in battle at Cravant, Burgundy. The Dauphinist army was part of a force that had been assembled to…
Oliver Clisson signs away his land rights
Oliver Clisson had been one of Charles V’s senior ministers. Upon the accession of Charles VI he and other ministers, later terms the Marmousets by Froissart, saw their roles diminished as the young kings uncles…
French Raid on Plymouth
In 1339 the French utilised a strategy that had worked incredibly well for them in 1338. They set out to raid English ports and coastal areas. Following the devastation caused by the raids on Portsmouth…
Coronation of Charles V of France
When John II of France died in April 1364, his eldest son, Charles, acceded to the throne. The coronation of Charles V was arranged quickly but stood out for the ceremony, beginning of traditions and…
French issue Ban and Arrière-Ban. May 1355
17th May 1355, King John II proclaimed the ban and arrière-ban. Spring of 1355 was a tense period in France. There was a threat of invasion from England. Charles II of Navarre was making demands. For…
Marriage of John Duke of Bedford and Anne of Burgundy
The marriage of the Duke of Bedford and Anne of Burgundy was a diplomatic match that was organised at an important period in relations between England, Burgundy, and France. In 1420, the English had forced…
Giles de Rais, Marshall. Murderer, Abuser
Giles de Rais was a well-known lord and soldier. He had acted as Marshall of France at the time of the French resurgence of the 1430s. In 1440 he became involved in a dispute at…
Recruitment of an army to array at Norwich by 12th May 1338
Edward III needed to recruit a new army in 1338 as his forces were stretched thinly. A force under the Earl of Salisbury was in the north, laying siege to Dunbar. Gascon nobles were complaining…
Owain ap Thomas’ manifesto
Owain ap Thomas’ manifesto issued in Paris Known as: Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri, Owain of the Red Hand, Yvain de Galles, Owain Lawgoch, Owen of Wales. Owain was a descendant on the male line from…
Katherine of Sutton, Abbess of Barking
Katherine of Sutton is the earliest female playwright whose name has been recorded in England. Between 1358 and 1376 Katherine, the Abbess of Barking, wrote or revised the Easter Plays that were performed at the…