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The Battle of Cadsand
Edward III, King of England, had ascended to the throne, vacated by his overthrown and imprisoned father Edward II, in January 1327. Edward III as a descendant of William I (also known as ‘the conqueror’) had inherited the French titles of Duke of Guyenne and Count of Ponthieu, in addition to being the son of Isabella of France, the sister of the heirless King Charles IV of France. In 1328, when Charles IV died, Edward considered himself to have a legitimate claim on the French throne. The other major claimant was Phillip of Valois, a cousin of Charles IV, who as a descendant through the male line had the stronger…
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John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, was born on March 6, 1340 to King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was called “John of Gaunt” because he was born in Ghent, then rendered in English as Gaunt. He was born a member of the House of Plantagenet. His older brother Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) was next in line to the throne until his death in 1376 following a ten year battle with recurrent amoebic dysentery. When Edward III died in 1377 and his ten-year-old grandson succeeded as Richard II of England, John’s influence strengthened. However, many people suspected him of wanting to seize…
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THE DEATH OF THE BLACK PRINCE
Edward was born on 15th June 1330 at Woodstock in Oxfordshire. He was the eldest son of Edward III and as such was held the title of The Prince of Wales. During his lifetime he was a key player in his father’s military campaigns in France. When he was just sixteen he was heralded for his involvement in the Battle of Crecy and the defeat of the French army. After being appointed his father’s lieutenant he led another victory against the French at Poitiers and took the French king prisoner. In 1362 Edward married Joan of Kent. There is a love story attached to their coming together in that another…
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THE BATTLE OF CRECY
Known as one of the most decisive battles in English history and The Hundred Years war, Crecy has come to be known as a military revolution in its massive use of the longbow and the ultimate demise of the age of chivalry. Previous battles had been fought mostly by the infantry and mounted knights. Battles before had adhered to chivalric code that had mostly kept the knights protected. Crecy was a game changer. Edward III had inherited an England at war. He was fighting on two fronts, Scotland and Aquitaine in south west France. The battle of Dupplin Muir (moor) in Scotland proved to be a crucial turning point for…
