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Chapter summaries
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Book 1
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Grandes Chroniques de France interpolations
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Book 2
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Book 3
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Book 4
- (SHF § 0) Prologue to Book I.
- (SHF § 1) The reign of Edward II [1307–1327].
- (SHF § 2) Half-siblings of Edward II; his children.
- (SHF § 3) Children of King Philip the Fair of France. The succession to the French throne under the last Capetians [1314–1328].
Accession of King Philip VI of Valois [April 1328]; Isabelle of France, queen of England, and her son Edward passed over in
the succession.
- (SHF § 4) Reign of King Edward II. The influence of Hugh Despenser the younger. Defeat by the Scots and King Robert the Bruce
at the Battle of Bannockburn [24 June 1314]. Opposition against Despenser by the barons led by Thomas, earl of Lancaster.
- (SHF § 5) The earl of Lancaster and 21 other barons beheaded on the orders of Edward II and Despenser. Queen Isabella of France,
with her son young Edward, her brother-in-law the earl of Kent, and Roger Mortimer flee to France out of fear for Hugh Despenser
the younger.
- (SHF § 6) They arrive in Boulogne-sur-Mer and then travel to Paris via Amiens. The queen explains her predicament to her brother
King Charles IV of France.
- (SHF § 7) Queen Isabella is promised support by her brother. She stays in France and receives requests from her supporters
in England to invade the country. Hugh Despenser convinces King Charles IV to cease his support for his sister against her
husband, Edward II.
- (SHF § 8) Queen Isabella is advised to leave France. She goes to Hainault and is received at the Castle of Bugnicourt. John
of Hainault, lord of Beaumont and brother of the count of Hainault, goes to meet her.
- (SHF § 9) John of Hainault promises military support to Queen Isabella.
- (SHF § 10) Queen Isabella and John of Hainault travel to Valenciennes, where the count of Hainault and his wife are staying.
The count tries to convince his brother to change his mind.
- (SHF § 11) Queen Isabella, John of Hainault and their followers embark in Dordrecht. The troops land on the Essex coast at
Orwell.
- (SHF § 12) Queen Isabella’s English supporters join the invading army. They advance to Bristol, where the king and his supporters
are.
- (SHF § 13) The Bristolians hand over Hugh Despenser the elder and the earl of Arundel to Queen Isabella.
- (SHF § 14) Hugh Despenser the elder and the earl of Arundel are sentenced and executed.
- (SHF § 15) King Edward II and Hugh Despenser the younger try to escape by boat to Wales but are captured.
- (SHF § 16) Queen Isabella and her son seize power from King Edward II.
- (SHF § 17) It is decided that King Edward II will be emprisoned in Berkeley Castle; Hugh Despenser the younger is taken to
Hereford.
- (SHF § 18) Hugh Despenser the younger is executed in Hereford.
- (SHF § 19) The queen asks John of Hainault to stay with her, but most of John’s retinue go back to the Low Countries.
- (SHF § 20) A general Parliament is held and it is decided that King Edward II’s eldest son be crowned as king of England.
- (SHF § 21) Edward III is crowned king of England. John of Hainault leaves England to take part in a tournament at Condé.
- (SHF § 22) Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, declares war on Edward III.
- (SHF § 23) Edward III assembles his troops in York on Ascension day (21 May 1327). John of Hainault joins the king and his
mother at York.
- (SHF § 24) John of Hainault brings knights from Hainault, Flanders, Brabant and the Hesbaye.
- (SHF § 25) The King and Queen hold separate solemn courts for the knights and ladies in the Franciscan monastery in York for
the feast of the Trinity (7 June 1327). After dinner a fight between some Hainault squires and English archers escalates into
a violent clash. Many archers, all from the diocese of Lincoln, are killed.
- (SHF § 26) Edward III and his army stay at York, where provisions are cheap and plentiful.
- (SHF § 27) The army then moves into Northumberland; Carlisle is defended by Welsh troops.
- (SHF § 28) How the Scots feed themselves while on campaign. Robert the Bruce before his death instituted Thomas Randolph,
earl of Moray, and James Douglas, as guardians of Scotland.
- (SHF § 29) The English see smoke rising from the Scottish raids and set out to meet the Scottish army, but they are unable
to catch up with the Scots.
- (SHF § 30) The English army sets up camp for the night. It is decided to rise early the next morning to try to catch out the
Scots.
- (SHF § 31–32) English fail to catch up with the Scots; privations suffered by the English.
- (SHF § 33) Edward III announces that he will knight the first person who brings news of the Scots and grant him a fief-rent
of £100 sterling. Thomas Rokeby tells the king he knows where the Scots are.
- (SHF § 34) The army sets out and finds the Scots on a steep hill on the other side of the River Wear.
- (SHF § 35) Deadlock for three days with the two armies on either side of the River Wear. During the night the Scots decamp
to another hill that is even more difficult to attack. The situation remains deadlocked for 18 days.
- (SHF § 36) During this period of stalemate James Douglas mounts a nightly surprise attack on the English camp and kills many
soldiers.
- (SHF § 37) For 22 days there are skirmishes between the English and Scottish armies, but no battle. During the night the Scots
break up and are able to get away without alerting the English. The English retreat to Durham and from there to York. John
of Hainault and his followers take their leave and go back to Hainault.
- (SHF § 38) Edward III’s advisors decide that the king should marry one of the daughters of the count of Hainault, nieces of
John of Hainault. They sent ambassadors to Hainault. An agreement is reached and papal dispensation for the marriage is granted
[30 August 1327].
- (SHF § 39) Philippa marries Edward III by procuration [28 October 1327] and then travels to England to meet her husband accompanied
by her uncle John of Hainault.
- (SHF § 40) At the end of the Scottish campaign a three-year truce was concluded between Edward III and Robert the Bruce. Robert
the Bruce feels his death approaching and asks James Douglas to fulfill posthumously his wish to go on crusade by taking his
embalmed heart to the Holy Land. The king dies and is burried in Dumferline abbey [7 June 1329].
- (SHF § 41) James Douglas travels to Flanders and from there to Spain, where he takes part in a campaign against the Saracens
in Granada by King Alfonso XI of Castile. He perishes in battle [1330].
- (SHF § 42) King Charles IV of France married three times. He dies in 1328 without leaving a male heir. The crown goes to Philip
of Valois. After his coronation in Rheims King Philip VI mounts a military expedition to Flanders to help the count, Louis
of Nevers, quell the revolt lead by Nicholas Zennekin. The Flemish rebels are defeated at the battle of Cassel.
- (SHF § 43) At the instigation of Roger Mortimer King Edward III has his uncle, Edmund earl of Kent, executed. Rumours circulate
that the Queen mother is pregnant by Roger Mortimer. Edward III orders Mortimer to be arrested. He is executed and Queen Isabella
is put under house arrest.
- (SHF § 44) Philip of Valois sends ambassadors to Edward III to request that he pay homage to the new king of France. Edward
agrees.
- (SHF § 45) Edward III journeys to France. He meets Philip of Valois in Amiens and does homage.
- (SHF § 46) Philip of Valois sends further ambassadors to Edward III in England to look into whether Edward should do homage
for Aquitaine.
- (SHF § 47) Text of a charter issued by Edward III (30 March 1331) in which he declares to have performed general homage, not
liege homage, to Philip of Valois at Amiens. However, he now declares that the homage which he and his successors owe to the
French king as dukes of Aquitaine and counts of Ponthieu and Montrueil, should be liege homage.
- (SHF § 48) Robert of Artois exiled from France.
- (SHF § 56) War breaks out between France and England.
- (SHF § 59) Jacques d’Artevelde and the Anglo-Flemish compact.
- (SHF § 63) Battle of Cadzand.
- (SHF § 68) Franco-Scottish Alliance.
- (SHF § 72) Edward III and the Empire; the opening of hostilities.
- (SHF § 77) After the siege of Cambrai, Edward’s troops tear through the Thiérache and Picardy.
- (SHF § 82) Philip VI musters his forces near Buironfosse.
- (SHF § 89) Edward III assumes the style and title of king of France.
- (SHF § 98) Philip VI marches against Hainault.
- (SHF § 112) Battle of Sluys.
- (SHF § 137) The Pope attempts to reconcile the French and English.
- (SHF § 141) Beginning of the War of the Breton Succession.
- (SHF § 156) Edward III and the countess of Salisbury.
- (SHF § 181) Jousts in honour of the countess of Salisbury.
- (SHF § 203–204) Edward III announces his intention to found an order of chivalry, the Order of the Round Table [January 1344].
Edward sends heralds out to announce the tournament that will take place in Windsor to mark the foundation of the order (23
April 1344). During the preparation for the festivities Edward is informed of the execution of Olivier of Clisson by the French
king. He treatens to meet out the same treatment to one of his prisonners, Hervy of Léon, but eventually decides to send Hervy
to the French king to declare an end to the ceasefire.
- (SHF § 205) Many knights cross the Channel to convene at Windsor for the festivities, including Gascon knights sent by Edward’s
Gascon allies, to ask the king to send an army to Gascony to support them against the French king. Edward III decides to send
troups under the command of the earl of Derby. Thomas Dagworth is sent to Britanny to support the countess of Montfort, and
the earl of Salisbury is sent to Ulster.
- (SHF § 206–212) The earl of Derby sails to Gascony. He attacks Bergerac, where the Gascon allies of Philip VI of Valois have
gathered. When the Gascon barons in Bergerac realise that they can no longer keep up the defence, they leave during the night.
The inhabitants of Bergerac surrender to the earl of Derby [24 August 1345]. The Gascon allies of the French king take up
garrison in various towns.
- (SHF § 213–214) The earl of Derby makes his way to Périgueux; several towns and castles are captured or surrendered to him.
- (SHF § 215–216) Having seen the fortifications at Périgueux, it is decided that the city cannot easily be taken, so the army
continues towards Pellegrue. During a suprise attack on Derby’s army during the night the earl of Oxford is captured and taken
to Périgueux. The castle of Pellegrue is besieged but after an exchange of prisoners, during which the earl of Oxford is released,
the siege is ended and Derby’s army moves to Auberoche, which quickly surrenders. The earl of Derby returns to Bordeaux. On
the way there he besieges Libourne, which surrenders to him.
- (SHF § 217–218) The count of Lisle-Jourdain, having heard that the earl of Derby has returned to Bordeaux, summons an army
and starts besieging the castle of Auberoche. The garrison attempts to send a message to the earl, but the messenger is captured
and catapulted back into the castle by one of the siege engins.
- (SHF § 219–222) News of the siege of Auberoche reaches the earl of Derby in Bordeaux. An army is scrambled under the command
of the earl. The besiegers are attacked by surprise and thoroughly defeated (August 1344) [21 October 1345].
- (SHF § 223–226) After his victory the earl returns to Bordeaux for the winter. At the start of spring he assembles his army
to go to La Réole. On the way he besieges Sainte-Bazeilles and Meilhan, which both surrender. Aguillon puts up no resistance
and also surrenders.
- (SHF § 227–229) The earl of Derby besieges La Réole; after several weeks the inhabitants of La Réole surrender, but the captain,
Agout des Baux, retreats into the castle.
- (SHF § 230–231) The earl orders minors to undermine the castle. During the siege of La Réole Walter Mauny discovers the tomb
of his father, who had been murdered in La Réole in a revenge killing during a pilgrimage to Compostella. The body is removed
for reburial in the church of the Friars Minor in Valenciennes.
- (SHF § 232–235) Faced with a military assault, the castle garrison of La Réole surrenders to the earl of Derby. The earl then
captures Montpezat, Castelmoron, Villefranche-du-Queyran and Miramont, and his troops take Tonneins and the castle of Damazan.
[Agen] is besieged and surrenders when no relief is sent to lift to siege. The sieges at Blayes, Mortagne-sur-Gironde, Mirebeau
and Aulnay are ended at the start of the winter.
- (SHF § 236) Godfrey of Harcourt is banished from France [15 July 1344]. He goes to stay in Brabant, where he has possessions.
- (SHF § 237–238) Jacob of Artevelde is killed by the Ghenters [24 July 1345].
- (SHF § 239) Count William II (IV) of Hainault and Holland besieges Utrecht and then campaigns against the Frisians but is
killed in the Battle of Stavoren [26 September 1345]. John of Hainault becomes regent of Hainault until Margaret’s succession
as countess.
- (SHF § 240) John of Hainault renounces his allegiance to Edward III and becomes a vassal of Philip VI [21 July 1346].
- (SHF § 241) Philip VI of Valois summons an army to confront the earl of Derby in Gascony (1 November 1345). He puts his son,
the Duke of Normandy, in charge; the Duke arrives with the army in Toulouse on 25 December 1345.
- (SHF § 242) The French army captures the castle of Miramont and the town and castle of Villefranche-du-Queyran; they then
start the siege of [Agen].
- (SHF § 243) The earl of Derby sends troops to occupy the castle of Villefranche again. He also sends Walter Mauny and other
knights as reinforcements to the castle of Aguillon.
- (SHF § 244) During the siege of [Agen] the seneschal of Beaucaire takes the town of Tonneins by ruse.
- (SHF § 245) John of Norwich, captain of [Agen], realises that the town is facing famine. He negociates a truce for the feast
of Candlemas (2 February 1346) and uses the opportunity to leave the town safely and go to Aguillon.
- (SHF § 246) The next day the burghers of [Agen] surrender to the Duke of Normandy, who then captures the castle of Damazan
and the towns of Tonneins and Port-Sainte-Marie.
- (SHF § 247–253) The Duke of Normandy besieges the castle of Aguillon; the defenders under the command of Walter Mauny put
up fierce resistance. The Duke swears not to leave the siege until Aguillon is taken; he sends messengers to Paris to inform
his father the King of the situation in Aguillon.
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