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The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
Le Prince Noir is in Late Medieval Books.
But why should I relate the matter and lenghten ? The account reports that the Earl of Salisbury by himself and his companions, who were braver than lions, defeated the Marshals with ail their armed horses, before the vanguard could repass and retum to them, for they were beyond the river; but by the will of God and his Father, they assembled themselves together and came there, as it seems to me, like a noble host up the side of a hill, until they brought their course upon the Dauphin's division, which was by the passage of a hedge; and there with right good will so rushed to the contest, following up so chivalrously their profession of arms, that, knowyou truly, it was marvellous to behold. There at the first onset they won by assault the hedge pass, whereat the French were sore dismayed and began to tum their back and mount their horses. There men cried with a loud voice in many places: Guienne! Saint George! What would you that I tell you? The division of Normandy was that moming defeated, and the Dauphin left (the field). On that field were many slain and taken, and the noble and high Prince fought most valiantly, and in encouraging his men said: "Sirs, for God's mercy think of striking; here I am." Then drew near the French King, who brought up his great forces, for he wished to rally around himself those who were minded to do well.
1409. The following copy of a letter from Sir Bartholomew Burghersh to Sir John Montagu upon the resuit of the action at Poitiers, from a Ms. written but a very few years after the battle, is valuable as throwing great light on those lists already fumished by the Black Prince himself, printed by Sir Harris Nicolas at the end of the Chronicle of London, and Robert d'Avesbury, p. 252-255:
Be it remembered that the Prince departed from Bordeaux the day after St. John's Day in August, in the year of our Lord 1356, and rode through Agenais, Limousin, Auvergne, and Berry, and along the river Loire near Nevers, intending to pass into France through Tours; but all the bridges had been broken, so he was unable to cross. And throughout his march, he found no resistance until he came to a castle called Romorantin, which he surrounded. Before arriving there, he had already captured 120 men-at-arms. Inside that castle were the Lord of Craon, one of the great lords of France, and Sir Jean de Boussac (Bussegault TBC), with fifty men-at-arms. The Prince besieged the castle for eight days, and on the first day took the outer defences, except for a large strong tower, and captured 40 men-at-arms. The Lord of Craon and Bussegault retreated into the tower, but through fire, mines, and siege engines, they eventually surrendered and were made prisoners. Afterward, the Prince stayed four days before the city of Tours, where the Count of Poitiers, son of the King of France, was present with a large force, but none dared to come out. On the following Saturday, the Prince came to a castle called Chauvigny in Poitou, where the King of France had lodged the night before. There, the Count of Auxerre, the Count of Joigny, and the Marshal of Burgundy were captured as they came to join the King's host; 240 men-at-arms were also taken or killed. On the next Monday, the 19th of September, the armies met near Poitiers and formed into battle. There, the following were captured: The King of France, Prince Philip, his younger son, Count of Poitiers, The Count of Pontieu, James de Bourbon, The Counts of Eu, Aumale, Tankerville, Ventadour, Salbrisse, Vendôme (and his brother), Roucy, Vendôme-Maine, Dammartin, and Nesle, the Archbishop of Sens, the Castellan of Compiègne, the Marshal of Oudenham, Guichard d'Angle, Moris Maignet, captain of Poitiers, Lords of La Tour, Erval, Creil (and his brother), Villehermald, Mauges, Amald de Montverain, Jean de Blanc, Aubigny, Sully, the Count of Alençon, the Viscount of Narbonne. And in total, 2,500 persons were taken, of whom 2,000 were men-at-arms. Among those killed in the battle were: the Duke of Bourbon, Robert de Duras, of royal blood, the Duke of Athens, constable of France, the Archbishop of Châlons, the Marshal of Clermont, the Viscounts of Bourges and Richerandus, Reynaud de Pons, Geoffrey de Charny, Geoffrey de Mate. And in total, 2,800 people were killed, including 2,000 men-at-arms. Also, among the aforementioned dead and men-at-arms were one thousand knights, both banner-bearers and pennon-bearers. The King of France had at that battle 8,000 men-at-arms and 3,000 foot soldiers, while the Prince had 3,000 men-at-arms, 2,000 archers, and 1,000 servants. This is the entire text of the letter that Sir Bartholomew Burghersh sent to Sir John Beauchamp, via Sir John de Collandesbergh, a prisoner of the said Bartholomew. The Prince, at the moment of battle, was only accompanied by 60 people, of whom only 4 were men-at-arms.
Fait à remembrer que le Prince se parti de Burdeux lendemayn de SayntJohan en Auguste, Tan de nostre Seignur MCCCLVI chivacha par Agenès, Limosyn, Alvem et Beryu et sur la river de Leyre de Nivers, qu'est rentré de Beryndun parce tanque à la cité de Tours pur passer en Fraunce ; mes touts les pountz furent rumputz issin qu'il ne pooit passer. Et tut le chymyn il ne trova reste avance, tanque il vient à une chastelle appelliz Romorentyne, qu'est envirun, et deveaunt ceo qu'il vient illoges si avoit pris VIxx hommes d'armes, et deyns ledit chastelle furent le seignoures de Crone, un de graunt seignoures de Fraunce, et mons. Bussigaunde oue L hommes d'armes, et monsieur le Prince adsege ledit chastel per VIIJ jours, et li primer jour prit tote le force dudit chastel forspris un grosse tour, et auxi prist XL hommes d'armes, et ledit seignour de Crone et Bussigaunde se mysterent deyns ledit tour, et per force de feu et de myne et d'engyne il se renderent prisoners. Item le Prince demorra devaunt ledit cité de Tours, ou fuist le count de Poyters, filtz à roi de Fraunce, ou la graunt power de gentz par IIIJ joures, et nule de ladit cité n'osast isser. Item le samadi procheyn ensuaunt vient ledit Prince à un chastelle appelliz Chabutorie en Peytowe, là où le roy de Fraunce avoit cuché le nut devaunt, et là furent pris le count de Assure, le counte de Junye et le marshalle de Burgoyne, que veignent al host le roi de Fraunce ; et là furent mortz et pris CCxl hommes d'armes. Item le lundi prochein ensuaunt le XIX jour de Septembre, li assemblerent les bataills d'un part et d'autre decost Poiters à un dileu, et là furent pris le roi de Fraunce ; monsieur Philippe, son fitz puisné, count de Poyters; le count de Pountif ; mons. Jakes de Burbonnie ; le count de Ewe; le count de Aubeville ; le count de Tankerville; le count de Ventadourun; le count de Salbirys; le count de Vendome et son frere ; le count de Russi; le count de Vendemende; le count de Danmartyn ; le count de Nesson ; l'erscevesque de Seyns; le chastelayne de Compost; le marshal de Oudenham ; mons. Guichard de Aratz; mons. Moris Maynet, captayne de Poyters; le seignour de la Toure; le seignour d'Erualle; le seignour de Crew et son frere ; le seignour Vilehernalde ; le seigneur de Maugeler ; mons. Amald de Mounteuerye ; mons. Johan de Blaunk; le seigneur d'Aubeney ; le seigneur de Sully; le count d'Ausor; le viscount de Nerboun ; et outre ceo furent pris IJ mille V C persones, desqueux furent IJ mille hommes d'armes, des mortz. Item à mesme le bataille furent mortz le duke de Burboun, mons. Robert Durasce, del saunc de Fraunce; le duk d'Athenes, conestable de Fraunce; Percevesque de Chalouns ; le marshal de Clermound ; le viscount de Boures ; le viscount de Richohardus ; mons. Raynald de Pount ; mons. Geffray Charny ; mons. Geflrey Matas; et outre ceo furent mortz IJ mille et VIIJ cent persones, desqueux furent IJ mille hommes d'armes. Item des avantditz mortz et serjentz furent mille chivalers, que porters-baners et poynouns. Item le roy de Fraunce avoit à la journé VIIIJ mille hommes d'armes et IIJ mille hommes a pié, et le Prince avoit à ladit journé IIJ mille hommes d'armes, IJ mille archers et mille servaunt. Item c'este tote le copie de la letter que mons. Berthilmew Burwas envoia à mons. Johanne Beaucham, par Sir John de Collandesbergh, prison audite Bertilmew. Item ledit Prince ne paroit a la journé de toet maner de gentz, mes LX persones, desqueus furent IIIJ hommes d'armes.
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