On this Day in History ... 24th August

Chronicle of the Monastery of Melsa. 24th August 1346. Therefore, King Edward, having been informed by an Englishman born in Royston near Nafferton, who had lived in those parts for 16 years, directed his course through a certain ford of the aforementioned river into the towns of Saint-Valery and Crotoy, where the sea ebbs and flows. There, he crossed with his men at a place where the inhabitants of that land had never before dared to cross, except six or four at a time. But King Edward, with his army, crossed a league closer to the sea than others had ever crossed before, at a place where no one had previously crossed. Upon his arrival there, a large number of fighters and the communities of the entire surrounding region gathered to oppose Edward's passage. But King Edward, with his men, though continually facing resistance from enemies, crossed over thousands of front lines almost within a single hour of the day. After defeating the French—indeed, more than 8,000 of them were killed—King Edward and all his men remained unharmed. Immediately, the English took the town of Crotoy and the castle of Noyel.

Unde continuo rex Edwardus per quemdam Anglicum natum in Roestona prope Naffretonam, qui in illis partibus per 16 annos morabatur, informatus, per quoddam vadum preedicti fluminis in villas Sancti Valerii et Crotoye, ubi mare fluit et refluit, iter suum dirigebat. Ibique cum suis pertransivit ubi per prius terre illius incolse [nunquam], nisi 6 vel 4 simul, ausi sunt pertransire. Edwardus vero rex cum exercitu suo propinquius mari quam alii per unam leugam transvadavit; ubi nunquam per prius aliquis pertransivit. Ad cujus illuc adventum, copiosus numerus pugnatorum et totius circaregionis communitatum Edwardo inobviam convenerunt, ad ipsius passagium perturbandum. Sed rex Edwardus cum suis continuo viribus tamen, licet resistentibus inimicis, per millenos frontorios quasi in una diei hora transvadavit, et victis Francigenis, videlicet 8,000 et amplius eorum interfectis, rex Edwardus et sui singuli incolumes remanserunt. Et continuo Anglici villam de Crotoy et castrum de Noyel acceperunt.

Life of the Black Prince by Chandos Herald. 24th August 1346.

Froissart Book 3: 1342-1346. 269. The king of England did not sleep much that night; rather he rose at midnight and had the trumpet sounded, as a sign to break camp. Each man was quickly made ready, packhorses loaded, carts charged. So they departed, at the point of daybreak [24th August 1346], from the town of Oisemont, and rode under the guidance of that servant who led them. And they rode so far and so well that they came, about sunrise, close enough to the ford that is called the Blanchetaque; but the tide of the sea was then so full that they could not pass. And indeed it was needful that the king wait for his men, who were coming after him. So he tarried there until after prime [around 9 a.m.], when the tide had fully ebbed away.

And before the tide had fully ebbed, there came from the other side Sir Godemar du Fay to the ford of the Blanchetaque, with a great company of men-at-arms sent by the king of France, as you have already heard recounted above. And this same Sir Godemar, as he came to the Blanchetaque, had gathered a great number of the people of the countryside, so that they were well twelve thousand in all, who straightway arrayed themselves upon the ford of the river to guard and defend the passage. But King Edward of England did not forbear from crossing for that; rather he commanded his marshals at once to strike into the water, and his archers to shoot fiercely at the French, who were in the river and upon the bank. Then the two marshals of England caused their banners to advance, in the name of God and of Saint George, and they themselves after them; and they dashed into the water at full charge, the boldest and best mounted riding in the forefront. There in the very river were many jousts made, and many a man overthrown on one side and the other. There began a fierce struggle, for Sir Godemar and his men defended the passage valiantly. And there were some knights and squires of France, of Artois and of Picardy, and of the charge of my lord Godemar, who, to advance their honor, spurred into the said ford, and would not be found upon the banks, but chose rather to joust in the water than upon the land. And there, I tell you, were done many jousts and many fine feats of arms.

And there the English, at the first, had a very hard encounter. For all those who were with my lord Godemar, sent thither to defend and guard the passage, were men of choice, and they stood all well arrayed upon the narrow ground of the river crossing. So the English were sorely met when they came out of the water to gain the land. And there were Genoese, who with their shooting did them great harm. But the archers of England shot so strongly and so steadily that it was a marvel; and all the while, as they harassed the French, the men-at-arms kept passing over. And know that the English set themselves right eagerly to the fight, for it was openly said among them that the king of France was following after them with more than a hundred thousand men. And already some scouting companions from the French side had come as far as the English, who carried back true signs to the king of France, as you shall hear.

Li rois d'Engleterre ne dormi mies gramment celle nuit; ains se leva à mienuit, et fist sonner le trompette, en signe de deslogier. Cescuns fu'tantost appareilliés, sommier toursés, chars chargiés. Si se partirent, sour le point dou jour, de le ville de Oisemont; et chevaucièrent sur le conduit de ce varlet qui les menoit. Et fisent tant et si bien s'esploitièrent qu'il vinrent, environ soleil levant, assés'priès de ce gué que on claime le Blanche Take; mès li fluns de le mer estoit adonc si plains qu'il ne'peurent passer. Ossi bien couvenoit il au roy attendre ses gens, qui venoient apriès lui. Si demora là endroit jusques apriès prime, que li fluns s'en fu tous ralés.

Et ançois que li fluns s'en fust tous ralés, vint d'autre part messires Godemars dou Fay sus le pas de le Blanke Take, à grant fuison de gens d'armes envoiiés de par le roy de France, si com vous avés oy recorder chi dessus. Si avoit li dis messires Godemars,en venant à le Blanke Take, rassamblé grant fuison des gens dou pays, tant qu'il estoient bien douze mil, uns c'autres, qui tantos se rengièrent sus le pas de le rivière, pour garder et deffendre le passage. Mais li rois Edowars d'Engleterre ne laissa mies'à passer pour ce; ains commanda à ses mareschaus tantost ferir en l'aigue, et ses arciers traire fortement as François, qui estoient en l'aigue et sus le rivage. Lors fisent li doi mareschal d'Engleterre chevaucier leurs banières, ou nom de Dieu et de saint Gorge, et yaus apriès; si se ferirent en l'aigue de plains eslais, li plus bacelereus et li mieulz monté devant. Là eut en le meisme rivière fait mainte jouste, et maint homme reversé d'une part et d'aultre. Là commença uns fors hustins, car messires Godemars et li sien'deffendoient vassaument le passage. Là y eut aucuns chevaliers et escuiers françois, d'Artois et de Pikardie et de le carge monsigneur Godemar, qui pour leur honneur avancier se feroient ou dit gués, et ne voloient mies estre trouvé sus les camps, mès avoient'plus chier à jouster en l'aigue que sus terre. Si y eut, je vous di, là fait mainte jouste et mainte belle apertise d'armes.

Et eurent là li Englès, de premiers, un moult dur rencontre. Car tout cil, qui estoient avoecques monsigneur'Godemar là envoiiet pour deffendre et garder le passage, estoient gens d'eslitte; et se tenoient tout bien rengiet sus le destroit dou passage de le rivière: dont li Englès estoient dur rencontré, quant il venoient à l'issue de l'aigue, pour prendre terre.'Et y avoit Geneuois qui dou tret leur faisoient moult de maulz. Mais li arcier d'Engleterre traioient si fort et si ouniement c'à merveilles; et toutdis, entrues qu'il ensonnioient les François, gens d'armes passoient. Et sachiés que li Englès se prendoient bien'priés d'yaus combatre, car il leur estoit dit notorement que li rois de France les sievoit à plus de cent mil hommes. Et jà estoient aucun compagnon coureur, de le partie des François, venu jusques as Englès, li quel en reportèrent vraies ensengnes au roy'de France, si com vous orés dire.

Chronicle of Robert de Avesbury. [24th August 1346] And then the king of England, whom God save, drew towards Ponthieu on the day of St. Bartholomew, and came to the water of the Somme, which cometh to the sea from Abbeville in Ponthieu. And the king of France had appointed five hundred men of arms and three thousand of the commons armed, to hold the passage ; and, thanks be to God, the king of England and his host took that water of the Somme, where never man passed before, without loss, and fought their enemies and slew more than two thousand armed men, and chased the rest right up to the gate of Abbeville, and took of knights and squires in great number. And the same day my lord Hugh le Despenser took the town of Crotoy, and he and his men slew there four hundred men of arms and held the town and found great plenty of victuals. And that night the king of England encamped in the forest of Crécy, upon the same water, for that the host of France came on the other side of the town after our passage; but it would not take the water against us, but returned towards Abbeville. And on the Friday next after the king of England encamped in the same forest of Crécy.

Et puis le roi Dengleterre, ge Dieu eauve, se treia devers Pountif le jour de Seint Bartholomeu, et vient a leawe de Somme, qe vint a la meer du Abbeville en Pountif. Et le roi de Fraunce avoit ordeigne D hommes darmes et MMM des comunes armez de avoir garde la passage: et, mercie soit Dieux, le roi Dengleterre et son host pristrent cele eawe de Somme, ou unges homme ne passa avaunt, sauns perir nul dez gentz, et combateront od lour enemys et tueront plus qe MM gentz darmes, et lez remenantz enchacerent droit a la porte Dabbeville, et pristrent de chivalers et esquiers a graunt nombre. Et mesme le jour monsire Hughe le Despenser prist la ville de Crotoye, et lui et sa gent tuerent illeosqges CCCC hommes darmes et tindrent la ville et troveront graunt plente du vitailles. Et cele nuyt herberga le roy Dengleterre en la forest de Cressy, sour mesme leawe, purceo qe lost de Fraunce vint de lautre part de la ville apres nostre passage; mais il ne voudra prendre leawe sour nous, et retournerent vers Abbeville. Et le Vendredy proschein soi herberga le roy Dengleterre en mesme la forest de Cressy.

Anonimalle Chronicle. [24th August 1346] And when he came to the river Somme, he found the bridges broken, so that he turned toward Saint-Valery to cross at a ford where the sea ebbs and flows. And when he arrived there, a great number of men-at-arms and common folk came against him to defend the passage. But he immediately seized the passage across the waters by force, and by the grace of God more than a thousand persons crossed abreast, where before at most three or four had been wont to pass; so that the said king of England with all his host crossed safely within, as it were, the space of one hour of the day, and his enemies there were discomfited and many taken. And moreover, a great number of the enemies were slain in that encounter without loss of our men. And that same day, soon after the said king of England had crossed the water of the Somme, his said adversary showed himself on the other side of the water with great power of men, so suddenly that he (the king) was not at all prepared. Wherefore he halted, took up his position, and awaited all that day and the next until the hour of vespers.

Et quant il venist al ryver de Somme il trovast les pountz rumpuz par qoi il se traiast devers seint Wallery pur passer a un gewe ou le mere foule et refoule; et a soun venue illoeqs graunt noumbre des gentz darmes et des communes lui vindrent a lencountre pur lui defendre le passage. Mes il prist mentenaunt le passage sur eaux a force et par mye la grace de Dieux si passerent bien mille persones a frount ou, avaunt ces heures, a payn solent passer treis ou quatre, si ke le dit roi Dengleterre od tout soun host passast savement come en une heure de iour et ses enemys yfurent descomfitz et plusours pris. Et si avoit il graunt noumbre des enemys occis al iourne saunz perde des noz gentz. Et mesme le iour bien tost apres ceo qe le dit roi Dengleterre estoit passe leawe de Somme, se moustra del altre parte leawe soun dit adversere od graunt poer des gentz si sudeynement qil nestoit de rien garnyez, par qai il demurrast et prist soun place et attendist tout le iour et lendymayne tanqe al heure de vesper.

Adam Murimuth Continuation. 24th August 1346. Thus, our lord the king came to Poissy, where he found the bridge broken. The adversary remained on the Parisian side and sent 1,000 knights and 2,000 foot soldiers with crossbows to guard the bridge to prevent its repair. He had all bridges around Paris that might allow crossing broken down. However, three or four beams placed beyond the ruined bridge enabled a few of our archers to cross, though only a small number. According to estimates, around 1,000 of the enemy were slain and the rest fled. With the bridge repaired, the king made his way through Picardy, the enemy shadowing him from the side. The bridges again broken, our lord the king could not pass except between Crotoy and Abbeville, during a sea ebb, where the entire army crossed unharmed, even though the local people did not know a safe crossing existed—only a spot where six or ten might pass at once. Nevertheless, our men crossed indiscriminately, as if it were a broad and safe ford—an astonishing sight to all who knew the place. The adversary of our king had stationed around 1,000 knights and over 5,000 foot soldiers to guard the crossing and fiercely oppose the king. But the Earl of Northampton and Sir Reginald Cobham, advancing with 100 armed men and some archers ahead of the army, repelled them bravely. On that day, over 2,000 of the enemy were slain, and the rest fled to Abbeville, where the adversary with his army had taken position.

Et sic dominus noster rex usque ad Pusiscum venit, ubi invenit pontem fractum. Et adversarius suus citra Parisius non quievit, sed ordinavit M^l equites et MM^l peditum cum balistis ad custodiam dicti pontis, ut non posset reparari. Omnes pontes in circuitu Parisius, per quos transitus esse posset, frangi fecit Protensis tamen iij. vel iiij. trabibus ultra pontem fractum, transierunt quidem sagittarii, licet pauci. Interfectis secundum estimationem hominibus mille vel circiter hostium, oceteri versi sunt in fugam. Reparato ponte, dominus rex per Picardiam fecit viam suam, et adversarii in latere sequebantur. Et, fractis pontibus, vis non potuit domino nostro regi, nisi inter Croteye et Abbatis villam in refluxu maris, ubi totus exercitus transivit illsesus, licet in loco a populo illius terræ nesciretur esse vadum tutum, nisi situm ubi sex vel decem transire poterant simul. Nostri tamen indifferenter quasi omni loco, tanquam in vado tuto, transierunt; quod mirum est in oculis omninm qui noverant locum illum. Et adversarius domini nostri regis ordinavit circiter M. equites et V. millia peditum vel ultra pro custodia illius passagii, ad resistendum fortiter domino regi; sed per dominum comitem Northamptoniæ et dominum Reoginaldum de Cobham, cum C. armatis et quibusdam sagittariis exercitum præcedentes, viriliter sunt repulsi, et, interfectis eo die duobus millibus vel ultra, ceteri fugerunt usque ad Abbatis villam, ubi dictus adversarius cum exercitu suo fuit.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. [24th August 1346] After lodging at Acheux, on Thursday they came to Noyelle-sur-Mer, a ford of the river Somme at the Port, where the tides of the sea ebb and flow. Opposite this ford, the French came from the city of Abbeville¹ and the surrounding region with very proud shouting, intending to prevent the crossing, arranged in three formidable battles. Against them, the English engaged in a fierce battle, Lord Hugh Despenser first launching the attack. But, by the grace of God, the far bank was taken despite resistance, and more than two thousand of the enemy were slain. That same night, the town of Le Crotoy was captured and burned, and over three hundred Genoese mercenaries, after a brave but dangerous defence, were slain.

Deinde, apud Acheu ospitati, die Iovis venerunt ad Noil sur la Meer, vadum aque de Summe de Port, ubi fluxus et refluxus maris succedunt. Ex opposito illius vadi venerunt Gallici de civitate Dabevile et illius patrie cum exclamacione valde superba proibituri transitum per vadum, in tres acies terribiles divisi; contra quas habuerunt Anglici dirum congressum, domino Hugone de Spenser illud primitus arripiente. Set, per Dei graciam, adverso litore invitis resistentibus adquisito, ibidem plures quam bis mille ceciderunt peremti, et eadem nocte, villa de Crotoye capta et incinerata, amplius quam trecenti stipendiarii Ianuenses post periculosam resistenciam corruerunt occisi.

Note 1. Wynkeleys's letter in Murimuth, 216: "And with the bridges broken, there was no way forward for our lord the king except between Crotoy and the Abbéville during the ebb of the tide, where the entire army crossed unharmed, even though the people of that land did not know of a safe ford there, except for a place where six or ten could cross at a time. However, our men crossed almost everywhere as if in a safe ford, which was astonishing to all who knew that place. The adversary of our lord the king had stationed around 1,000 knights and 5,000 or more foot soldiers to guard that passage, to strongly resist the lord king; but they were repulsed by the lord Earl of Northampton and the lord Reginald de Cobham, who, with 100 armed men and some archers, led the army forward. They fought bravely and, after killing 2,000 or more that day, the rest fled as far as the Abbéville, where the said adversary was with his army."

Northburgh's Letter (Avesbury, 368): "And the king of France had appointed five hundred men of arms and three thousand of the commons armed, to hold the passage; and, thanks be to God, the king of England and his host took that water of the Somme, where never man passed before, without loss, and fought their enemies and slew more than two thousand armed men, and chased the rest right up to the gate of Abbeville, and took of knights and squires in great number. And the same day my lord Hugh le Despenser took the town of Crotoy, and he and his men slew there four hundred men of arms and held the town and found great plenty of victuals."

Chronicle of Henry Knighton. [24th August 1346] And when Philip had learned of the crossing of the English and the ruin of his own men, he set out toward Amiens, and caused all the bridges in the region between himself and King Edward to be destroyed, so that no way lay open to the English except between Crotoy and Abbeville, where, before, the inhabitants of that land or their neighbors had never known a passage. And thus they crossed through a tidal ford of the sea, about one league in length, on the vigil of Saint Bartholomew. And on the other side of the ford the enemies had been ready for battle, three thousand men, under the captains of Ponthieu and the Countess of Aumale, in the field where the English must needs land. But the English seized the shore against them with swift strength; and the Earl of Warwick, the Earl of Northampton, and Lord Reginald of Cobham came out of the water, and before King Edward himself had reached the land, they had routed the enemy, killing two thousand men-at-arms and many of the common folk, and driving the rest in flight as far as the town of Abbeville, where King Philip himself was present with his full army. King Edward remained there in the field with his army all that day and night, and on the following day until the hour of Crécy.

Cumque Philippus intellexisset passagium Anglorum et ruinam suorum, carpsit iter versus Amyas, fecitque elidi omnes pontes in circuitu inter ipsum et regem Edwardum, iter quod non patuit iter Angligenis nisi inter Crotoye et Abville, ubi antea incolis dictæ terræ vel compatriotis nunquam claruerunt viam, et sic transierunt per unum whassum maris ad longitudinem unius leucæ, in vigilia sancti Bartholomæi; et ex altera parte wasshy inimici fuerant parati ad prælium, IIJ millia virorum capitaneis Pontiniacis et comitissa de Armarle in campo cum Angli terram capere debuerant; sed Anglici proripuerunt terram super eos cum agili fortitudine; et comes Warwych, et comes Northamptoniæ, et dominus Reginaldus de Cobham exierunt de aqua, et antequam rex Edwardus terram arriperet devicerant inimicos et IJ millia virorum armatorum cum plurioribus de communibus occiderant, et reliquos fugaverunt usque ad villam de Abvyll; Philippo rege in eadem villa cum suo pleno exercitu existente. Rex Edwardus mansit ibidem in campo cum exercitu suo Edward toto illo die et nocte et in crastino usque ad horam Cressy.