3. John of Gaunt, born at Ghent, Arms of John of Gaunt. June, 1340, was created earl of Derby, and duke of Lancaster. He succeeded his brother Edward in the government of Gascony, served also in Spain and Scotland, and took a very prominent part in the conduct of affairs in the reign of his nephew Richard II. He was thrice married; his first wife, Blanche, daughter of the duke of Lancaster, brought him a son, who became king, as Henry IV., and two daughters; his second wife was Constantia, daughter of Peter the Cruel, (in whose right he assumed the title of king of Castile and Leon,) who bore him a daughter, Catherine, who married Henry III. of Castile; his third was Catherine Swinford, by whom he was the father of the Beauforts. He died Feb. 3, 1399, and was buried in St. Paul's, London. 4. Edmund, born June, 1341, at Langley, was earl of Cambridge and duke of York. He, like his brother John, married a daughter of Peter the Cruel, and had by her two sons, Edward, duke of York, killed at Agincourt, and Richard, earl of Cambridge, beheaded; and a daughter, Constance, married to Thomas le Despenser, earl of Gloucester. 5. Thomas, born at Woodstock, January 7, 1354, became earl of Buckingham 1377, duke of Gloucester 1385, and lord high constable. He was engaged in constant struggles with his nephew, Richard II., and after being victorious on several occasions, was at last suddenly seized, hurried off to Calais, and put to death, in Sept. 1397. By his wife Eleanor, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, he left a son, who died unmarried, and two daughters. 6, 7. William of Hatfield (born 1336) and William of Windsor, died young. The king's daughters were, 1. Isabel, born 1332, married to Ingelram de Coucy, created earl of Bedford; 2. Joan, born 1333, contracted to Peter, prince of Castile, but died in 1348; 3. Blanche, born 1342, who died an infant; 4. Mary, born 1344, married to John de Montfort, (afterwards John IV., duke of Britanny); and 5. Margaret, born 1346, married to John Hastings, earl of Pembroke. In the early part of his reign Edward bore the same arms as his immediate predecessors, and styled himself, as they had done, king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine, but in 1337 he took in addition the title of king of France, and in 1340 he quartered the arms of that kingdom with his own. He is said to have introduced supporters to the royal arms, but the fact is doubtful. Various badges were employed by him, of which, rays descending from a cloud, the stump of a tree, couped, a falcon, a griffin, an ostrich feather, and a sword erect, may be enumerated. Edward in 1337 created a new dig- the care of the earl of Lancaster, hurnity in England, that of duke, bestow-ried from place to place, and at length ing the title of duke of Cornwall on murdered at Berkeley, Sept. 21. Sevehis son Edward; he also established ral nobles, ignorant of his fate, form the Order of the Garter soon after, plans for his release. probably in commemoration of the siege and capture of Calais. The character of Edward is usually highly estimated, and he is commonly represented as chargeable with few other faults than those inseparable from ambition; but this is too favourable a picture. He, however, evinced great ability in dealing with public affairs. Though almost constantly engaged in war, he also laboured to improve the commerce and manufactures of his people, and they were thus reconciled to the heavy burdens he imposed on them, notwithstanding that he frequently disregarded the provisions of the Charter, and attempted to raise funds with little regard to parliamentary usages. A.D. 1327. Edward is crowned at Westminster, Feb. 1'. The great Charter of the Liberties and the Charter of the Forest ordained to be kept in every articles [1 Edw. III. c. 1]. A regency is appointed by the parliament, Henry earl of Lancaster being nominally the head, but all power residing with Queen Isabella and Mortimer, who share the estates of the Despensers between them. Restitution of estates and honours made to the partisans of Thomas, earl of Lancaster. A new charter is granted to the Londoners. The Scots invade England; the young king, in pursuing them, narrowly escapes capture, Aug. 4. The deposed king is removed from f His peace was proclaimed on Jan. 24, but, for some reason now unknown, his regnal years are computed from Jan. 25. The charters were again confirmed in 1328, 1330, 1331, 1336, 1340, 1341, 1357, 1363, 1364, 1368, 1371, and 1377. b A piece of the "true cross," set in jewels, which had belonged to Margaret, the sister of Edgar Atheling, was included, but the famous stone of Scone (see A.D. 1296), was not surrendered, through fear of a popular tumult. i Philip III. of France, who died in 1285, was A.D. 1328. Peace is concluded with Scotland, at Edinburgh, March 17. The claim of feudal superiority is renounced, the Scottish regalia given up, many Scottish prisoners released, and a marriage agreed on between Joan, the king's young sister, and David, son of Robert Bruce; on their part, the Scots agree to pay the sum of £20,000 in three years. Charles IV. of France dying without male issue, the king claims the crown of France in right of his mother1. His claim is rejected by the states of the kingdom, and Philip of Valois, cousin of the deceased king, succeeds as Philip VI. Robert Bruce dies, June 7. His son, a child of seven years, succeeds, às David II., and is crowned at Scone, Nov. 23. a mock trial' hanged at Tyburn, Nov. A.D. 1331. The king again goes to France, April 4. He repeats his homage at Amiens, April 13, and returns April 20. A parliament held at Westminster, September and October. SCOTLAND. patent, dated Roxburgh, Nov. 23; he is suddenly attacked by the Scots at Annan, at Christmas, and expelled. A.D. 1333. The Scots invade England. The king marches into Scotland, and besieges Berwick; Douglas, the regent, attempts to relieve it, but is defeated and killed at Halidon, (near Berwick,) July 19, and the town surrenders, July 20. The young king and queen flee to France. Balliol is received as king by a par The year 1332 saw the renewal of the attempt to bring Scotland under feudal subjection to England. One of the stipulations of the treaty of peace of 1328 provided that any lands which English nobles had held in Scotland and had lost during the war should be restored to them, but this was not done. Edward Balliol (son of the competitor) was among the number who thus suffered; he raised a small force, with the assistance of friends similarly placed, landed in Scotland, and met with such success that in little more than a month he was crowned king. He was, how-liament held at Perth in October. ever, soon expelled; was restored, again expelled, and returned in company with the king of England, whom he had formally acknowledged as his liege lord, and to whom he had ceded, as far as treaties went, the whole of the country south of the Forth and Clyde. But though the allies ravaged the land as far north as Inverness, killed the earl of Douglas, who acted as regent for David II., and captured Berwick, their enterprise failed, and the kingdom of Scotland remains to the pre sent day de facto and de jure independent of any other. A.D. 1332. Edward Balliol and his friends invade Scotland; they land at Kinghorn, in Fifeshire, Aug. 7; and defeat the Scots near Perth, Aug. 11, 12. Balliol is crowned at Scone, Sept. 27. He subjects the crown of Scotland to that of England, and makes a grant of the town of Berwick, by his letters By the law of France, known as the Salic law, females could not succeed to the throne, but Edward asserted that the disability was only personal, and that a right to the crown could be transmitted through them; Philip maintained the contrary. Edward gave way at the time, but revived his claim in 1337, being probably induced to do so A.D. 1334. Balliol offends his supporters by ceding the whole south of Scotland to the English, June 12. He is obliged to flee to Berwick. A.D. 1335 A parliament held at York, in May, in which freedom of trading is guaranteed to foreign merchants [9 Edw. III. c. 1. The king, in concert with Balliol, invades Scotland in August, advancing, in the course of the next year, as far as Inverness. the king forms continental alliances, and assumes the title of King of France, Oct. 7. The export of wool prohibited, and foreign cloth-workers allowed to settle in England' [11 Edw. III. c. 1]. The religious houses lend their jewels and plate to the king for the war with France. A.D. 1338. The French burn Portsmouth, in June. The king embarks for Flanders, from the Orwell, July 16, leaving his son Edward regent, but is unable to attack France until the next year". The French make an attack on Southampton, Oct. 4. A.D. 1339. The king invades France from Flanders, in September, but most of his allies desert him, and he is obliged to retire after ravaging the Cambresis and other frontier districts. A.D. 1340. The king returns to England, Feb. 21. He holds a parliament, March 29, obtains supplies, and sails from the Orwell, June 22. The clergy exempted from purveyance [14 Edw. III. c. 1]. Sheriffs directed to be appointed annually, at the Exchequer, on the morrow of All Souls" [14 Edw. III. c. 7]. One weight and one measure established for the whole kingdom° [14 Edw. III., c. 12] The king defeats the French fleet at Sluys, June 24; he orders a public thanksgiving for his victory. He besieges Tournay, and challenges "Philip of Valois" to a single combat, July 26; the French king It was subsequently made felony [27 Edw. III. st. 2, c. 3]. 1 Some had before done so, by the king's special licence (as William and Hanekin, weavers from Brabant, permitted to exercise their trade at York, Dec. 12, 1336). m An invasion of England being expected, an order was issued, Nov. 20, 1338, that only one bell should be rung in churches within seven leagues of the sea, so that in case of attack the people might be warned by the ringing of all the bells. "The statute recites that many sheriffs had been guilty of great oppression in their office, which they considered themselves to hold for life. This was one of the remedies promised by Magna Charta, but, like many other valuable points, it seems to have been neglected. P He was succeeded by Sir Robert Bourchier, the first layman who held the office of chancellor. 4 John III., duke of Britanny (the grandson of Henry III.), dying without male issue, the duchy was claimed by his half-brother, John de Montfort (John IV.), and Charles of Blois, who had married his niece. The French court adjudged it to Charles, but he was vigorously opposed by the Montforts, and at length killed in the field. John de Montfort the younger (John V.) married Mary, daughter of Edward III., and was powerfully supported by him; he was thus established in Britanny, but in the next reign, to conciliate the king of France, he abandoned the English cause. The papal court had long been in the habit of May 18. The king also complains | deavour to gain that earldom for his of them, Aug. 30, Sept. 10. son Edward'. He sails from Sandwich July 3; but his chief partisan, Jacob van Arteveldt, being killed in a popular tumult at Ghent, July 17, the attempt fails, and he returns to England, July 26. The earl of Salisbury (William Montacute) obtains possession of the Isle of Man, and is crowned there. When the islanders put themselves under the protection of Edward I., he bestowed Aufrica, the granddaughter of the last native king, on Sir Simon Montacute, and she transmitted Arms of Montacute, earl of Salisbury. her rights to her husband, who mortgaged the isle to Anthony Beck, Bishop of Durham. It was afterwards granted by Edward II. to Gaveston, and in 1313 was recovered by the Scots, but their rule was unpopular, and the natives invited Montacute to drive them out. A.D. 1344. The truce with France broken. The earl of Derby (Henry Grismond ") is successful in Guienne. The florin, the first English gold coin, struck this year. A.D. 1345. De Montfort escapes from prison and repairs to Britanny. The king goes to Flanders, to en granting what were termed provisions, in virtue of which persons (usually foreign priests) were intruded into English churches, and even bishops' sees, in violation of the rights of the king and other patrons. The abuse had been often resisted (see A.D. 1260), but it was too profitable to be readily abandoned. See A.D. 1290. He was the grandson of Aufrica, and a military commander of eminence. He died in 1346, and was buried in the church of the White Friars in London. His son William sold the island in 1395 to Sir William Scrope. Afterwards created duke of Lancaster. He died March 24, 1361. John of Gaunt married his daughter, and thence derived his dukedom. That is, the first that remained any length of time in circulation. Henry III. coined a "gold penny," but it appears to have been withdrawn; and a gold coin attributed to Edward the Confessor exists. See p. 25. He had been captured by the partisans of Charles of Blois, and imprisoned in Paris, and was still confined in spite of the stipulation for his re A.D. 1346. The king invades Normandy, landing at La Hogue July 10. He ravages the country on the left bank of the Seine as far as Paris, but is reduced to great difficulties by the bridges being broken down. Having repaired the bridge at Poissy, he crosses the river, burns the suburbs of Beauvais, and defeats a body of the French beyond the Somme, Aug. 24. He halts at Crecy, near Abbeville, Aug. 25; is attacked there by a greatly superior French force, but totally defeats them, Aug. 26; marches onward, Sept. 1, through the county of Boulogne, and invests Calais. David II. of Scotland, incited by the French, invades England; he is defeated and taken prisoner at Nevill's Cross, near Durham, Oct. 17". Balliol ravages the south of Scotland. A.D. 1347. Charles of Blois is captured in Britanny by the English ©, June 20. Calais is surrendered, Aug. 4; Almeric of Pavia is appointed governor. A truce is concluded, and the king returns to England, landing at Sandwich Oct. 12. lease in the articles of truce. He died soon after, but the war was continued by his son. The count (Louis I.) had refused to abandon his fealty to the king of France, and Edward, in revenge, endeavoured to avail himself of the discontent that had long existed between the rulers and the great trading towns of Flanders. His success is said to have been partly owing to the employment of cannon, some pieces of which were, according to Barbour, used by him against the Scots as early as 1327. Queen Philippa is usually said to have been with the army, but this is incorrect; she remained at York. He was confined in the Tower till August, 1348, when he was ransomed, and soon resumed the war. and their houses offered as a gift to any English The French population was in part removed, who would settle there; and a three years' exemption from tolls was granted. A staple for tin, lead, feathers, and cloth, was also appointed. No Frenchman was to be allowed to hold any office in the town, or to serve in the garrison; but these restrictions soon came to be disregarded. |
