going across strange terrain and hoping to catch the Dartmothians unawares. But the town had early word of du Chatel’s approach, and it is thought Hawley himself came up with the defensive plan. The river running into the sea
at Blackpool was dammed and the bottom of the valley was very marshy, with just one crossing point. This made the challenge of getting down one side of the valley and then up the other side to the defenders almost impossible for du Chatel. The man, despite the setbacks
of his campaign, was no fool, and he wanted to turn back but his co- commander de Jaille baited him suggesting he was frightened to go up against a bunch of lowly-born English louts. The French Lords of the time were famous for riding over their own men. If those men were peasants, they considered no better than cattle. Du Chatel decided he could not face the ignominy of being beaten by a band of English ‘low- lifes’, and recklessly led a charge across a marsh to attack a hill filled with archers. It was the most ill-judged decision a snob has ever
made. Three lords and twenty knights were taken prisoner for ransom - the remaining 500 or so men were slaughtered. Du Chatel himself died in custody from his wounds before his family could raise the ransom for his release. The victory was stunning to the Mediaeval World.
Dartmouth boats had killed scores more men and caused innumerable damage to French shipping over the last five years, and none of it merited a mention. But the King was so pleased by the victory he ordered a Te Deum to be sung in Westminster Abbey – the equivalent of front page news.
John Hawley with his wives Alicia & Joanna
In fact The arms of De Jaille
It was the most ill- judged decision a snob has ever made.
the land-victory was so stunning it is thought a sea battle which could have taken place, ensuring the French force was depleted, is not mentioned anywhere in the accounts of the battle. Michael Connors, author of
John Hawley: Merchant, Mayor and Privateer (published by Richard Webb Books), suggests that a coordinated strike by ships from Dartmouth on the French as they landed combined with the land force could be what allowed the victory to be so comprehensive. Perhaps this is why John Hawley is so associated with the Battle, even though it appears the 64 year man, probably suffering from gout
or arthritis, was not in any way involved in the fighting itself. The King’s ‘Admiral’, based in the
Fortalice at the new Dartmouth Castle he had built, was just the man to
coordinate a clever and devastating double strike on the Breton attacks, by land and sea, finishing them off and saving the town from the terrible carnage the knights, bent on revenge, had been determined to inflict.u
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