Summary
| Siege of Mercq | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Hundred Years' War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of France |
 Kingdom of England | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Richard Aston Robert de Berengeville † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
~800
| ~500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy[1] | Light | ||||||
On 6 May of 1405,[2] a French army under the command of Waleran III, Count of Ligny and Saint-Pol besieged the English castle at Mercq in Pas-de-Calais.[3]
Siege edit
The French siege proved futile as English reinforcements under Lieutenant of Calais Sir Richard Aston arrived with the Calais garrison to counterattack and lift the siege.[2] Although surprised by the English attack the French troops manned the trenches, but the Genoese crossbowmen had no bolts and St. Pol's army suffered losses from English archers.[2] The first to flee were the Flemings, quickly followed by the French and Genoese.[2] Waleran III escaped with remnants of his army, but most were either killed or captured. The English captured all the French artillery, four standards, 60-80 prisoners including Jean de Hangest.[2]
French Nobles Killed edit
- Andrieux de Rambures, the captain of Boulogne and Gravelines, Governor of West Flanders
- Jean de Rambures, Governor of Arras
- Morel de Saveuse
- Guy Divrigny
- Courbet de Renty
- Martel de Vaulhuom
- Lord of Faiel
- Lord of Cresecques
French Nobles taken Prisoner edit
- David de Rambures
- Jean V de Hangest[2]
- Sarrazin Darby
- Captain of Boulogne
- Lord of Guiency
- Lord of Noielle-sur-Sens
- Lord of Brimeu
- Lord of Dampierre
References edit
- ^ Purton 2009, p. 212.
- ^ a b c d e f Sumption 2017, p. 161.
- ^ Given-Wilson 2008, p. 37.
Sources edit
- Given-Wilson, Chris (2008). ""The Quarrel of Old Women": Henry IV, Louis of Orleans, and Anglo-French Chivalric Challenges in the Early Fifteenth Century". In Dodd, Gwilym; Biggs, Douglas (eds.). The Reign of Henry IV: Rebellion and Survival, 1403-1413. York Medieval Press.
- Purton, Peter Fraser (2009). A History of the Late Medieval Siege, 1200-1500. Boydell & Brewer.
- Sumption, Jonathan (2017). The Hundred Years War, Volume 4: Cursed Kings. Vol. 4. University of Pennsylvania Press.161