John I of Armagnac
Encyclopedia
John I of Armagnac son of Bernard VI and Cecilia Rodez, was Count of Armagnac
from 1319 to 1373. In addition to Armagnac he controlled territory in Quercy
, Rouergue
and Gévaudan
. He was the count who initiated the 14th century expansion of the county.
, Constable of France
, in Gascony
.
In July 1338, he attended a general conference at La Réole
, but before achieving anything of note, John and his fellow captain-general in the south, Gaston II, Count of Foix
, were called north to help counter the expected invasion of Northern France by King Edward III of England
. As this threat grew weaker the French offensive in the south was resumed with the siege of Penne-d'Agenais
in November by John of Bohemia and the Count of Foix. John provided 1,200 men for this siege, which ended with the surrender of the town, though not the castle.
Through these early years of the war the Count of Foix had conducted a series of independent campaigns which allowed him to expand his personal territory into the Adour
valley and the Landes
. This expansion brought him into conflict with Armagnac. Just after his return from the north at the end of 1339 John attacked Miramont-Sensacq
, a small town he laid claim to, but which was situated in territory dominated by the Count of Foix. This started a short but violent private war, ended by the town taken into royal custody.
This quarrel caused John to reconsider his allegiance to the French Crown. When he in May 1340 again went to join King Philip VI of France
’s northern army, he left Bernard Ezi IV
, Lord of Albret with documents stating terms under which terms he would be willing to do homage to Edward III. As compensation for the territory he expected to lose once he switched allegiance Armagnac demanded several towns held by the King of France, chief among them Montréal
, Mézin
and Condom
. Of these the English only succeeded in taking and holding Mézin. The negotiations therefore came to an end and John remained a vassal of Philip VI.
In the north the situation had improved for the English with their naval victory in the Battle of Sluys
. Edward III’s next step was an attack on Saint-Omer
by his Flemish
allies led by Robert III of Artois
. However Robert III failed completely in masking his intentions. This allowed Philip VI to dispatch John of Armagnac to reinforce the garrison already present there under Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy
. On 26 July what begun as an unauthorized attack on the enemy lines by some French knights developed into a major battle as the Duke of Burgundy decided to sally forth in strength. During the Battle of Saint-Omer
the Count of Armagnac with his retinue of 300 heavy cavalry succeeded in breaking the Flemish left and then in the following pursuit causing several thousand casualties. Faced with the loss of the bulk of his army Robert of Artois was forced to retreat from the city in disorder.
Meanwhile Edward III had with his own army laid siege to the city of Tournai
. The siege dragged out and in September Philip VI marched to confront him. The result was not battle, but negotiations in which John of Armagnac took part as one of five French plenipotentiaries. The negotiations resulted in a truce concluded on 24 September. The lull in the fighting, except for an interlude in 1342, was to last until 1345
In August 1345 Armagnac was laying siege to the Anglo-Gascon garrison at Monchamp outside Condom when Henry of Gosmont, Earl of Lancaster
arrived in Bordeux. Derby’s opened his campaign with the capture of the garrison town of Bergerac
by storm. This caused major shock to at the French court as no significant English army was expected in the south. Armagnac helped shore up the French position by gathering some of the survivors and retreating to Périgueux
. Lancaster moved to surround Périgueux, but did not have the strength to capture the city and in October he was forced to withdraw with the arrival of a force commanded by Louis of Poitiers
, Count of Valentinois
.
In September 1346, following the French defeat at the Battle of Crécy
and the beginning of the English Siege of Calais, Armagnac was appointed royal lieutenant in the south-west. However due to the overall worsening French situation he was left with few troops and little money. He was therefore unable to stop Lancaster neither from consolidating English gains in the south nor from launching a major raid into Poitou
.
, they had no children.
Armagnac later married Beatrice of Clermont. They had three children:
Count of Armagnac
The following is a list of rulers of the county of Armagnac:-House of Armagnac:*William Count of Fézensac and Armagnac ?– 960*Bernard the Suspicious, First count privative of Armagnac 960– ?*Gerald I Trancaléon ? –1020*Bernard I Tumapaler 1020–1061...
from 1319 to 1373. In addition to Armagnac he controlled territory in Quercy
Quercy
Quercy is a former province of France located in the country's southwest, bounded on the north by Limousin, on the west by Périgord and Agenais, on the south by Gascony and Languedoc, and on the east by Rouergue and Auvergne....
, Rouergue
Rouergue
Rouergue is a former province of France, bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan and on the west by Quercy...
and Gévaudan
Gévaudan
Gévaudan is a historical area of France, nowadays situated in Lozère département. It took its name from the Gabali, a Gallic tribe subordinate to the Arverni.- History :...
. He was the count who initiated the 14th century expansion of the county.
Hundred Years War
In summer 1337, with the outbreak of the Hundred Years War, he provided a contingent of 6,000 men for the campaign of Raoul I of EuRaoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu
Raoul I of Brienne was the son of John II of Brienne, Count of Eu and Jeanne, Countess of Guînes.He succeeded his father as Count of Eu in 1302, and his mother as Count of Guînes in 1332. In 1329, he was named Constable of France, and he also held the office of Governor of Languedoc.In 1315, he...
, Constable of France
Constable of France
The Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King...
, in Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
.
In July 1338, he attended a general conference at La Réole
La Réole
La Réole is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:La Réole is located on the right bank of the Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux by rail.-History:...
, but before achieving anything of note, John and his fellow captain-general in the south, Gaston II, Count of Foix
Gaston III of Foix-Béarn
Gaston III/X of Foix-Béarn, also Gaston Fébus or Gaston Phoebus was the 11th count of Foix, and viscount of Béarn . Officially, he was Gaston III of Foix and Gaston X of Béarn.-Early life:...
, were called north to help counter the expected invasion of Northern France by King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
. As this threat grew weaker the French offensive in the south was resumed with the siege of Penne-d'Agenais
Penne-d'Agenais
Penne-d'Agenais is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department...
in November by John of Bohemia and the Count of Foix. John provided 1,200 men for this siege, which ended with the surrender of the town, though not the castle.
Through these early years of the war the Count of Foix had conducted a series of independent campaigns which allowed him to expand his personal territory into the Adour
Adour
The Adour is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre , at the Col du Tourmalet, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost as the Adour du Tourmalet. At its final stretch, i.e...
valley and the Landes
Landes forest
The Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
. This expansion brought him into conflict with Armagnac. Just after his return from the north at the end of 1339 John attacked Miramont-Sensacq
Miramont-Sensacq
Miramont-Sensacq is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France....
, a small town he laid claim to, but which was situated in territory dominated by the Count of Foix. This started a short but violent private war, ended by the town taken into royal custody.
This quarrel caused John to reconsider his allegiance to the French Crown. When he in May 1340 again went to join King Philip VI of France
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
’s northern army, he left Bernard Ezi IV
Bernard Ezi IV
Bernard Ezi IV was the Lord of Albret from 1324 to 1358 and the son of Amanieu VIII.In 1330, Edward III of England sent men to Gascony to negotiate with the nobles. Bernard tried to negotiate a marriage between his eldest son and heir Arnaud Amanieu and a daughter of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl...
, Lord of Albret with documents stating terms under which terms he would be willing to do homage to Edward III. As compensation for the territory he expected to lose once he switched allegiance Armagnac demanded several towns held by the King of France, chief among them Montréal
Montréal, Gers
Montréal is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.It lies not far from Castelnau-d'Auzan.-Geography:...
, Mézin
Mézin
Mézin is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France.This place is situated in Nerac, Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine, France, its geographical coordinates are 44° 3' 0" North, 0° 16' 0" East and its original name is Mézin...
and Condom
Condom, Gers
Condom , also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.-Way of St. James:...
. Of these the English only succeeded in taking and holding Mézin. The negotiations therefore came to an end and John remained a vassal of Philip VI.
In the north the situation had improved for the English with their naval victory in the Battle of Sluys
Battle of Sluys
The decisive naval Battle of Sluys , also called Battle of l'Ecluse was fought on 24 June 1340 as one of the opening conflicts of the Hundred Years' War...
. Edward III’s next step was an attack on Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
by his Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
allies led by Robert III of Artois
Robert III of Artois
Robert III of Artois was the son of Philip of Artois and Blanche of Brittany.In 1318 he married Joan of Valois , daughter of Charles of Valois, and had issue:* Louis...
. However Robert III failed completely in masking his intentions. This allowed Philip VI to dispatch John of Armagnac to reinforce the garrison already present there under Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy
Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy
Odo IV, or Eudes IV was Duke of Burgundy from 1315 until his death and Count of Burgundy and Artois between 1330 and 1347. He was the second son of Duke Robert II and Agnes of France.-Life:...
. On 26 July what begun as an unauthorized attack on the enemy lines by some French knights developed into a major battle as the Duke of Burgundy decided to sally forth in strength. During the Battle of Saint-Omer
Battle of Saint-Omer
The battle of Saint-Omer was a large action fought in 1340 as part of King Edward III's summer campaign against France launched from Flanders in the early stages of the Hundred Year's War. The campaign was launched in the aftermath of the battle of Sluys but proved far less successful for the...
the Count of Armagnac with his retinue of 300 heavy cavalry succeeded in breaking the Flemish left and then in the following pursuit causing several thousand casualties. Faced with the loss of the bulk of his army Robert of Artois was forced to retreat from the city in disorder.
Meanwhile Edward III had with his own army laid siege to the city of Tournai
Siege of Tournai (1340)
During the Hundred Years' War, after the naval battle at Sluys on 20 June 1340, in which Edward III of England dealt the French a heavy blow, he went on to besiege Tournai. This city in Flanders was loyal to Philip VI of France....
. The siege dragged out and in September Philip VI marched to confront him. The result was not battle, but negotiations in which John of Armagnac took part as one of five French plenipotentiaries. The negotiations resulted in a truce concluded on 24 September. The lull in the fighting, except for an interlude in 1342, was to last until 1345
In August 1345 Armagnac was laying siege to the Anglo-Gascon garrison at Monchamp outside Condom when Henry of Gosmont, Earl of Lancaster
Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster
Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 4th Earl of Leicester and Lancaster, KG , also Earl of Derby, was a member of the English nobility in the 14th century, and a prominent English diplomat, politician, and soldier...
arrived in Bordeux. Derby’s opened his campaign with the capture of the garrison town of Bergerac
Bergerac, Dordogne
Bergerac is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Dordogne department in southwestern France.-Population:-Economy:The region is primarily known for wine and tobacco...
by storm. This caused major shock to at the French court as no significant English army was expected in the south. Armagnac helped shore up the French position by gathering some of the survivors and retreating to Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
. Lancaster moved to surround Périgueux, but did not have the strength to capture the city and in October he was forced to withdraw with the arrival of a force commanded by Louis of Poitiers
Louis of Poitiers
Louis of Poitiers may refer to:*Louis of Poitiers , who succeeded Henri, Dauphin of Viennois*Louis of Poitiers , bishop of Valence from 1448 to 1468...
, Count of Valentinois
Count of Valentinois
Count of Valentinois , is an extinct title in the French peerage. It later became the Duke of Valentinois. It originally indicated administrative control of the County of Valentinois ....
.
In September 1346, following the French defeat at the Battle of Crécy
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
and the beginning of the English Siege of Calais, Armagnac was appointed royal lieutenant in the south-west. However due to the overall worsening French situation he was left with few troops and little money. He was therefore unable to stop Lancaster neither from consolidating English gains in the south nor from launching a major raid into Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
.
Marriages & Children
In 1311 Armagnac married Reine de Got(d.1325), niece of Pope Clement VPope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
, they had no children.
Armagnac later married Beatrice of Clermont. They had three children:
- John II of ArmagnacJohn II of ArmagnacJohn II, the Hunchback, , Count of Armagnac, of Fézensac, Rodez and Count of Charolais , Viscount Lomagne and Auvillars, he was the son of John I, Count of Armagnac, of Fezensac and Rodez, Viscount Lomagne and Auvillars and Beatrix de Clermont, great-granddaughter of Louis IX of France.During the...
(1333-1384) - JoannaJoanna of ArmagnacJoan of Armagnac was a French noblewoman of the powerful Armagnac family, being the eldest daughter of Count John I of Armagnac and his wife Beatrice of Clermont...
, married John, Duke of BerryJohn, Duke of BerryJohn of Valois or John the Magnificent was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were King Charles V of France, Duke Louis I of Anjou and Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy...
in 1360. - MarthaMartha of ArmagnacMartha of Armagnac was the youngest child of John I of Armagnac and his second wife Beatrice of Clermont. She was the first wife of John I of Aragon but never became Queen consort of Aragon because she was outlived by her father-in-law Peter IV of Aragon.- Early Life and Family :Martha was the...
, married John I of AragonJohn I of AragonJohn I , called by posterity the Hunter or the Lover of Elegance , but the Abandoned in his lifetime, was the King of...
Further reading
- Sumption, JonathanJonathan SumptionJonathan Philip Chadwick Sumption, OBE, QC is a UK barrister and medieval historian. On 4 May 2011 it was announced that he had been appointed to the United Kingdom Supreme Court, to be sworn in at a date agreed between him and Lord Phillips, President of the Supreme Court.He is known for his...
, The Hundred Years War, Vol 1, Trial by Battle, 1990, ISBN 0-57113-895-0