Received wisdoms

One of my interests is the turn of the 13th–14th century, when England, France, Scotland and Flanders (among others) were locked in a struggle for supremacy — and sometimes simple survival. And honestly, the diplomacy can be as entertaining as the warfare once you get into the gritty details.

One lesson I’ve learned: don’t trust received wisdom and tidy generalisations.

It’s often said that Edward I and Philip IV abandoned their respective allies — Flanders and Scotland — through the peace of Montreuil (1299). I used to accept that without thinking… until I looked more closely at the sources.

Under the Montreuil agreement, Philip restored Edward as Count of Ponthieu in northern France. That mattered because it put England back into a familiar position: a vassal for its French lands, meaning the French king could legally summon Edward for military service.

And Philip promptly tried to cash that cheque. He summoned Edward to provide ships and troops for war against the Flemings — his former allies.

Edward’s response (1304), addressed to the mayor and citizens of London, was clear enough:

“…we have granted to our lord Philip, the illustrious King of France, our dearest kinsman, that we will provide and assemble in our port of Sandwich twenty ships, well and sufficiently equipped with able men, fit for defence, and with other things necessary for the business of war, in aid of the said King of France, for his expedition into Flanders, for four months, beginning from the time when the said ships move from the aforesaid port…”

Sounds straightforward… except the ships were never sent.

A separate (and very clerical) note, buried in a printed volume of correspondence, mentions the real business: the king’s envoys were tasked with delivering an excuse for the non-service of the fleet, returning the indenture, and demanding repayment of damages.

“A transcript of the letters delivered to Master Ralph of Odiham, to be carried as far as Dover, concerning those matters which Sir Robert of Burghersh, Roger le Sauvage, and Peter of Donewyco, the king’s envoys in France, have to carry out by an indenture, according to the customary practice in such missions—namely, concerning the excuse for the non-service of the fleet (navium), the folding and return of the indenture, the restitution/repayment of four damages (penalties), and the authority to make satisfaction/compensation for damages, etc.”

In other words: Edward assembled the fleet, then wriggled out of dispatching it — and sent his diplomats to Paris with excuses and demands instead. How Philip’s officers reacted is, sadly, unrecorded.

So much for the war at sea. And by land? We’ll look at that next…