Guichard d'Angle
Encyclopedia
Guichard d'Angle, Earl of Huntingdon
, KG
(d. 1380) was a Poitevin
knight, a Knight of the Garter
and a companion of Edward the Black Prince. He was born in a noble family from Angles-sur-l'Anglin
in North-Eastern Poitou, sometime between 1305 and 1315.
Guichard first appears in a muster roll of 1346 as a knight. In October of that year he commanded the defence of Niort
against a raiding party of Henry of Grosmont
. In 1349 he served as a French deputy commander in Saintonge
and was appointed seneschal the following year. In 1351 he was captured in the battle of Saintes and was ransomed later, in 1353.
In the run-up to the Battle of Poitiers (1356)
Guichard seized the fortress of Rochefort
and was appointed its castellan by the dauphin. He fought at Poitiers on the French side, was captured and released for ransom. In 1360 he was in Paris with dauphin Charles
. He participated in the preliminary discussions of the Anglo-French truce at Longjumeau
but didn't sign the actual Treaty of Brétigny
. However, Guichard was charged with transferring the fortress of La Rochelle
to the English under the terms of the treaty. In 1361 overlordship over Guichard's lands was formally transferred to the King of England.
From 1364 to 1372 Guichard participated in the English administration of Aquitaine
and was appointed marshal. He joined the Black Prince's expedition to Spain during Castilian Civil War
between 1366 and 1369 and fought in the Battle of Najera of 1367. After the Spanish campaign he was sent to Rome. In his absence the hostilities resumed, and (according to Froissart) Guichard's embassy had to split and find the way through Savoy, Auvergne and Brittany. He joined John of Hastings, earl of Pembroke
in a raid into the valley of Loire. He was a member of John Chandos
' troop when Chandos was mortally wounded. Shortly afterwards Guichard was appointed governor of Poitou. In 1370 Guichard participated in the sack of Limoges
by Prince Edward's forces. He spent the winter of 1371-1372 in England, where he was made Knight of the Garter. On 22 June 1372 he was captured on the way back to the continent in the Battle of La Rochelle
together with Hastings. He couldn't ransom himself out because his lands were taken by the French. He was transferred to Olivier de Mauny in 1374 and was exchanged in 1375. He was appointed tutor of Richard, Prince of Wales
, and at his coronation in 1377 King Richard made Guichard Earl of Huntingdon
for life and granted him an additional pension.
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
, KG
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(d. 1380) was a Poitevin
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....
knight, a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
and a companion of Edward the Black Prince. He was born in a noble family from Angles-sur-l'Anglin
Angles-sur-l'Anglin
Angles-sur-l'Anglin is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France. It has been selected as one of the official most beautiful villages of France and contains castle ruins dating as far back as the 11th century originally constructed for the Bishop of...
in North-Eastern Poitou, sometime between 1305 and 1315.
Guichard first appears in a muster roll of 1346 as a knight. In October of that year he commanded the defence of Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
against a raiding party of Henry of Grosmont
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...
. In 1349 he served as a French deputy commander in Saintonge
Saintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
and was appointed seneschal the following year. In 1351 he was captured in the battle of Saintes and was ransomed later, in 1353.
In the run-up to the Battle of Poitiers (1356)
Battle of Poitiers (1356)
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt....
Guichard seized the fortress of Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
and was appointed its castellan by the dauphin. He fought at Poitiers on the French side, was captured and released for ransom. In 1360 he was in Paris with dauphin Charles
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
. He participated in the preliminary discussions of the Anglo-French truce at Longjumeau
Longjumeau
Longjumeau is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Inhabitants of Longjumeau are known as Longjumellois.-Transportation:...
but didn't sign the actual Treaty of Brétigny
Treaty of Brétigny
The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty signed on May 9, 1360, between King Edward III of England and King John II of France. In retrospect it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War —as well as the height of English hegemony on the Continent.It was signed...
. However, Guichard was charged with transferring the fortress of La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
to the English under the terms of the treaty. In 1361 overlordship over Guichard's lands was formally transferred to the King of England.
From 1364 to 1372 Guichard participated in the English administration of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
and was appointed marshal. He joined the Black Prince's expedition to Spain during Castilian Civil War
Castilian Civil War
The Castilian Civil War lasted three years from 1366 to 1369. It became part of the larger conflict then raging between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France: the Hundred Years' War...
between 1366 and 1369 and fought in the Battle of Najera of 1367. After the Spanish campaign he was sent to Rome. In his absence the hostilities resumed, and (according to Froissart) Guichard's embassy had to split and find the way through Savoy, Auvergne and Brittany. He joined John of Hastings, earl of Pembroke
John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, KG , was an English nobleman and soldier who also held the title Baron Abergavenny. He was the posthumous son of Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Agnes Mortimer.- Marriage :He was married on 19 May 1359 in Reading to Margaret , daughter of Edward III...
in a raid into the valley of Loire. He was a member of John Chandos
John Chandos
Sir John Chandos, Viscount of Saint-Sauveur in the Cotentin, Constable of Aquitaine, Seneschal of Poitou, KG was a medieval English knight who hailed from Radbourne Hall, Derbyshire. Chandos was a close friend of Edward, the Black Prince and a founding member and 19th Knight of the Order of the...
' troop when Chandos was mortally wounded. Shortly afterwards Guichard was appointed governor of Poitou. In 1370 Guichard participated in the sack of Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
by Prince Edward's forces. He spent the winter of 1371-1372 in England, where he was made Knight of the Garter. On 22 June 1372 he was captured on the way back to the continent in the Battle of La Rochelle
Battle of La Rochelle
The naval Battle of La Rochelle took place on 22 and 23 June 1372 between a Castilian and French fleet commanded by the Genoese born Ambrosio Boccanegra and an English convoy commanded by John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. The Franco-Castilian fleet had been sent to attack the English at La...
together with Hastings. He couldn't ransom himself out because his lands were taken by the French. He was transferred to Olivier de Mauny in 1374 and was exchanged in 1375. He was appointed tutor of Richard, Prince of Wales
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
, and at his coronation in 1377 King Richard made Guichard Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
for life and granted him an additional pension.