John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel
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John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel, 4th Baron Maltravers KG
(14 February 1408 – 12 June 1435) was an English
nobleman and military commander during the later phases of the Hundred Years' War
. His father, John FitzAlan, 3rd Baron Maltravers
, fought a long battle to lay claim to the Arundel earldom, a battle that was not finally resolved until after the father's death, when John FitzAlan the son was finally confirmed in the title in 1433.
Already before this, in 1430, FitzAlan had departed for France, where he held a series of important command positions. He served under John, Duke of Bedford
, the uncle of the eight-year-old King Henry VI
. FitzAlan was involved in recovering fortresses in the Île-de-France
region, and in suppressing local rebellions. His military career ended, however, at the Battle of Gerbevoy
in 1435. Refusing to retreat in the face of superior forces, Arundel was shot in the foot and captured. His leg was later amputated, and he died shortly afterwards from the injury. His final resting place was a matter of dispute until the mid-nineteenth century, when his tomb at Arundel Castle
was revealed to contain a skeleton missing one leg.
Arundel was considered a great soldier by his contemporaries. He had been a successful commander in France, in a period of decline for the English, and his death was a great loss to his country. He was succeeded by his son Humphrey
, who did not live to adulthood. The title of Earl of Arundel then went to John's younger brother William
.
in Dorset
on 14 February 1408. He was the son of John FitzAlan, 3rd Baron Maltravers
(1385–1421) and Eleanor (d. 1455), daughter of Sir John Berkeley of Beverstone, Gloucestershire
. John FitzAlan the elder, through his great-great-grandfather Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
, made a claim on the earldom of Arundel
after the death of Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel
, in 1415. The claim was disputed, however, by Thomas's three sisters and their families, foremost among these Elizabeth FitzAlan, who had married Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk
. It is debatable whether Maltravers ever held the title of Earl of Arundel; he was summoned to parliament under this title once, in 1416, but never again. When he died in 1421, the dispute continued under his son, and it was not until in 1433 that the younger John FitzAlan finally had his title confirmed in parliament. Four years earlier, in July 1429, he had received his late father's estates and title.
As a child, John FitzAlan was contracted to marry Constance, who was the daughter of John Cornwall, Baron Fanhope
, and through her mother Elizabeth granddaughter of John of Gaunt
. The two may or may not have married, but Constance was dead by 1429, when John married Maud, daughter of Robert Lovell. FitzAlan was knighted in 1426 along with the four-year-old King Henry VI
, where he was referred to as "Dominus de Maultravers" ("Lord Maltravers
"). In the summer of 1429 he was summoned to parliament, this time styled "Johanni Arundell' Chivaler", meaning he was now Lord Arundel
. In 1430, however, in an indenture
for service with the king in France, he was styled Earl of Arundel, a title he also used himself. When he was finally officially recognised in his title of Earl of Arundel in 1433, this was based on the recognition that the title went with the possession of Arundel Castle
. In reality though, the grant was just as much a reward for the military services he had by that point rendered in France.
under King Henry V
, and the son followed in his father's footsteps. On 23 April 1430, the younger FitzAlan departed for France in the company of Henry VI. There he soon made a name for himself as a soldier, under the command of the king's uncle, John, Duke of Bedford
. In June he took part in the Siege of Compiègne
, where Joan of Arc
had recently been captured. Later, he raised the siege of Anglure
with the help of the Burgundians
. On 17 December 1431, he was present when Henry VI was crowned King of France in Paris, where he distinguished himself at the accompanying tournament
. FitzAlan's military success led to several important appointments of command; in November 1431, he was made lieutenant of the Rouen
garrison, and shortly after also captain of Vernon
. In January 1432 he was appointed captain of Verneuil
. In February that year he was taken by surprise while in bed at Rouen Castle
, when a band of French soldiers from nearby Ricarville
managed to take the castle. The assailants could not hold the castle, however, and were forced to surrender twelve days later. In April 1432, FitzAlan was rewarded for his actions so far by initiation into the Order of the Garter
.
From early 1432 onwards, FitzAlan held several regional commands in northern France. One of his tasks was recovering fortresses in the Île-de-France
region, at which he was mostly successful. At Lagny-sur-Marne
he blew up the bridge to prevent the citizens from reaching the castle, but still failed to take the fortification. In December he was appointed to a regional command in Upper Normandy, but had to defend the town of Sées
from a siege in March 1433. In July, he was instead made lieutenant-general of Lower Normandy. FitzAlan continued his work of recovering lost fortresses, taking back Saint-Célerin
, Sillé-le-Guillaume
, and Beaumont-le-Vicomte by early 1434. In December 1433, Bedford again appointed him commander in Upper Normandy, as well as captain of Pont-de-l'Arche
.
FitzAlan by now Earl of Arundel might have returned briefly to England in May 1434, when he was in the process of gathering troops for an English expedition to France. Later that month he was replaced as lieutenant of Upper Normandy by John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury
, and instead received a command between the Seine
and Loire
rivers. This effectively meant that the two shared the command of Normandy, with Talbot east of the Seine and Arundel to the west. On 8 September, Arundel was also made Duke of Touraine
– an area held by the French. The grant was made as a reward for his good service, but also in the hope that he would campaign in the area. In October he was made captain of Saint-Lô
, where he had to deal with a rebellion in the Bessin
area. The Duke of Alençon
was trying to exploit the revolt to take control of Avranches
, but Arundel managed to prevent the French advance and end the rebellion.
in the Île-de-France, when he was ordered to relocate north to Gournay-sur-Epte (now Gournay-en-Bray
). When he was informed that the French had taken over the nearby fortress at Gerberoy
, he moved quickly to attack it. The English met with a large French force at Gerberoy. Many withdrew to Gournay in panic, but Arundel remained to fight. In the ensuing battle
, Arundel lost many of his men and was himself hit in the foot by a shot from a culverin
– a primitive musket
. Heavily wounded, he was taken to Beauvais
as a captive of the French. According to the French historian Thomas Basin
, Arundel was humiliated by his defeat and refused to receive medical treatment for the damage to his foot. The leg was eventually amputated, but Arundel's life could not be saved; he died on 12 June 1435. Arundel was replaced in his command by Lord Scales
.
There was long uncertainty about what had happened to the earl's body. The French chronicler Jehan de Waurin
claimed that Arundel had simply been buried in Beauvais. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, the chaplain of the Duke of Norfolk
came upon the will of Arundel's squire
, Fulk Eyton. Eyton maintained that he had secured the earl's body and brought it back to England, for which he had been rewarded with over £1,000. The body was then entombed in the chapel of Arundel Castle
, as Arundel had expressly wished for in his own will. On 16 November 1857, the tomb in the Arundel chapel carrying the earl's effigy was opened. In it was found a skeleton measuring over six feet, with a missing leg.
Arundel's military career coincided with a period of general decline for the English in France. He had been an unusually successful campaigner. His death was lamented in England and celebrated in France. He was referred to as the "English Achilles"; the historian Polydore Vergil
called him "a man of singular valour, constancy, and gravity." With his wife, Maud, he had a son, Humphrey
, who was born on 30 January 1429. Humphrey succeeded to his father's title, but died on 24 April 1438, while still a minor. John FitzAlan's younger brother, William
, was next in line of succession. William was born in 1417 and was created Earl of Arundel in 1438 when he came of age.
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...
(14 February 1408 – 12 June 1435) was an English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
nobleman and military commander during the later phases of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
. His father, John FitzAlan, 3rd Baron Maltravers
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel, 3rd Baron Maltravers was an English nobleman.He was the son of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, and Elizabeth le Despenser, and became Baron Arundel on his father's death in 1390 and Baron Maltravers on his grandmother's death in 1405...
, fought a long battle to lay claim to the Arundel earldom, a battle that was not finally resolved until after the father's death, when John FitzAlan the son was finally confirmed in the title in 1433.
Already before this, in 1430, FitzAlan had departed for France, where he held a series of important command positions. He served under John, Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, KG , also known as John Plantagenet, was the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England by Mary de Bohun, and acted as Regent of France for his nephew, King Henry VI....
, the uncle of the eight-year-old King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
. FitzAlan was involved in recovering fortresses in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (province)
The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
region, and in suppressing local rebellions. His military career ended, however, at the Battle of Gerbevoy
Battle of Gerbevoy
The Battle of Gerberoy was fought in 1435 between French and English forces. The French were led by La Hire and Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, and they were victorious. La Hire was made captain general of Normandy in 1438 and died at Montauban on 11 January 1443 of an unknown illness. The French won....
in 1435. Refusing to retreat in the face of superior forces, Arundel was shot in the foot and captured. His leg was later amputated, and he died shortly afterwards from the injury. His final resting place was a matter of dispute until the mid-nineteenth century, when his tomb at Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
was revealed to contain a skeleton missing one leg.
Arundel was considered a great soldier by his contemporaries. He had been a successful commander in France, in a period of decline for the English, and his death was a great loss to his country. He was succeeded by his son Humphrey
Humphrey FitzAlan, 15th Earl of Arundel
Humphrey FitzAlan, 15th Earl of Arundel, 5th Baron Maltravers . This Earl of Arundel was short lived.He was a son of John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel and Maud Lovell. His father died on 12 June 1435, leaving 6-year-old Humphrey as the 15th Earl of Arundel. Humphrey died three years later, at age 9...
, who did not live to adulthood. The title of Earl of Arundel then went to John's younger brother William
William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel
William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel, 6th Baron Maltravers .He was a son of John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor Berkeley...
.
Family background
John FitzAlan was born at Lytchett MatraversLytchett Matravers
Lytchett Matravers is a large village and civil parish in the District of Purbeck within Dorset, England. The village has a population of 3,309.-Location:...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
on 14 February 1408. He was the son of John FitzAlan, 3rd Baron Maltravers
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel
John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel, 3rd Baron Maltravers was an English nobleman.He was the son of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, and Elizabeth le Despenser, and became Baron Arundel on his father's death in 1390 and Baron Maltravers on his grandmother's death in 1405...
(1385–1421) and Eleanor (d. 1455), daughter of Sir John Berkeley of Beverstone, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. John FitzAlan the elder, through his great-great-grandfather Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
, made a claim on the earldom of Arundel
Earl of Arundel
The title Earl of Arundel is the oldest extant Earldom and perhaps the oldest extant title in the Peerage of England. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and is used by his heir apparent as a courtesy title. It was created in 1138 for the Norman baron Sir William d'Aubigny...
after the death of Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel
Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel
Thomas Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel and 10th Earl of Surrey, KG was an English nobleman, one of the principals of the deposition of Richard II, and a major figure during the reign of Henry IV.-Lineage:...
, in 1415. The claim was disputed, however, by Thomas's three sisters and their families, foremost among these Elizabeth FitzAlan, who had married Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk
Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk
Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, KG, Lord Marshal and Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.-Life:...
. It is debatable whether Maltravers ever held the title of Earl of Arundel; he was summoned to parliament under this title once, in 1416, but never again. When he died in 1421, the dispute continued under his son, and it was not until in 1433 that the younger John FitzAlan finally had his title confirmed in parliament. Four years earlier, in July 1429, he had received his late father's estates and title.
As a child, John FitzAlan was contracted to marry Constance, who was the daughter of John Cornwall, Baron Fanhope
John Cornwall, 1st Baron Fanhope
Sir John Cornewaille, 1st Baron Fanhope and Milbroke, KG, also known as Sir John Cornwall, and Sir John Cornouayl. An English nobleman, soldier and one of the most respected chivalric figures of his era.-Early life:...
, and through her mother Elizabeth granddaughter of John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
. The two may or may not have married, but Constance was dead by 1429, when John married Maud, daughter of Robert Lovell. FitzAlan was knighted in 1426 along with the four-year-old King Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
, where he was referred to as "Dominus de Maultravers" ("Lord Maltravers
Baron Maltravers
The title Baron Mautravers or Baron Maltravers was created in the Peerage of England on 25 January 1330, by writ of summons, for John Mautravers or Maltravers. It went into abeyance on his death in 1364; this was terminated by the death of his granddaughter Joan Mautravers without issue c. 1383,...
"). In the summer of 1429 he was summoned to parliament, this time styled "Johanni Arundell' Chivaler", meaning he was now Lord Arundel
Baron Arundel
The title of Baron Arundel was created in the Peerage of England on August 4, 1377 by the summons of John Fitzalan to Parliament as "Johanni de Arundell". As he was then married to Eleanor Maltravers, coheir and eventual sole heir of John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers, this is sometimes taken to...
. In 1430, however, in an indenture
Indenture
An indenture is a legal contract reflecting a debt or purchase obligation, specifically referring to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, an instrument used for commercial debt or real estate transaction.-Historical usage:An indenture is a...
for service with the king in France, he was styled Earl of Arundel, a title he also used himself. When he was finally officially recognised in his title of Earl of Arundel in 1433, this was based on the recognition that the title went with the possession of Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
. In reality though, the grant was just as much a reward for the military services he had by that point rendered in France.
Service in France
John FitzAlan the father had been a prominent soldier in the Hundred Years' WarHundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
under King Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, and the son followed in his father's footsteps. On 23 April 1430, the younger FitzAlan departed for France in the company of Henry VI. There he soon made a name for himself as a soldier, under the command of the king's uncle, John, Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, KG , also known as John Plantagenet, was the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England by Mary de Bohun, and acted as Regent of France for his nephew, King Henry VI....
. In June he took part in the Siege of Compiègne
Siege of Compiègne
The Siege of Compiègne was Joan of Arc's final military action. Her career as a leader ended with her capture during a skirmish outside the town on 23 May 1430...
, where Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
had recently been captured. Later, he raised the siege of Anglure
Anglure
Anglure is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
with the help of the Burgundians
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
. On 17 December 1431, he was present when Henry VI was crowned King of France in Paris, where he distinguished himself at the accompanying tournament
Tournament (medieval)
A tournament, or tourney is the name popularly given to chivalrous competitions or mock fights of the Middle Ages and Renaissance . It is one of various types of hastiludes....
. FitzAlan's military success led to several important appointments of command; in November 1431, he was made lieutenant of the Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
garrison, and shortly after also captain of Vernon
Vernon, Eure
Vernon is a commune in the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.It lies on the banks of the Seine River, about midway between Paris and Rouen...
. In January 1432 he was appointed captain of Verneuil
Verneuil, Marne
Verneuil is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
. In February that year he was taken by surprise while in bed at Rouen Castle
Rouen Castle
Rouen Castle was the castle of the town in Rouen, capital of the duchy of Normandy, now in France. It was built by Philip II of France from 1204 to 1210 following his capture of the duchy from John, duke of Normandy and king of England. Located outside the medieval town to its north, in a dominant...
, when a band of French soldiers from nearby Ricarville
Ricarville
Ricarville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village in the Pays de Caux, situated some northeast of Le Havre, in the triangle formed by the D928, D40 and the A29 autoroute....
managed to take the castle. The assailants could not hold the castle, however, and were forced to surrender twelve days later. In April 1432, FitzAlan was rewarded for his actions so far by initiation into the Order 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...
.
From early 1432 onwards, FitzAlan held several regional commands in northern France. One of his tasks was recovering fortresses in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (province)
The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
region, at which he was mostly successful. At Lagny-sur-Marne
Lagny-sur-Marne
Lagny-sur-Marne is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France from the center of Paris....
he blew up the bridge to prevent the citizens from reaching the castle, but still failed to take the fortification. In December he was appointed to a regional command in Upper Normandy, but had to defend the town of Sées
Sées
Sées is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.It lies on the Orne River from its source and north-by-northeast of Alençon.-Name:...
from a siege in March 1433. In July, he was instead made lieutenant-general of Lower Normandy. FitzAlan continued his work of recovering lost fortresses, taking back Saint-Célerin
Saint-Célerin
Saint-Célerin is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
, Sillé-le-Guillaume
Sillé-le-Guillaume
Sillé-le-Guillaume is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France, named after Guillaume de Sillé....
, and Beaumont-le-Vicomte by early 1434. In December 1433, Bedford again appointed him commander in Upper Normandy, as well as captain of Pont-de-l'Arche
Pont-de-l'Arche
Pont-de-l'Arche is a commune of the Eure département in France.-Population:-External links:*...
.
FitzAlan by now Earl of Arundel might have returned briefly to England in May 1434, when he was in the process of gathering troops for an English expedition to France. Later that month he was replaced as lieutenant of Upper Normandy by John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
, and instead received a command between the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
and Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
rivers. This effectively meant that the two shared the command of Normandy, with Talbot east of the Seine and Arundel to the west. On 8 September, Arundel was also made Duke of Touraine
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
– an area held by the French. The grant was made as a reward for his good service, but also in the hope that he would campaign in the area. In October he was made captain of Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, where he had to deal with a rebellion in the Bessin
Bessin
The Bessin is an area in Normandy, France, corresponding to the territory of the Bajocasse tribe of Gaul who also gave their name to the city of Bayeux, central town of the Bessin.-History:The territory was annexed by the Duchy of Normandy in 924....
area. The Duke of Alençon
Counts and dukes of Alençon
Several counts and then royal dukes of Alençon have figured in French history. The title has been awarded to a younger brother of the French sovereign.-History:...
was trying to exploit the revolt to take control of Avranches
Avranches
Avranches is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called Avranchinais.-History:...
, but Arundel managed to prevent the French advance and end the rebellion.
Death and aftermath
In May 1435, Arundel was at Mantes-la-JolieMantes-la-Jolie
Mantes-la-Jolie is a commune based in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center. Mantes-la-Jolie is a sub-prefecture department.-History:...
in the Île-de-France, when he was ordered to relocate north to Gournay-sur-Epte (now Gournay-en-Bray
Gournay-en-Bray
Gournay-en-Bray is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A town of farming and light industry situated in the Pays de Bray, some east of Rouen, at the junction of the N31, the D930 and the D915 roads...
). When he was informed that the French had taken over the nearby fortress at Gerberoy
Gerberoy
Gerberoy is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.- Toponymy :Gerboredum 11th Century...
, he moved quickly to attack it. The English met with a large French force at Gerberoy. Many withdrew to Gournay in panic, but Arundel remained to fight. In the ensuing battle
Battle of Gerbevoy
The Battle of Gerberoy was fought in 1435 between French and English forces. The French were led by La Hire and Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, and they were victorious. La Hire was made captain general of Normandy in 1438 and died at Montauban on 11 January 1443 of an unknown illness. The French won....
, Arundel lost many of his men and was himself hit in the foot by a shot from a culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
– a primitive musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
. Heavily wounded, he was taken to Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
as a captive of the French. According to the French historian Thomas Basin
Thomas Basin
Thomas Basin was a French bishop of Lisieux and historian. He was born probably at Caudebec in Normandy, but in the devastation caused by the Hundred Years' War, his childhood was itinerant....
, Arundel was humiliated by his defeat and refused to receive medical treatment for the damage to his foot. The leg was eventually amputated, but Arundel's life could not be saved; he died on 12 June 1435. Arundel was replaced in his command by Lord Scales
Thomas de Scales
Lord Thomas de Scales or Thomas Scales de Newselles or Thomas Scalles KG , 7th Baron Scales, Knight of the Garter from 1426 was one of the main English commanders in the last twenty years of the Hundred Years' War. The son of Robert de Scales, 5th Baron Scales Lord Thomas de Scales or Thomas Scales...
.
There was long uncertainty about what had happened to the earl's body. The French chronicler Jehan de Waurin
Jehan de Waurin
Jehan de Waurin , French chronicler, belonged to a noble family of Artois, and was present at the battle of Agincourt....
claimed that Arundel had simply been buried in Beauvais. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, the chaplain of the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
came upon the will of Arundel's squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
, Fulk Eyton. Eyton maintained that he had secured the earl's body and brought it back to England, for which he had been rewarded with over £1,000. The body was then entombed in the chapel of Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
, as Arundel had expressly wished for in his own will. On 16 November 1857, the tomb in the Arundel chapel carrying the earl's effigy was opened. In it was found a skeleton measuring over six feet, with a missing leg.
Arundel's military career coincided with a period of general decline for the English in France. He had been an unusually successful campaigner. His death was lamented in England and celebrated in France. He was referred to as the "English Achilles"; the historian Polydore Vergil
Polydore Vergil
Polydore Vergil was an Italian historian, otherwise known as PV Castellensis. He is better known as the contemporary historian during the early Tudor dynasty. He was hired by King Henry VIII of England, who wanted to distance himself from his father Henry VII as much as possible, to document...
called him "a man of singular valour, constancy, and gravity." With his wife, Maud, he had a son, Humphrey
Humphrey FitzAlan, 15th Earl of Arundel
Humphrey FitzAlan, 15th Earl of Arundel, 5th Baron Maltravers . This Earl of Arundel was short lived.He was a son of John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel and Maud Lovell. His father died on 12 June 1435, leaving 6-year-old Humphrey as the 15th Earl of Arundel. Humphrey died three years later, at age 9...
, who was born on 30 January 1429. Humphrey succeeded to his father's title, but died on 24 April 1438, while still a minor. John FitzAlan's younger brother, William
William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel
William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel, 6th Baron Maltravers .He was a son of John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor Berkeley...
, was next in line of succession. William was born in 1417 and was created Earl of Arundel in 1438 when he came of age.