Chierburgh besieged by the English.
After that the duke had subdued to the kings dominion, the most part of all the townes in that Ile of Constantine, Chierburgh excepted, he returned to the king, and forthwith was sent thither againe to besiege that strong fortresse, which was fenced with men, munition, vittels, and strong walles, towers, and turrets, in most defensible wise, by reason whereof it was holden against him the space of fiue moneths, although he vsed all waies and meanes possible to annoie them within, so that manie fierce assaults, skirmishes, issues, and other exploits of warre were atchieued, betwixt the Frenchmen within, and the Englishmen without: yet at length, the Frenchmen were so constreined by power of baterie, mines, and other forceable waies of approchings, that they were glad to compound to deliuer the place, if no rescue came to raise the siege, either from the Dolphin, that then was retired into Aquitane, or from the duke of Burgognie that then laie at Paris, within the terme of thrée score and two daies (for so long respit the duke granted) but they trusting further vpon his lenitie and gentlenesse hoped to get a far longer terme.
Now were the Dolphin and the duke of Burgognie growen to a certeine agréement, by mediation of cardinals sent from the pope, so that the Englishmen suerlie thought that they would leauie a power, and come downe to rescue Chierburg. The duke of Glocester therefore caused his camps to be stronglie intrenched, and manie defensible blockehouses of timber to be raised, like to small turrets, that the same might be a safegard to his people, and to conclude, left nothing vnforeséene nor vndoone, that was auailable for the defense of his armie. The king doubting least some power should be sent downe, to the danger of his brother, and those that were with him at this siege, caused two thousand men to be imbarked in thirtie ships of the west countrie, by order sent vnto certeine lords there.
Chierburgh yéelded to the Englishmen.
The castell of Dampfront yéelded.
W. P.
The Frenchmen within the towne, perceiuing those succors to approch néere to the towne, thought verelie that there had béene a power of Frenchmen comming to their aid: but when they saw them receiued as fréends into the English campe, their comfort was soone quailed; and so when the daie appointed came, being the ninetéenth of October, or rather about the later end of Nouember (as the historic of the dukes of Normandie hath) they rendred vp both the towne and castell, according to the couenants. The lord Greie of Codnore was made the kings lieutenant there, and after his deceasse, sir Walter Hungerford. About the same time, or rather before, as Titus Liuius writeth, to wit, the two and twentith of Iune, the strong castell of Dampfront was yéelded into the hands of the earle of Warwike, to the kings vse. But the historie writen of the dukes of Normandie affirmeth, that it was surrendred the two and twentith of September, after the siege had cōtinued about it from Aprill last. The king by honorable report of other, and of his owne speciall knowledge, so rightlie ascerteined of the great valure that (for feats at armes and policie in warre) was alwaies found in the person of that Iohn Bromley esquier (spoken of a little here before) for which his maiestie so sundrie waies roiallie rewarded him againe; some specialtie yet of the gentlemans merits togither with the souereignes bountie to him among other, séemes here (at mention of this Dampfront, whereof shortlie after he was capteine) verie well to deserue a place: and to that purpose as the king in Iulie went ouer againe, and this Iohn Bromley in Iune the same yeare, with conduct of charge was sent afore, imploieng himselfe still in venturous actiuitie with great annoie to the enimie: his highnesse for good liking of the same, and for hartening and example to other (in Aprill next following) gaue fourtie pounds land to him and his heires males by letters patents in words as followeth, and remaining yet of record in the Tower of London.
[A copie of the said letters patents.]
HENRICUS Dei gratiâ rex Angliæ & Franciæ & dominus Hiberniæ, omnibus ad quos præsentes litteræ peruenerint salutem. Sciatis quòd de gratiâ nostra speciali & pro bono seruitio quod dilectus seruiens noster Iohannes Bromley nobis impendit & impendet in futurum: dedimus & concessimus ei hospitium de Molay Bacon, infra comitatum nostrum de Baieux, ac omnes terras, tenementa, redditus, hæreditates, & possessiones infra ducatum nostrum Normandiæ, quæ fuerunt Alani de Beaumont nobis rebellis, vt dicitur. Habendum & tenendum præfato Iohanni & hæredibus suis masculis de corpore suo procreatis, hospitium, terras, & tenementa, redditus, hæreditates, & possessiones supradictas, vna cum omnimodis franchesijs, priulegijs, iurisdictionibus, wardis, maritagijs, releuijs, eschetis, forisfacturis, feodis militum, aduocationibus ecclesiarum, & aliorum beneficiorum ecclesiasticorū quorumcúnq; terris, pratis, pasturis, boscis, warēnis, chaseis, aquis, vijs, stagnis, molēdinis, viuarijs, moris, mariscis, ac alijs cōmoditatibus quibuscúnq; dictis hospitio, terris, tenementis, redditibus, hæreditatibus, & possessionibus pertinentibus siue spectantibus, ad valorem quadraginta librarum sterlingorum per annum, tenendis de nobis & hæredibus nostris per homagium, &c.: ac reddendo nobis, & eisdem hæredibus nostris apud castrum nostrum de Baieux vnam zonam pro lorica, ad festum Natuitatis sancti Iohannis Baptistæ singulis annis: nec non faciendo alia seruitia, &c. Reseruato, &c. Prouiso semper, &c. Castro seu ciuitati nostro de Baieux, &c. Qudóq; prædictum hospitium, &c. In cuius rei, &c. Teste me ipso apud dictam ciutatem nostram de Baieux, 18 die Aprilis, anno regni nostri sexto, per ipsum regem.