Battle of Brossinière

the day of Brossinière comforted the good French at one time when mourning was so large .

In 1423, the battle known as the “besoigne” of Brossinière (common of Bourgon, Mayenne), known as sometimes the battles of the Gravel , opposes the armies English and French, whereas the Guerre One hundred Year old began again recently.

Situation

Formerly, the “Chemin gravelled” or “way of Roy” (mentioned in 1454), was a way old fame, allowing to go “from Anjou in Normandy”.

Circumstances

The Bataille of Azincourt (1415) had been “particularly fatal for the nobility of the area. After this battle, the English regent Jean of Lancaster, secured by the titles of Duke of Anjou and Count of Maine, orders a systematic conquest carried out not without resistance.

At the time of this combat, in September 1423, the English troop ordered by William Pole, regaining the Normandy after a forwarding of plundering in Anjou and Maine, undergoes one crushing demolished.

William Pole

In September 1423, Lord William Pole, brother of the count of Suffolk, had started from Normandy with 2.000 soldiers and 800 archers to make a race with the Maine and in Anjou. It had seized Segré, had gathered there immense spoils and a herd of 1.200 oxen or cows; then it had set out again to regain the Norman country, taking along hostages.

To avenge the affront

The queen Yolande d' Aragon, mother-in-law of Charles VII of France, which was downtown its of Angers, had, the first, the thought to avenge the affront and the damage caused in her county, and it made prevent most valiant of the partisans of unhappy king de France, Ambroise de Loré, ordering since 1422 fortified town of Holy-Suzanne.

This one, knowing that the count d' Aumale, Jean VIII of Harcourt, governor of the Touraine, the Anjou and the Maine, were then with Tours and prepared a forwarding in Normandy, dispatched a messenger with a letter to him. The governor came in all haste to Laval, bringing the troops which it had already joined together, “ and manda people of all shares so that they went towards him ”.

Preparation

Promptest and best accompanied was the baron de Coulonges, which one accepted the services in spite of disgrace where it was near the governor, while only enjoignant to him not to present itself to him. All this concentration was done very quickly. D' Aumale had arrived at Laval only Friday September 24th. It set out again about it as of saturdays of great morning, to go to discuss the way which were to follow the English, sending runners to supervise their walk and to inform it exactly.

D' Aumale then held council with the bastard one of Alençon, the lord de Montjean, Louis de Trémigon and Ambroise de Loré. He taught them that the English were with three miles from there and that they would pass, according to main road which skirts the Brittany, instead of Brossinière, the next morning Sunday.

The combat

It had been two hours that the troops were arranged in battle when one saw the English scouts who gave hunting to the beaters of estrade. The riders ran to them known and forced them to be folded up on their bodies of battle, where they reflect foot with ground.

The English, went good progress, pricking out of ground of large piles, behind which they could be cut off at the time from the attack from the cavalry. People of foot reached them face; the convoy of carriages and herds closed the exit by behind to them; in spite of their courage, they could not resist a long time.

It was a butchery where 1.200 to 1.400 men perished. The others, among which William Pole, Thomas Aubourg and Thomas Cliffeton went. He did not escape from it 120. Other side, one lost one knight, Jean the Russet-red, and “ few others ”. Andre de Lohéac, the future marshal, was made knight with several of his companions. The lady of Laval made bury deaths.

Victory

This victory was the happy one forecasts for the beginning of the reign of Charles VII of France. In the country, “ the besoigne of Brossinière ” remained a glorious memory.

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