Battle of Tinchebray

The battles of Tinchebray took place the September 28th 1106, in the town of Tinchebray in Normandy, between troops of the invader Henri I {{er}} Beauclerc, King d' Angleterre, and that of the Duc of Normandy, his older brother Robert Courteheuse.

This battle showed a decisive victory of Henri Beauclerc, who allowed him to attach the Normandy to the England, which was not any more the case since death of their father William the Conqueror in 1087. Normandy will remain a possession of the crown of England until in 1204.

Historical context

Henri Beauclerc was in conflict with his older brother, Robert Courteheuse, since the death of their brother William Rufus in 1100. Indeed, Robert, pushed by his adviser Rainulf Flambard, disputed the crown of England to him. In 1101, Robert had unloaded without success with Portsmouth before being forced to give up, in front of the lack of English popular support, its claim on the English throne by the Traité of Alton.

The persistent conflicts between the two brothers pushed Henri to invade Normandy in 1105, in particular taking the towns of Bayeux and Caen. Forced one moment to stop his campaign because of the political problems resulting from the Quarrel of the Nominations, Henri returned to Normandy at the summer 1106. After the rapid hardening of the strengthened abbey of Saint-Pierre-on-Divine Notre-Dame of Épinay to , Henri put the course towards the south and, the September 28th 1106 put the seat in front of the castle of Tinchebray, fortified town located on a hill above the city.

Preparations

Located in the south-west of Normandy, on the border of the County of Mortain, Tinchebray is held by the count Guillaume de Mortain, one of some important Norman barons always faithful to Robert Courteheuse. The ducal army arrives at the helps of besieged the September 28th. After the failure of the attempts at negotiations, the duke refusing the offers of the king, the battle proves to be inevitable and Henri gives the order of the combat.

Course of the battle

Organized in three groups, according to the usual order of the time, the royal army is ordered by Ranulf de Briquessart, the count de Meulan, Robert de Beaumont and Guillaume de Warenne. Henri also has with him the duke Alain Fergent, the count Guillaume d' Évreux, Raoul III of Tosny, Robert de Montfort and Robert de Grandmesnil. He has moreover a force of reserve, dissimulated with the sight, under the command of the Count of Maine Élie of the Arrow († 1110).

Robert Courteheuse has with him the count Guillaume de Mortain and Robert II of Bellême. Each one orders a battle. At the conclusion of the combat which does not last that one hour the major part of the ducal army is captured or killed, without counting Robert himself which belongs to the prisoners and will die in captivity. Among those which are captured, Edgar Atheling, the uncle of the wife of Henri and the count de Mortain.

Hélie of the Arrow is the principal craftsman of the victory of Henri Ier Beauclerc insofar as the intervention of the force of reserve which it directs proves decisive: after a progression of the royal forces against the ducal forces, the two armies are indeed inextricably mixed with the point to more be able to fight. At this point in time Hélie of the Arrow, while tackling the ducal forces with reverse, comes to break the fray and to put the victory on the royal side definitively.

Consequences

After having confiscated the county of Mortain with Guillaume, Henri Beauclerc is recognized duke of Normandy the October 15th 1106.

The majority of the prisoners will be released except for Robert Courteheuse who will pass the remainder of his days in captivity. Guillaume de Mortain will be released only after the death of Henri Ist.

Extracts

“ the confrontation, which proceeded in Tinchebray at the end of September 1106, was like many medieval battles, a rather short event, but its consequences deeply marked the history of Normandy, England and the kingdom of France.

For the Norman ones, the battle delivered the duchy to the hands of youngest wire of William the Conqueror, Henri Beauclerc, whose strong government brought peace after twenty years of disorder. The duchy was directed according to its own laws and habits, which conferred a certain number of durable specificities to him, even after the ducal period.

England continued to maintain the relationships to Normandy. Its kings baited themselves to preserve the duchy; its aristocracy did not cease having goods and interests in the duchy. The culture and the language Frenchwomen remained those of the elite during centuries. Tinchebray registered in the duration what had occurred to Hastings forty years before. ” Professor Judith Green (University of Edinburgh)

See too

Internal bonds

Duchy of Normandy
Henri Beauclerc
Robert Courteheuse
Vital Orderic
Henri de Huntingdon
Tinchebray

External bonds

Conference for the 900 {{E}} birthday of the battle of Tinchebray
Cartoon on the battle of Tinchebray

Sources

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