360 CASTLE CORNET. 



Pymard, John Pikard, Janin Dere, John Roker, Robert dn 

 Val, Perot Sampson, Guille Bogre, Richard de Vesclus, John 

 Dynis, Eobert Bernard, Perot Vyvier, Philip Godel, John 

 Druys, Dynis de Lesclnse, John Marrynde, Peter Colum- 

 leye, Peter Bakers, Peter Lysard, Richard dn Ponnt, Eobert 

 Bernard, Ralph Sardyng and Peter Royman. 



In conclusion, the evidence now at our disposal may be 

 briefly summarised as proving that the French held both the 

 island and Castle Cornet from the 8th September, 1338, to the 

 29th October, 1340, just over two years. The island was then 

 recaptured by Walter de Weston, and henceforth remained 

 continuously in the possession of England. The siege of 

 Castle Cornet, into which the French retreated, lasted from 

 the 29th October, 1340, until the middle of August, 1345, 

 thus nearly five years elapsed before it was recaptured by the 

 English. When we remember that Sir Thomas Osborne held 

 out in Castle Cornet for nearly nine years against the 

 Parliamentarians the length of this earlier siege can hardly be 

 a matter for surprise. True, the defences of the castle had 

 been greatly improved in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, but in 

 the interval the use of gunpowder had vastly increased the 

 offensive power of a besieging force. Sufficient of the original 

 castle of the time of Edward III. remains to shew its strength, 

 and surrounded by the sea, except for a few hours a day at 

 spring tides, it was almost impregnable before the days of 

 gunpowder. It may surprise us that the English fleet made 

 no attempt to recapture Castle Cornet during the wars in 

 Brittany ; but a study of the events of that period shows that 

 it could not have been well spared for the length of time 

 required for such a purpose, as during the first campaigns in 

 Brittany the cause of the de Montforts was well-nigh 

 desperate and required immediate assistance. Further, the 

 fleet was wanted off the Morbihan to protect the English base 

 at Vannes, for we know that during the expedition in 1342-3, 

 led by Edward III. in person, at one time, during the absence 

 of a portion of the fleet, the position of his force was most 

 critical, as Don Louis of Spain cut the king's communications 

 with England, and attacking the remainder of his fleet in the 

 Morbihan burnt several of his ships. Again after the truce 

 of 1343, the employment of the fleet to recaj^ture the castle 

 would have undoubtedly led to the immediate renewal of 

 hostilities, an event for which Edward III. was not at that 

 time prepared. Therefore it was only after hostilities again 

 broke out in Guienne, in 1345, that the enterprise was 

 successfully carried out by Godfrey d'Harcourt and the 



