Jean de Carrouges - Campaigning in Scotland

Campaigning in Scotland

Late in 1384 Carrouges entered society for the first time since his marriage four years earlier, attending a party to celebrate the birth of a neighbour's son. Carrouges and Le Gris met at the celebration and agreed to end their quarrel, Carrouges introducing Le Gris to his wife Marguerite for the first time. A few months after this meeting, in March 1385, Carrouges attempted to increase his family wealth through military means, by joining the army of Jean de Vienne for an expedition sailing to Edinburgh. This force of about 3,000 soldiers was intended to unite with the Scottish army and raid Northern England, distracting English forces from operations in France. Traveling with men-at-arms, horses, gold and equipment, Carrouges and his entourage rode to Sluys and took ship to Leith during the spring of 1385.

On arrival in Scotland much time was spent gathering Scottish troops together for the campaign on England and the French were delayed for some months collecting supplies. The army thus did not move south until July, ravaging villages and farms in the region of the River Tweed before besieging Wark Castle and burning it to the ground. The allied army then continued south through Northumberland and there burnt villages, towns, farms and castles across their line of advance in a large chevauchée. The English responded with an army led by King Richard II which advanced against the allied force and offered battle. The French prepared to fight but their Scots allies retreated, leaving the French exposed and they were consequently forced to retreat as well. Outside Edinburgh the Scottish army dispersed and the inhabitants of the city fled north, leaving the French alone in the city. Realising that his force was outnumbered and without food or help, Vienne took the army south, rounding the English on the night of the 10 August and reentering Northumberland for further looting, attacking Carlisle but being unable to break through its walls. As the Franco-Scottish army returned northwards it was attacked by an army under Henry Percy which destroyed the army's wagon train and took many prisoners. When the defeated French returned to Edinburgh the Scots refused to provision the French army and many men died of disease or starvation. Late in the year the French army boarded ship and returned to Flanders, bankrupt and defeated.

Despite the expedition's failure, Carrouges had distinguished himself in the campaign. Although he had lost five of his nine men-at-arms and a substantial amount of money he had also been awarded a knighthood on the battlefield, substantially raising his social status and the amount of money he received from military service. Despite being in poor health on his return from Scotland, Carrouges had business in Paris and in January 1386 he traveled there to collect his wages for the previous year's campaign, leaving his wife with her mother-in-law at the village of Capomesnil.