- Ponthieu
Ponthieu is a former province of northern
France . Its chief town isAbbeville .History
Ponthieu was part of the
Duchy of Normandy from911 and played a small but important role in the politics that led up to the Norman invasion of England in1066 .Harold Godwinson of England was shipwrecked at Ponthieu,Normandy in1064 and taken captive by Guy I (or "Wido" according to theBayeux Tapestry ), the then Count of Ponthieu. It is alleged that William (Duke of Normandy , laterWilliam I of England ), discovering that Harold had been taken captive, sent messengers ordering Count Guy to hand over his prisoner. William then forced Harold to swear to support his claim to the throne, only revealing after the event that the box on which Harold had made his oath contained holy relics, making the promise especially binding.In
1067 the chaplain of Duchess Matilda,Guy, Bishop of Amiens , composed aLatin poem on thebattle of Hastings .In
1150 the Count of Ponthieu built a fortress for himself at Crotoy, a strategic point on the mouth of the riverSomme .The Hundred Years' War
During the Hundred Years' War, Ponthieu changed hands a number of times, although the English claimed control of it from
1279 –1369 , and then later until1435 . During English control of Ponthieu, Abbeville was used as the capital.In late August of
1346 , during his campaigns on French soil, Edward III of England reached the region of Ponthieu. While there, he restored the fortress at Crotoy that had been ruined. He forced a passage of the Somme at the ford of Blanchetaque. The army led byPhilip VI of France caught up with him at nearbyCrécy-en-Ponthieu , leading to the famousBattle of Crécy .In
1360 , theTreaty of Bretigny between KingJohn II of France andEdward III of England gave control of Ponthieu (along withGascony andCalais ) over to the English, in exchange for Edward relinquishing his claim to the French throne. Edward took the land but still refused to surrender his claim.In April,
1369 Charles V of France conquered Ponthieu, and a month later declared war on England (he had done so previously in1368 as well). As a result, Edward publicly reassumed the title 'King of France' in June.In
1372 an English army under the leadership ofRobert Knolles invaded Ponthieu, burning the city ofLe Crotoy before crossing theSomme at the ford of Blanchetaque.Also during the Hundred Years' War; in
1435 ,Charles VII of France bribed Philippe le Bon,Duke of Burgundy , to break his alliance with the English in exchange for possession of Ponthieu. This arguably marked a turning point leading to the end of England's part in the conflict 40 years later.ee also
*
Count of Ponthieu External links
* [http://web.genealogie.free.fr/Les_dynasties/Les_dynasties_celebres/France/Dynastie_de_Ponthieu.htm Dynasty of Ponthieu] - in French
* [http://www.geocities.com/missourimule_2000/countsofponthieu.html?200524#Family:%20William%20IV,%20Count%20of%20Ponthieu Counts of Ponthieu, genealogy] - not necessarily reliable
* [http://www.btinternet.com/~timeref/thr00013.htm Hundred Years' War timeline]
* [http://history.boisestate.edu/hy309/France/timelinefrance.htm Detailed Hundred Years' War timeline]
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