469:. The outnumbered English ships withdrew, hoping to lure the French into the shallows of Spithead, but the French wanted to fight in the more open waters of eastern Spithead where the English could be encircled. To entice the English to abandon their defensive position and engage the larger French fleet, they decided to invade the Isle of Wight and burn buildings and crops. France also hoped that the residents of the island might support them and rebel against England, so that it could be used as a base. French troops landed on 21 July.
168:
141:
458:. France failed to re-capture the city by force. Peace talks between England and France were unsuccessful, partly because Henry VIII refused to return Boulogne. As a result, Francis I decided to invade England, hoping that Henry VIII would return Boulogne in return for his leaving England. Thirty thousand French troops and a fleet of some 400 vessels were assembled, and sailed from
589:, commander of the French armada, recorded: "having it under our control, we could then dominate Portsmouth... and so put the enemy to extraordinary expense in maintaining a standing army and navy to contain us". Although some sources do claim that the victory at Bonchurch was responsible for the French withdrawal, the source that claims a French victory says that fighting at
158:
131:
585:, because it only involved a fraction of the forces engaged throughout. Had the French captured the island, it is unlikely this would have drastically affected the war, because more significant territory was being contested. However, the island could have been used to support French operations against England;
360:
The battle was between French regular soldiers, and local
English militiamen. Although the French force that landed was considerably larger than the English force, it is thought that the number of French soldiers involved in this battle to be about 500, with the number of militiamen uncertain, with
372:
The battle was one of several fought between
English and French on the Isle of Wight. The majority of sources state that the English won this battle, although one suggests that the French were victorious. The battle was fought as part of the French attempt to cause enough damage to force English
44:
567:
is claimed to have said: "but none could be had even for a kingdom". The captain was never heard from again, and the account suggests he was either killed, or captured and buried at sea. All other relevant sources state it was a comprehensive
English victory.
558:
rallied his troops. A second attack was launched, with the French forces in the 'array' fighting formation. The account concludes by claiming that, after heavy casualties on both sides, the
English line broke and the militia routed, and that Captain
553:
One amateur source claims that the French won the battle at
Bonchurch. The English forces took up a defensive position flanked by cliffs and screened by woods. The first French attack was apparently repelled but the French commander
576:
Casualties on both sides were heavy. Another skirmish took place several days later, when the
English engaged Frenchmen, disembarked from ships retreating from Portsmouth to look for fresh water. A senior French commander,
519:
2000 French troops landed at three locations on the coast, including about 500 at
Bonchurch. The landing was unopposed and the French began to advance inland, up the steep and thickly wooded slopes. The Isle of Wight
226:
544:
There is no comprehensive account of the battle. However, it could have taken place at dawn and lasted until midday. Some accounts suggest that local women participated by shooting arrows at the French.
373:
ships to leave their defensive positions and attack in less favourable conditions, which was something they failed to achieve and thus had to withdraw from the island Other French landings were made at
219:
774:
212:
926:
357:. Several landings were made, including at Bonchurch. Most accounts suggest that England won the battle, and the French advance across the island was halted.
398:
354:
30:
476:, society had become militarised: male adults were obliged to fight if needed, and they received regular military training. The Captain of the Isle, Sir
431:
936:
921:
315:
48:
Monks Bay in 2008. French troops advanced from the bay before they reached St. Boniface Down, the location where the fighting took place.
305:
300:
931:
911:
916:
626:
612:
662:
349:. No source gives the precise date, although 21 July is possible from the sequence of events. The battle was a part of the wider
80:
780:
834:
861:
415:
350:
236:
34:
280:
563:
shouted an offer of £100 for anyone who could bring him a horse to escape, because of his being too fat to run. Sir
906:
270:
325:
250:
896:
582:
423:
408:
394:
382:
290:
901:
361:
one source stating 300 and another 2,800. The
English forces are believed to have been commanded by Captain
492:
265:
581:, was killed. The assumed English victory at Bonchurch only had a marginal impact on the course of the
451:
295:
285:
586:
466:
402:
310:
555:
481:
419:
366:
255:
171:
144:
465:
On 18 July, French and
English ships engaged off the English coast, marking the beginning of the
439:
412:
275:
134:
578:
43:
622:
608:
529:
500:
485:
473:
435:
167:
140:
455:
477:
560:
525:
427:
362:
161:
668:
890:
800:
564:
508:
496:
346:
260:
73:
840:
524:
learned of the French invasion quickly; 300 of them, under the command of
Captain
867:
447:
484:, was considered a "capable and energetic commander". He was assisted by Sir
157:
130:
95:
82:
590:
533:
378:
342:
69:
204:
459:
521:
504:
374:
443:
208:
488:, an officer in the regular army, and a headquarters staff.
593:
was ultimately responsible for forcing the French to leave.
454:
invaded France. In September 1544, English forces captured
507:. The area around Bonchurch was important because nearby
499:, capture and consolidate a position on the heights of
16:
1545 battle in the French invasion of the Isle of Wight
619:
Renaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis I
511:
offered safe anchorage, and had a fresh water source.
503:, and then link up with another French landing near
491:The French plan at Bonchurch may have been to burn
607:. Bonchurch: The Bonchurch Trading Company, 1992.
426:. This led to war between France, backed by the
824:, 502; Phillips, "Testing the 'Mystery'", 50–51.
719:
717:
715:
713:
711:
709:
707:
705:
769:
767:
765:
763:
761:
759:
757:
755:
753:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
685:
621:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
23:
751:
749:
747:
745:
743:
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
450:. After two years of fighting Charles V, and
220:
8:
399:French invasion of the Isle of Wight (1545)
227:
213:
205:
42:
20:
657:
655:
653:
651:
647:
776:The Last Invasion of the Isle of Wight
927:Military history of the Isle of Wight
7:
422:, which had not been settled by the
355:French invasion of the Isle of Wight
31:French invasion of the Isle of Wight
636:. London: The Folio Society, 2004.
14:
341:took place in late July 1545 at
166:
156:
139:
129:
532:for the French to advance from
1:
411:arose from a dispute between
353:, and took place during the
922:Battles of the Italian Wars
953:
836:Mary Rose Dossier disaster
528:, were already waiting at
392:
932:16th century in Hampshire
912:Battles involving England
246:
190:
177:
150:
123:
52:
41:
28:
937:Italian War of 1542–1546
917:Battles involving France
424:Italian War of 1535-1538
409:Italian War of 1542-1546
395:Italian War of 1542-1546
351:Italian War of 1542–1546
238:Italian War of 1542–1546
96:50.6034611°N 1.1987306°W
35:Italian War of 1542–1546
863:Isle of Wight Heritage
151:Commanders and leaders
101:50.6034611; -1.1987306
191:Casualties and losses
807:, 501; Scarisbrick,
467:Battle of the Solent
403:Battle of the Solent
365:, and the French by
183:300-2,800 militiamen
822:Renaissance Warrior
805:Renaissance Warrior
632:Scarisbrick, J. J.
556:Le Seigneur de Tais
482:Appuldurcombe House
420:Francis I of France
367:Le Seigneur de Tais
339:Battle of Bonchurch
186:Approx 500 soldiers
172:Le Seigneur de Tais
92: /
24:Battle of Bonchurch
725:Bonchurch from A-Z
671:on 5 December 2004
617:Knecht, Robert J.
605:Bonchurch from A-Z
587:Claude d'Annebault
440:Kingdom of England
432:Jülich-Cleves-Berg
413:Holy Roman Emperor
907:Conflicts in 1545
530:St. Boniface Down
501:St. Boniface Down
486:Edward Bellingham
474:Hundred Years War
436:Holy Roman Empire
334:
333:
203:
202:
119:
118:
944:
879:
878:
877:
875:
866:, archived from
858:
852:
851:
850:
848:
839:, archived from
831:
825:
818:
812:
798:
792:
791:
790:
788:
779:, archived from
771:
728:
721:
680:
679:
678:
676:
667:, archived from
659:
438:, backed by the
241:
239:
229:
222:
215:
206:
170:
160:
143:
133:
107:
106:
104:
103:
102:
97:
93:
90:
89:
88:
85:
54:
53:
46:
21:
952:
951:
947:
946:
945:
943:
942:
941:
897:1545 in England
887:
886:
883:
882:
873:
871:
860:
859:
855:
846:
844:
833:
832:
828:
819:
815:
799:
795:
786:
784:
783:on 13 July 2011
773:
772:
731:
722:
683:
674:
672:
661:
660:
649:
644:
639:
603:Goodwin, John.
599:
579:Chevalier D'Aux
574:
551:
542:
517:
478:Richard Worsley
405:
393:Main articles:
391:
335:
330:
291:Lagny-sur-Marne
242:
237:
235:
233:
115:English victory
100:
98:
94:
91:
86:
83:
81:
79:
78:
77:
47:
17:
12:
11:
5:
950:
948:
940:
939:
934:
929:
924:
919:
914:
909:
904:
902:1545 in France
899:
889:
888:
881:
880:
853:
843:on 13 May 2006
826:
813:
793:
729:
681:
664:False Prophets
646:
645:
643:
640:
638:
637:
630:
615:
600:
598:
595:
573:
570:
561:Robert Fyssher
550:
547:
541:
538:
526:Robert Fyssher
516:
513:
428:Ottoman Empire
390:
387:
363:Robert Fyssher
332:
331:
329:
328:
323:
318:
313:
308:
303:
298:
293:
288:
283:
278:
273:
268:
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243:
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217:
209:
201:
200:
197:
193:
192:
188:
187:
184:
180:
179:
175:
174:
164:
162:Robert Fyssher
153:
152:
148:
147:
137:
126:
125:
121:
120:
117:
116:
113:
109:
108:
68:
66:
62:
61:
58:
50:
49:
39:
38:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
949:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
923:
920:
918:
915:
913:
910:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
894:
892:
885:
870:on 6 May 2007
869:
865:
864:
857:
854:
842:
838:
837:
830:
827:
823:
817:
814:
810:
806:
802:
801:Robert Knecht
797:
794:
782:
778:
777:
770:
768:
766:
764:
762:
760:
758:
756:
754:
752:
750:
748:
746:
744:
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
730:
726:
720:
718:
716:
714:
712:
710:
708:
706:
704:
702:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
686:
682:
670:
666:
665:
658:
656:
654:
652:
648:
641:
635:
631:
628:
627:0-521-57885-X
624:
620:
616:
614:
613:1-873009-00-3
610:
606:
602:
601:
596:
594:
592:
588:
584:
580:
571:
569:
566:
565:John Oglander
562:
557:
548:
546:
539:
537:
535:
531:
527:
523:
514:
512:
510:
509:Dunnose Point
506:
502:
498:
497:Appuldurcombe
494:
489:
487:
483:
479:
475:
470:
468:
463:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
414:
410:
404:
400:
396:
388:
386:
384:
380:
376:
370:
368:
364:
358:
356:
352:
348:
347:Isle of Wight
344:
340:
327:
324:
322:
319:
317:
316:Isle of Wight
314:
312:
309:
307:
304:
302:
299:
297:
294:
292:
289:
287:
284:
282:
279:
277:
274:
272:
269:
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264:
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257:
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249:
248:
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182:
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176:
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169:
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159:
155:
154:
149:
146:
142:
138:
136:
132:
128:
127:
122:
114:
111:
110:
105:
84:50°36′12.46″N
75:
74:Isle of Wight
71:
67:
64:
63:
59:
56:
55:
51:
45:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
884:
872:, retrieved
868:the original
862:
856:
845:, retrieved
841:the original
835:
829:
821:
816:
808:
804:
796:
785:, retrieved
781:the original
775:
724:
673:, retrieved
669:the original
663:
633:
618:
604:
575:
552:
543:
518:
490:
471:
464:
462:on 16 July.
406:
371:
359:
338:
336:
320:
306:2nd Boulogne
301:1st Boulogne
286:Saint-Dizier
124:Belligerents
87:1°11′55.43″W
29:Part of the
18:
787:14 February
472:During the
448:Brandenburg
326:Beachy Head
99: /
33:during the
891:Categories
874:18 October
811:, 397–398.
809:Henry VIII
642:References
634:Henry VIII
452:Henry VIII
434:, and the
389:Background
281:Serravalle
271:Landrecies
60:July, 1545
847:2 January
723:Goodwin,
675:2 January
591:Bembridge
572:Aftermath
534:Monks Bay
442:, Spain,
416:Charles V
383:St Helens
379:Bembridge
343:Bonchurch
321:Bonchurch
296:Montreuil
251:Perpignan
76:, England
70:Bonchurch
820:Knecht,
460:Le Havre
456:Boulogne
276:Ceresole
178:Strength
65:Location
597:Sources
549:Outcome
522:militia
515:Prelude
505:Sandown
493:Wroxall
375:Sandown
345:on the
199:Unknown
196:Unknown
135:England
625:
611:
540:Battle
446:, and
444:Saxony
401:, and
381:, and
311:Solent
145:France
112:Result
266:Düren
256:Muros
876:2007
849:2007
789:2008
727:, 7.
677:2008
623:ISBN
609:ISBN
495:and
430:and
418:and
407:The
337:The
261:Nice
57:Date
583:war
480:of
893::
803:,
732:^
684:^
650:^
536:.
397:,
385:.
377:,
369:.
72:,
629:.
228:e
221:t
214:v
37:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
