Henry Eams

Henry Eam

From The Medieval Combat Society

http://www.themcs.org/characters/Henry%20Eam.htm

xxxx-1360

Also known as Henry Earn, Henry d'Enne, Henry of Flanders, Eams, Emes, Emme, d'Em, Henry Iam

Born:

Christened:

Died: died between May 1358 and April 1360, (also given as 1366)

Buried:

Parents:

Siblings:

Married:

Spouse: (possibly?) Philippa von Falkenburg daughter of Reinold von Falkenburg, (died 1332) married Maria von Boutersheimmarried

Offspring:

Heraldic Coat of Arms: or, a fess sable, issuant therefrom a demi-lyon rampant gules

Knight of the Garter 1348, Founder Member, Stall 24

Henry Eam was made a banneret, by the prince of Wales, who settled on him one hundred marks for his life, payable from the manor of Bradenash, in the county of Devon. Henry was entrusted by Prince Edward with a mission to Brabant

Henry 24 June 1339 fought at battle of Sluys and at the battle of Poitiers 1356

Jan Van der Erloe was a wool trader, et traded with a leading family in Ghent called Borluut and he had debt to Henry of Flanders, lord of Ninove and Rotselaer, descendent from the Counts.

References to Henry of Flanders in Froissart:

Now let us show of an adventure that fell to the Flemings, of the which company there were captains sir Robert d'Artois and sir Henry of Flanders. They were in number a forty thousand, what of the towns of Ypres, Poperinghe, Messines, Cassel and of the chatelainy of Bergues ; all these Flemings lay in the vale of Cassel in tents and pavilions, to counter - garrison the French garrisons, that the French king had laid at Saint-Omer's, at Aire, at SaintVenant and in other towns and fortresses thereabout. And in Saint-Omer's there was the earl Dolphin of Auvergne, the lord of Chalencon, the lord of Montaigu, the lord of Rochfort, the viscount of Thouars, and divers other knights of Auvergne and Limousin. And in Aire and Saint-Venant there were also many soldiers, and oftentimes they issued out and skirmished with the Flemings. On a day four thousand' went to the suburbs of Saint-Omer's and brake down divers houses and robbed them. The fray anon was known in the town, and the lords within armed them and their company and issued out at another gate. They were a six banners and a two hundred men of arms and a six hundred footmen, and they came by a secret way on the Flemings, who were busy to rob and pill the town of Arques near to Saint-Omer's. There they were spread abroad without captain or good order: then the Frenchmen came on them in good order of battle, their banners displayed, crying, Clermont ! the Dolphin of Auvergne ! ' wherewith the Flemings were abashed and beaten down by heaps; and the chase of them endured two leagues, and there were slain a four thousand and eight hundred,' and a four hundred taken prisoners and led to Saint-Omer's. And such as fled and scaped returned to the host and shewed their companions their adventure : and at last tidings thereof came to their captains, sir Robert d'Artois and sir Henry of Flanders, who said it was well employed, for they went forth without commandment or captain. And the same night, or it was midnight, the Flemings lying in their tents asleep, suddenly generally among them all there fell such a fear in their hearts, that they rose in great haste and with such pain, that they thought not to be dislodged time enough. They beat down their own tents and pavilions and trussed all their carriages, and so fled away, not, abiding one for another, without keeping of any right way. When these tidings came to their two captains, they rose hastily and made great fires, and took torches and mounted on their horses, and so came to these Flemings and said : Sirs, what aileth you ? Do you want anything? Why do you thus fly away? Be you not well assured? Return in the name of God ! Ye be to blame thus to fly, and no man chase you.' But for all their words every man fled the next way to their own houses. And when these lords saw none other remedy, they trussed all their harness in waggons and returned to the host before Tournay, and there shewed the adventure of the Flemings, whereof every man had marvel : some said they were overcome with fantasies.

Froisart CHAPTER XXXIX.--KING EDWARD CREATES SIR HENRY OF FLANDERS A KNIGHT*, AND AFTERWARD MARCHES INTO PICARDY.

AS soon as the king of England had passed the Scheld, and had entered the kingdom of France, he called to him the lord Henry of Flanders, who was but a young esquire, and knighted him--at the same time giving him two hundred pounds sterling a year, properly secured in England. The king was lodged in the abbey of Mont St. Martin, where he remained two days; his troops were scattered round about in the country. The duke of Brabant was quartered at the monastery of Vaucelles. When the king of France, who was at Compiègne, heard this news, he increased his forces every where, and sent the earl of Eu and Guines, his constable, with a large body of men at arms, to St. Quentin, to guard that town and the frontiers against his enemies. He sent the lords of Coucy and of Ham to their castles, and a great number of men at arms to Guise, Ribemont, Bouchain, and the neighbouring fortresses on the borders of his kingdom; and came himself to Peronne, in the Vermandois. During the time the king of England was at the abbey of Mont St. Martin, his people overran the country as far as Bapaume, and very near to Peronne and St. Quentin: they found it rich and plentiful, for there had not been any wars in those parts.

Sir Henry of Flanders, to do credit to his newly acquired knighthood, and to obtain honour, made one of a party of knights, who were conducted by sir John de Hainault. There were among them the lords of Fauquemont, Bergues, Vaudresen, Lens, and many others, to the number of five hundred combatants: they had a design upon the town in the neighbourhood, called Hennecourt, whither the greater number of the inhabitants of the country had retired, who, confiding in the strength of this fortress, had carried with them all their moveables. Sir Arnold of Bacqueghen and sir William du Dunor had already been there, but had done nothing: upon which all these lords had collected together, and were desirous of going thither to do their utmost to conquer it. There was an abbot at that time in Hennecourt of great courage and understanding, who ordered barriers to be made of wood-work around the town, and likewise to be placed across the street, so that there was not more than half a foot from one post to another; he then collected armed men, provided stones, quick-lime, and such like instruments of annoyance, to guard them. As soon as the lords above-mentioned came there, the abbot posted his people between the barriers and the gate, and flung the gate open; the lords dismounted and approached the barriers, which were very strong, sword in hand, and great strokes were given to those within, who defended themselves very valiantly. Sir Abbot did not spare himself; but, having a good leathern jerkin on, dealt about his blows manfully, and received as good in his turn. Many a gallant action was performed; and those within the barriers flung upon the assailants stones, logs, and pots full of lime, to annoy them.

It chanced that sir Henry of Flanders, who was one of the foremost, with his sword attached to his wrist, laid about him at a great rat,: he came too near the abbot, who caught hold of his sword, and drew him to the barriers with so much force, that his arm was dragged through the grating, for he could not quit his sword with honour. The abbot continued pulling, and had the grating been wide enough, he would have had him through, for his shoulder had passed, and he kept his hold, to the knight’s great discomfort. On the other side, his brother knights were endeavouring to draw him out of his hands; and this lasted so long, that sir Henry was sorely hurt: he was, however, at last rescued--but his sword remained with the abbot. And at the time I was writing this book, as I passed through that town, the monks showed me the sword, which was kept there, much ornamented. It was there that I learnt all the truth of this assault. Hennecourt was very vigorously attacked that day; and it lasted until vespers. Many of the assailants were killed or wounded. Sir John of Hainault lost a knight from Holland, called sir Herman, who bore for arms a fess componé gules, and in chief, three buckles azure. When the Flemings, Hainaulters, English, and Germans, who were there, saw the courage of those within the town, and that, instead of gaining any advantage, they were beaten down and wounded, they retreated in the evening, carrying with them to their quarters the wounded and bruised.

As soon as king Edward had passed the river of l'Escault and was entered into the realm of France, he called to him sir Henry of Flanders, who was as then a young squire, and there he made him knight, and gave him yearly two hundred pounds sterling, sufficiently assigned him in England. Then the king went and lodged in the abbey of Mount Saint-Martin, and there tarried two days, and his people abroad in the country; and the duke of Brabant was lodged in the abbey of Vaucelles. When the French king at Compiegne heard these tidings, then he enforced his summons, and sent the earl of Eu and of Guines his constable to Saint- Quentin's, to keep the town and frontiers there against his enemies, and sent the lord of Coucy into his own country, and the lord of Ham to his, and sent many men of arms to Guise and to Ribemont, to Bohain, and the fortresses joining to the entry of the realm; and so went himself toward Peronne. In the mean season that king Edward lay at the abbey of Mount Saint-Martin, his men ran abroad in the country to Bapaume and near to Peronne and to SaintQuentin's. They found the country plentiful; for there had been no war of a long season; and so it fortuned that sir Henry of Flanders, to advance his body and to increase his honour, [went] on a day with other knights, whereof sir John of Hainault was chief, and with him the lord of Fauquemont, the lord of Berg, the lord of Bautersem, the lord of Cuyk and divers other to the number of five hundred : and they avised a town thereby, called Honnecourt, wherein much people were gathered on trust of the fortresses, and therein they had conveyed all their goods ; and there had been sir Arnold of Baquehem and sir William of Duvenvoorde and their company, but they attained nothing there. There was at this Honnecourt an abbot of great wisdom and hardiness; and he' caused to be made without the town a harrier overthwart the street, like a grate, not past half a foot wide every grate, and

CHAPTER XXXIX

How king Edward made sir Henry of Flanders knight.

he made great provisions of stones anc I quicklime, and men ready to defend the place. And these lords, when they came thither, they lighted afoot and entered to the barrier with their glaives in their hands, and there began a sore assault, and they within valiantly defended themselves. There was the abbot himself, who received j and gave many great strokes : there was a fierce assault: they within cast down stones, pieces of timber, pots full of chalk,' and did much hurt to the assailers: and sir Henry of Flanders, who held his glaive in his hands, and gave therewith great strokes. At the last the abbot took the glaive in his hands and drew it so to him, that at last he set hands on sir Henry's arm, and drew it so sore that he pulled out his arm at the harrier to the shoulder and held him at a great advantage, for an the harrier had been wide enough, he had drawn him through; but sir Henry would not let his weapon go for saving of his honour. Then the other knights strake at the abbot to rescue their fellow: so this wrastling endured a long space, but finally the knight was rescued, hut his glaive abode with the abbot. And on a day, when I wrote this hook, as I passed by I was skewed the glaive by the monks there, that kept it for a treasure.2 So this said day Honnecourt was sore assailed, the which endured till it was night, and divers were slain and sore hurt. Sir John of Hainault lost there a knight of Holland called sir Herman. When the Flemings, Hainowes, Englishmen and Almains saw the fierce wills of them within, and saw how they could get nothing there, withdrew themselves against night. And the next day on the morning the king departed from Mount Saint - Martin, commanding that no person should do any hurt: to the abbey, the which commandment was kept.

CHAPTER XLI How these kings ordained their battles at Buironfosse.

WHEN the Friday came in the morning, both hosts apparelled themselves ready, and every lord heard mass among their own companies and divers were shriven. First we will speak of the order of the Englishmen, who drew them forward into the field and made three battles afoot, and did put all their horses and baggages into a little wood behind the marquis of Meissen, the marquis of Brandebourg, sir John of Hainault, the earl of Mons, the earl of Salm, the lord of Fauquemont, sir William of Duvenvoorde, sir Arnold of Baquehem and the Almains ; and among them was twenty-two banners and sixty pennons in the whole, and eight thousand men. The second battle had the duke of Brabant and the lords and knights of his country-first the lord of Cuyk, the lord Berg, the lord of Breda,, the lord of Rotselaer, the lord of Vorsselaer, the lord of Borgneyal, the lord of Schoonvorst, the lord of Witham, the lord of Aerschot, the lord of Gaesbeck, the lord of Duffel, sir Thierry of Walcourt, sir Rasse of Gres, sir John of Kesterbeke, sir John Pyliser, sir Giles of Coterebbe, sir Walter of Huldeberg, the three brethren of Harlebeke, sir Henry of Flanders, and divers other barons and knights of Flanders, who were all under the duke of Brabant's banner, as the lord of Halewyn, the lord of Gruthuse, sir Hector Vilain, sir John of Rhodes, sir Wulfart of Ghistelles, sir William of Straten, sir Gossuin de la Moere, and many other: