Jeanne de Clisson’s Role in the Battle…
August 1346 CE
Jeanne de Clisson’s Role in the Battle of Crécy and Her Tragic Ordeal at Sea (1346)
During the Battle of Crécy (August 26, 1346), Breton pirate Jeanne de Clisson, known as "The Lioness of Brittany," used her Black Fleet of three ships to supply English forces, aiding Edward III’s invasion of northern France. However, following the battle, she suffered a devastating personal tragedy when her flagship was sunk, leaving her and her two young sons stranded at sea.
Jeanne de Clisson’s Role at Crécy
- As an English ally, Jeanne de Clisson played a key logistical role, supplying Edward III’s forces south of Calais.
- Her pirate fleet had long harassed French supply lines, making her one of Philip VI’s most hated enemies.
- During or shortly after the battle, her flagship was sunk, stranding Jeanne and her two sons on a makeshift raft in the English Channel.
Five Days Adrift and the Death of Guillaume de Clisson
- Jeanne, along with her two sons—nine-year-old Olivier and seven-year-old Guillaume—was left adrift for five days.
- Exposure to the elements took its toll, and young Guillaume died of exposure, a devastating blow to Jeanne.
- The grieving mother and her surviving son, Olivier, were finally rescued by Montfortist supporters and taken to Morlaix, Brittany, a stronghold of John of Montfort’s faction.
Impact and Aftermath
- Jeanne’s alliance with England remained unbroken, and she continued her war against the French monarchy.
- Her surviving son, Olivier de Clisson, would later become a powerful nobleman and military leader, ultimately serving as Constable of France under Charles V—a remarkable turn given his mother’s anti-French vendetta.
- The death of Guillaume marked yet another personal loss for Jeanne, further fueling her relentless pursuit of vengeance against the French crown.
Jeanne de Clisson’s aid to the English at Crécy, followed by her harrowing ordeal at sea, solidified her legend as a fierce and determined warrior, a widowed noblewoman turned privateer who defied France for over a decade.