Battle of Bonchurch
Battle of Bonchurch | |||||||
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Part of the French invasion of the Isle of Wight during the Italian War of 1542–1546. | |||||||
![]() Monks Bay in 2008. French troops advanced from the bay before they reached St. Boniface Down, the location where the fighting took place. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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France | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
300[2]-2,800[3] militiamen | Approx 500 soldiers[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The Battle of Bonchurch took place in late July 1545 at
The battle was between French regular soldiers, and local English militiamen.
The battle was one of several fought between English and French on the Isle of Wight.[3] The majority of sources state that the English won this battle,[1][2] although one suggests that the French were victorious.[3] The battle was fought as part of the French attempt to cause enough damage to force English 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[3] Other French landings were made at Sandown, Bembridge, and St Helens.[3]
Background
The
On 18 July, French and English ships engaged off the English coast, marking the beginning of the Battle of the Solent. The outnumbered English ships withdrew,[3] 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.[3] 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.[3] 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.[6] French troops landed on 21 July.
During the
The French plan at Bonchurch may have been to burn
Prelude
2000 French troops landed at three locations on the coast,
Battle
There is no comprehensive account of the battle. However, it could have taken place at dawn and lasted until midday.[2] Some accounts suggest that local women participated by shooting arrows at the French.[2]
Outcome
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
Aftermath
Casualties on both sides were heavy.
Sources
- Goodwin, John. Bonchurch from A-Z. Bonchurch: The Bonchurch Trading Company, 1992. ISBN 1-873009-00-3
- Knecht, Robert J. Renaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-521-57885-X.
- Scarisbrick, J. J. Henry VIII. London: The Folio Society, 2004.
References
- ^ a b c d False Prophets, archived from the original on 5 December 2004, retrieved 2 January 2008
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Goodwin, Bonchurch from A-Z, 7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s The Last Invasion of the Isle of Wight, archived from the original on 13 July 2011, retrieved 14 February 2008
- ^ Robert Knecht, Renaissance Warrior, 501; Scarisbrick, Henry VIII, 397–398.
- ^ Knecht, Renaissance Warrior, 502; Phillips, "Testing the 'Mystery'", 50–51.
- ^ Mary Rose Dossier disaster, archived from the original on 13 May 2006, retrieved 2 January 2007
- ^ Isle of Wight Heritage, archived from the original on 6 May 2007, retrieved 18 October 2007