John Minsterworth facts for kids

Sir John Minsterworth (died 1377) was an English knight from Gloucestershire in the 1300s. He fought in the Hundred Years' War, a long conflict between England and France. Sadly, he was put to death by King Edward III because he was accused of betraying the king.

We don't know much about his early life, like when he became a knight. He first became well-known around 1370 during an invasion of France. The war was not going well for England, even though the King's son, Edward the Black Prince, was in charge. Minsterworth was part of a group sent to help the English army in France. This group was led by Sir Robert Knolles, who was known for his military skills.

The English army landed in northern France and fought their way west. But soon, the leaders started to disagree, and their arguments turned into a serious rebellion. Minsterworth may have disliked Knolles and decided to leave his main army with some other soldiers. Much of Knolles's army was defeated by the French in December 1370 at the Battle of Pontvallain.

Minsterworth and his group managed to reach Brittany, even though they faced many attacks. Eventually, he made it back to England, but most of his remaining soldiers were killed on the coast. In England, Minsterworth tried to blame Knolles for the disaster. Knolles was found responsible for some mistakes, but Minsterworth also received blame.

In 1372, Minsterworth left England and joined the French army. Five years later, he met a Welsh lord named Owain Lawgoch who was rebelling against England. Minsterworth supported Owen's plan for France to help invade England. In 1377, while he was still abroad, the English captured him. He was sent back to England to be tried for betraying the king. He was found guilty of planning against the king. He was then executed, and his body was cut into pieces and sent to different parts of the kingdom.

A Knight's Early Military Life

We don't know much about John Minsterworth's childhood. He was probably born in Minsterworth, a place in Gloucestershire, which is where his name comes from. Historians describe him as a mysterious person from a humble background.

His first official record is from 1367. He signed a contract to serve in France with Humphrey, Earl of Hereford. Minsterworth was also in charge of finding many soldiers for Hereford. The next year, he agreed to join the English journey to France in 1370 during the Hundred Years' War. Some historians have criticized his actions during that campaign. One historian, James Sherborne, said Minsterworth caused "much trouble." Another, Jonathan Sumption, called him an "ambitious hothead."

Trouble in France

The English army gathered in July 1370 at Rye and Winchelsea. This was the first time an English army in France was led by someone who wasn't a very high-ranking noble. The command was first given to Sir Robert Knolles. But because of delays and complaints, Knolles ended up sharing command with three other experienced captains: Sir Alan Buxhull, Sir Thomas Grandison, and Sir John Bourchier. Minsterworth served under Knolles.

Some historians believe there were doubts about Knolles even before the army sailed. This shared leadership seemed to cause jealousy and arguments, especially about how money and treasures from the war would be shared. Historian Mark Ormrod thinks that Knolles being in charge might have made other captains feel less important. Minsterworth was the most vocal about this. Some writers from that time said Knolles was not from a noble family. One even said he used to be a cloth worker. Minsterworth seemed to think he was socially better than Knolles. Because of this, Sumption suggests Minsterworth "hated his commander very much." Minsterworth called Knolles names like "the Old Freebooter" and "old brigand," and always criticized his leadership.

The remains of Derval Castle in Brittany, which was likely Minsterworth's destination after the Battle of Pontvallain.

Even though Minsterworth was not a very famous person and didn't have much money, he commanded the second-largest group of soldiers in the army, right after Knolles. His group included ten knights, about 200 men-at-arms, and 300 archers. He received £2000 in advance pay for this. His soldiers came from all over England, including places near Minsterworth like South Wales and Gloucester, but also from further away like London.

Many of these soldiers were "footloose professionals," meaning they were often outcasts or criminals who served for money and pardons. Minsterworth had to rely on these men because he didn't have the same connections or land as a great lord to recruit soldiers. This was different from Knolles, who was wealthy enough to pay for his army for a long time.

The army landed at Calais and began a chevauchée (a fast military raid on horseback) across northern and southwestern France towards Bordeaux. The goal was to draw the French away from Aquitaine, where the Black Prince was planning another campaign. By November 1370, Minsterworth had rebelled against Knolles's leadership. He became the leader of many unhappy soldiers.

Even though Knolles was a very famous soldier, Minsterworth didn't respect his skills. Historian Michael Prestwich suggests that Minsterworth left Knolles's army because they were in a very bad situation. The raids had some success, but the army was constantly losing men. It was falling apart, mainly because of Minsterworth's rebellion. Knolles might have made his fellow captains even angrier by keeping too much of the ransoms and treasures for himself. This was important to Minsterworth because it affected his own potential earnings and made it harder to pay his men, who might then leave him. The military failures of the campaign were blamed on Knolles. Minsterworth told his companions that it was a "great dishonour to be subjected" to Knolles.

The Army Splits Up

A writer from that time said that "out of envy and self-importance," the English captains divided their army into four groups and went separate ways. This was probably to make it easier to find food and get more treasures. Minsterworth's group was the first to leave. Knolles followed, taking most of the army with him.

Soon after, in early December 1370, what was left of the English army was defeated at the Battle of Pontvallain. Minsterworth was at the battle, but he was far enough away to escape. Some people think he might have been in contact with the French, and his information could have led to the English defeat.

After hearing about the battle, Minsterworth fled to Brittany, probably to Knolles's castle at Derval. He spent the winter there comfortably with Knolles. Minsterworth decided to take his army back to England early the next year. He left Knolles in Derval and led a group of a few hundred to 1,100 men to the port of Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Finistère. Constant attacks along the way reduced their numbers. Even worse news awaited them at the port: there were only two small ships, not nearly enough for the hundreds of men who needed to cross. Minsterworth was one of the few who could afford a spot on a ship. Those who stayed behind were killed when the French army caught up to them.

Back in England

Minsterworth returned to England as one of the few important survivors. This started a long period of arguments and blame. Even though he was largely responsible for the disaster, Minsterworth managed to avoid most of the blame at first by blaming Knolles. In July 1372, the King's Council (a group of advisors) seemed to agree with him and blamed Knolles for the defeat.

However, after the Black Prince and John of Gaunt (another son of the King) spoke up for Knolles, the King said that Knolles "should not be held as responsible as his men for their unruliness, disobedience and arrogance." King Edward then made sure Minsterworth was no longer excused. He was immediately arrested and accused of speaking badly about Knolles. Minsterworth did not show up for the council's investigation. At this point, feeling "humiliated...and frustrated," he gave up his loyalty to Edward III. Because he didn't appear, he was declared an outlaw, meaning the King could take his lands.

Later Years and Betrayal

Minsterworth left for France again in 1372. He was serving in the French army the next year. It's not clear if he joined them after being captured or if he was already secretly working with King Charles V of France. A writer from that time said this was a betrayal, saying Minsterworth had "sold himself to the French." Soon after, in December 1373, an order was given to take all the lands Minsterworth held from John of Gaunt, who was Minsterworth's feudal lord in Gloucestershire. Minsterworth seemed to be with his old friend, Thomas Fauconberg, who also switched sides at the same time.

By 1376, King Charles of France had a plan to invade England with a large French and Spanish navy. The plan was for a French fleet to sail along the south coast of England and land Owain Lawgoch at Milford Haven. Owen was a person who claimed to be the rightful ruler of Wales. Charles's plan was for Owen to lead a French army with Minsterworth, who was now a traitor.

Captured by the English

In early 1377, Minsterworth traveled to Castile (part of modern-day Spain) to arrange for troops and ships for the invasion. In March, he was captured in Pamplona, Navarre, by a Gascon squire. Letters discussing the planned invasion were found on him. Minsterworth was taken to Bordeaux before being sent back to England.

He first landed at Bristol, but because he owned land there, he seemed to have some supporters. When the royal council found out that someone was planning to rescue him, he was immediately moved to the Tower of London. During questioning, Minsterworth revealed French plans to launch their fleet the following May.

He was tried in the Guildhall in London before the Mayor, Nicholas Brembre, and other royal judges. Here, he also admitted to meeting Owen and said they were both supposed to lead the invasion. This was seen as further betrayal of the king. He was sentenced to be executed in a very harsh way.

His Execution

Before his execution, Minsterworth was allowed to write to the King. The letter is now lost, but it probably asked for mercy and offered more information. He never received a reply. It was likely opened by the Earl Marshal, Henry Percy, and never seen by King Edward. This might have been because Minsterworth named important people who supported Owen, and they didn't want the King to know.

Minsterworth was executed on April 12, 1377, at Tyburn, a famous execution site in London. His body was cut into four pieces after he died. One part was sent to Carmarthen, a main town in South Wales, probably to send a strong message to anyone who might support Owen. Another part was sent to Bristol, where his lands were located. The remaining parts were sent to places as far apart as Dover and Newcastle. Owen was killed by an English agent the next year. Minsterworth's head was placed on a pole above London Bridge. It stayed there until the Peasant's revolt in 1381, when it was replaced by the head of Simon Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

What People Thought of Him

People at the time did not think highly of Minsterworth. One writer, Walsingham, described him as someone with a "willing hand but a deceptive and distorted mind." In the mid-1400s, the historian John Leland simply called him "John Minsterworth English Traitor." A century later, another writer, Holinshed, said Minsterworth was "a good man of his hands (as we call him) but perverse of mind, and very deceitful."

Historian Jonathan Sumption believes that Minsterworth's later actions might show he had some mental problems. However, Sumption also points out that since King Charles trusted Minsterworth to arrange things with Castile and lead the invasion fleet, "he must have been a plausible talker in spite of his shady past."

A book from the 1500s, an edition of Ranulf Higden's Polychronicon, included a picture of Minsterworth and a description of his execution. This picture was on a map at the beginning of the book, which was unusual.