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French invasion of the Isle of Wight

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476:(died 1562) reports: "The 21 day of July the French galleys and navie came before Portesmouth haven, and landed certeine of theyre armye in the Yle of Wyght, and there burned and camped there about to the nomber of 2,000 men, and came every tyde with theyr gallies and shott their ordinaunce at the Kinges ships in the haven; but the winde was so calme that the Kinges shippes could bear noe sayle, which was a great discomfort for them." Three days later a muster of 1500 men was sent from the City of London to repel them, but by the King's command turned back at 391: 484: 221: 194: 27: 211: 184: 527:, but were then faced with the difficulty of breaking out from what is known descriptively as the "Undercliff". Their solution was to ascend the extremely steep slopes of St Boniface and Bonchurch Downs, which are over 700 feet (210 m) high. The defenders thus had them at a considerable advantage, having taken up positions on the top of the hill. 515:
The French seem to have landed at undefended points and then attacked defences from inland. At Whitecliff Bay and at Bonchurch they moved swiftly to seize the high ground. However, the attacks were expected and in both cases local forces reached the high grounds to oppose them. The settlement at
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was bidden to land below a little fort where the enemy had mounted some guns with which they assailed our galleys in flank, and within which a number of Island infantry had retired. These, seeing the boldness of our men, abandoned the fort and fled southwards to the shelter of a copse. Our men
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The veracity of this account has been challenged, on the grounds that there were few if any local inhabitants, the militia may have been sent from the mainland, the numbers involved are uncertain, and that there would be later attempted invasions of Great Britain, culminating in the
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evidently paraphrases du Bellay: "They landed at three several places at one time, purposely to divide our forces. Pierre Strosse landed at St Helens where there was a little fort, and beat our men, being divided from the fort, into the woods.
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victory. Details of the campaign have not been very well recorded, with conflicting accounts regarding its outcome; some sources state that the operation was inconclusive, with the English suffering heavily, including the loss of the
820:(T.N.A. Discovery Catalogue): Account book and common place book of Sir John Oglander of Nunwell, Isle of Wight Record Office ref. OG/AA/28. Cited in 'Minor Fortifications of the Isle of Wight', webpage of the 543:
During the last invasion of this country hundreds of French troops landed on the foreshore nearby. This armed invasion was bloodily defeated and repulsed by local militia 21st July 1545.
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Contemporary accounts suggest that the French (or their mercenaries) sacked the area in order to provoke the English fleet into battle against a far larger fleet.
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A more formidable raid was attempted in 1545 when a French fleet of 150 large ships, 25 galleys, and 50 smaller vessels drew up off Brading Harbour...
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ended without a clear victory for either side. However, as the French withdrew from the island, the campaign could be considered an
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with a view to marching to link up at Sandown. The northern force was intercepted whilst crossing the Down, but fought its way to
872: 846: 587: 512:, General of the Foot, landed at Bonchurch, where there was a hot skirmish between them and us, and on either party many slain." 59: 902: 623: 937: 932: 750:. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 626–627, see p. 627, "History" midway down second para. 644: 917: 358: 353: 694: 110: 416:, though the 1545 campaign would be the final time the French attempted to take it. The French forces were led by 84: 717: 48: 897: 458: 922: 495:
wrote: "To keep the enemy's forces separated, a simultaneous descent was made in three places. On one side
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at the Solent, while others claim that the French were defeated at each battle rather easily.
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A Chronicle of England during the Reigns of the Tudors by Charles Wriothesley, Windsor Herald
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Warfare at Sea, 1500–1650: Maritime Conflicts and the Transformation of Europe
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pursued and killed some of them and burned the surrounding habitations".
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A Handbook for Travellers in Surrey, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight
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1545 battle between England and France during the Italian Wars
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Les MĂ©moires de Mess. Martin du Bellay Seigneur de Langay
834:'Memorials and Monuments on the Isle of Wight' website 770:
Dumouriez and the Defence of England Against Napoleon
791:, Vol. I, Camden Society New Series vol XI (1875), 51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 465:. Both forces were repulsed after stiff fighting. 879: 569: 567: 565: 612: 610: 273: 562: 287: 607: 445:French strategy was to effect a landing at 807:(A l'Olivier de P. l'Huilier, Paris 1569) 487:An 1873 illustration of the French landing 280: 266: 535:The event is commemorated by a plaque in 523:At Bonchurch the French landed easily at 406:in July 1545. The invasion was repulsed. 394:A French fleet attacks Bembridge in 1545. 111:Learn how and when to remove this message 928:France–United Kingdom military relations 734: 530: 482: 389: 847:Isle of Wight Historical Review website 880: 709: 619:The Last Invasion of the Isle of Wight 60:"French invasion of the Isle of Wight" 893:Military history of the Isle of Wight 863:Official website of the Isle of Wight 669: 261: 763: 580: 412:had a long history of attacking the 400:French invasion of the Isle of Wight 126:French invasion of the Isle of Wight 49:adding citations to reliable sources 20: 913:Military campaigns involving France 449:and cross Bembridge Down to attack 13: 14: 949: 856: 845:'A Plaque comes before a Fall', 219: 209: 192: 182: 25: 873:Isle of Wight Historical Review 839: 827: 814: 798: 36:needs additional citations for 781: 757: 728: 703: 663: 637: 1: 903:Campaigns of the Italian Wars 555: 822:Isle of Wight History Centre 647:. April 2009. Archived from 7: 773:. J. Lane Company. p.  10: 954: 520:and its manor were burnt. 918:16th century in Hampshire 453:, and another landing at 299: 243: 230: 203: 176: 139: 130: 125: 938:Italian War of 1542–1546 933:England–France relations 645:"Isle of Wight Heritage" 291:Italian War of 1542–1546 133:Italian War of 1542–1546 747:Encyclopædia Britannica 503:A later mention by Sir 497:Seigneur Pierre Strosse 787:W. D. Hamilton (ed.), 741:"Wight, Isle of"  545: 488: 395: 204:Commanders and leaders 710:Murray, John (1876). 541: 531:The plaque at Seaview 486: 393: 244:Casualties and losses 898:Invasions of England 402:occurred during the 236:300–2,800 militiamen 45:improve this article 923:Invasions by France 550:Battle of Fishguard 510:Le Seigneur de Tais 474:Charles Wriothesley 239:Approx 500 soldiers 225:Le Seigneur de Tais 765:Rose, John Holland 651:on 27 October 2005 596:on 5 December 2004 575:Bonchurch from A–Z 489: 420:,. The battles of 418:Claude d'Annebault 396: 908:Conflicts in 1545 387: 386: 256: 255: 172: 171: 121: 120: 113: 95: 945: 850: 843: 837: 831: 825: 818: 812: 802: 796: 785: 779: 778: 761: 755: 754: 743: 732: 726: 725: 707: 701: 700: 680: 667: 661: 660: 658: 656: 641: 635: 634: 633: 631: 622:, archived from 614: 605: 604: 603: 601: 592:, archived from 584: 578: 571: 493:Martin Du Bellay 463:St Boniface Down 294: 292: 282: 275: 268: 259: 258: 223: 213: 196: 186: 141: 140: 123: 122: 116: 109: 105: 102: 96: 94: 53: 29: 21: 953: 952: 948: 947: 946: 944: 943: 942: 888:1545 in England 878: 877: 868:Memorial plaque 859: 854: 853: 844: 840: 832: 828: 819: 815: 803: 799: 786: 782: 762: 758: 733: 729: 708: 704: 697: 668: 664: 654: 652: 643: 642: 638: 629: 627: 626:on 13 July 2011 616: 615: 608: 599: 597: 586: 585: 581: 572: 563: 558: 533: 388: 383: 344:Lagny-sur-Marne 295: 290: 288: 286: 168:English victory 160: 117: 106: 100: 97: 54: 52: 42: 30: 17: 12: 11: 5: 951: 941: 940: 935: 930: 925: 920: 915: 910: 905: 900: 895: 890: 876: 875: 870: 865: 858: 857:External links 855: 852: 851: 838: 826: 813: 797: 780: 756: 738:, ed. (1911). 736:Chisholm, Hugh 727: 702: 695: 662: 636: 606: 589:False Prophets 579: 560: 559: 557: 554: 532: 529: 459:Sandown Castle 447:Whitecliff Bay 385: 384: 382: 381: 376: 371: 366: 361: 356: 351: 346: 341: 336: 331: 326: 321: 316: 311: 306: 300: 297: 296: 285: 284: 277: 270: 262: 254: 253: 250: 246: 245: 241: 240: 237: 233: 232: 228: 227: 217: 215:Robert Fyssher 206: 205: 201: 200: 190: 179: 178: 174: 173: 170: 169: 166: 162: 161: 155: 153: 149: 148: 145: 137: 136: 128: 127: 119: 118: 33: 31: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 950: 939: 936: 934: 931: 929: 926: 924: 921: 919: 916: 914: 911: 909: 906: 904: 901: 899: 896: 894: 891: 889: 886: 885: 883: 874: 871: 869: 866: 864: 861: 860: 848: 842: 835: 830: 823: 817: 811:. 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Murray 683:Routledge 600:2 January 573:Goodwin, 552:in 1797. 470:Chronicle 455:Bonchurch 439:Mary Rose 426:Bonchurch 374:Bonchurch 349:Montreuil 304:Perpignan 159:, England 147:July 1545 101:June 2008 767:(1909). 673:(2000). 329:Ceresole 231:Strength 152:Location 537:Seaview 478:Farnham 451:Sandown 435:carrack 430:English 252:Unknown 249:Unknown 188:England 85:scholar 693:  410:France 364:Solent 198:France 165:Result 87:  80:  73:  66:  58:  319:DĂĽren 309:Muros 92:JSTOR 78:books 691:ISBN 657:2013 632:2008 602:2008 577:, 7. 468:The 424:and 398:The 314:Nice 144:Date 64:news 722:396 687:141 472:of 47:by 884:: 775:47 744:. 716:. 689:. 681:. 609:^ 564:^ 849:. 836:. 824:. 795:. 777:. 724:. 699:. 659:. 281:e 274:t 267:v 135:. 114:) 108:( 103:) 99:( 89:· 82:· 75:· 68:· 41:.

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Italian War of 1542–1546
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Le Seigneur de Tais
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Italian War of 1542–1546
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