THE CAREER OF SIR THOMAS TRIVET (1330-88)

When Despenser was later impeached in parliament for the impending debacle, it was stated that he was granted leadership of the expedition on condition that he took with him 'the best and most stufficient captains of the realm, after royalties....But the Bishop refused to certify their names until after permission had been granted to hzm.’⁷ The captains that Despenser actually took to Flanders are stated clearly in Froissart's extensive account of the expedition, among them, Hugh CalveIey, William Elmham and Thomas Trivet.⁸ Trivet's involvement in the expedition would later cost him a brief spell in prison and a hefty fine, but in the meantime, the crusade began well. However, Trivet was still in England at this point, lagging behind the rest of the army 'and it was not until the Londoners and the bishop's friends threatened violence that he sailed and joined Despenser at Dunkirk late in May.’⁹ Therefore, he was probably not with 3,000 strong force that marched from Calais to Gravelines on the 19^th May. The latter took the town by storm, striking fear into the neighbouring settlements and causing Bourbourg to surrender without a fight.¹⁰ Despenser's army then marched on Dunkirk where a Flemish force of 12,000 had assembled and it was here that Trivet finally caught up with him.¹¹ The English were victorious, and according to Froissart, the Flemish lost 9,000 men beneath the town's walls.¹²

However their success did not last and a disagreement ensued over how the expedition should then proceed. As Saul records, Despenser wanted to advance on Clementist Artois, but his captains, Trivet among them, argued that they should advance on Ypres, although its occupants were supporters of Pope Urban VI.¹³ This was tO prove a grave mistake, since the town was too heavily defended and dysentry soon broke out among the English troops. Despencer and his men were forced to withdraw on the 10th August after a siege lasting two months, as a result of the rumour that about 80,000 soldiers (mustered by the King of France) were on their way from Arras to relieve the town.¹⁴ By this time, concerns over the success of the crusade were being voiced in England. On the 24th August, Gaunt and his brother, Thomas of Woodstock, wrote to Richard warning him of the inevitable disaster.¹⁵ In Despenser's impeachment proceedings in 1383. it was alleged that around this time the King's Council had received letters from the captains in Flanders saying that the expedition 'was in great peril and daily deteriorating' mainly because of the lack of a secular lieutenant.¹⁶

Following Froissart's account, the English withdrew to Bergues under Hugh CalveIey, whilst the humiliated Bishop retmried to Gravelines.¹⁷ The remaining troops under CalveIey could not possibly hope to defend Bergues from Charles VI's army as it marched to meet