and Henry were amongst those sent to link up with it.^92 Despite such
promising beginnings, Edward III’s plans were thrown into doubt, once
again, by the sudden defeat and death of Henry’s son-in-law, David of
Strathbogie, at Culblean on 30 November.^93 As a result, King Edward
was back in thefield in 1336. Although this operation was, admittedly,
rather more limited in scope, it is famous, above all, for the celebrated
‘chivalric interlude’when Edward darted to the castle of Lochindorb
to rescue a group of damsels in distress, headed by Henry’s widowed
daughter, Catherine.^94 This was, in fact, as far north as the king was ever
to go. It was also the‘last hurrah’of this particular phase of the Scottish
wars, as Edward switched to focus on a much greater menace.
As early as 1334, England and France had been set on a collision
course in Scotland, when the young king, David II, was welcomed into
exile by Philip VI. The next year, Philip named his constable, Raoul, as
the captain-general of a huge invasionfleet, intending to put the boy back
onto his throne. However, the constable got cold feet about the cam-
paign, recognizing, quite correctly, that it would be an act of war against
his other lord, Edward III. As a result, he was replaced by Arnoul of
Audrehem, the future marshal of France. (In the event, though, he need
not have worried, since the greatfleet never sailed.) There are signs that
Raoul’snolle prosequiearned him King Edward’s gratitude. However,
the momentum of events, on the road to the Hundred Years’War, was
rapidly becoming unstoppable. Raoul’s Irish estates were seized by the
English crown as early as April 1337, although they were soon returned.
Three months later, though, the government was ready to make its move.
This time it confiscated his honours in England, too, and declared him
to be an enemy‘alien’. It would take the French king anotherfive years
to compensate Raoul for his losses.^95
It was the Hundred Years’War, in fact, that spelt the end of Henry’s
chances of regaining his earldoms in north-eastern Scotland. His brother,
Bishop Louis, and their sister, Isabella de Vescy, had died in 1333 and
1334 respectively.^96 A few years later, the ageing Henry accompanied
King Edward to the Low Countries, and he died there in 1340.^97
(^92) Henry contributed 92 men-at-arms to this campaign. See ibid., 202–36, and
Appendix 4.
(^93) See Beam,The Balliol Dynasty, 245–6.
(^94) Thechevauchéeis described in detail inThe Wars of Edward III, source 31. Catherine
later claimed that she had spent 400 marks of her own money on refortifying the castle.
Edward III intervened personally to ensure the delivery of her dower, and provided for
95 her until her death in 1368. See Ormrod,Edward III, 172–3.
96 See Lebailly,‘Raoul d’Eu, connétable de France et seigneur anglais et irlandais’, 245–7.
97 See Fraser’s article in theODNB, and Mitchell,Portraits of Medieval Women,103.
See Maddicott’s article in theODNB.
The Coming of the Hundred Years’War 161