Bérard d’Albret, lord of Vayres and

Vertheuil Vertheuil (; oc, Vertulh) is a Communes of France, commune in the Gironde Departments of France, department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in southwestern France. Population Notable people *Henri Calloc'h de Kérillis (1889–1958), aviator, reporter, ...

(died 1346) was a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

member of the

House of Albret The lordship (''seigneurie'') of Albret (Labrit), situated in the Landes, gave its name to one of the most powerful feudal families of France in the Middle Ages. History Its members distinguished themselves in the local wars of that epoch; and d ...

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

and an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

commander during the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

. He was the son of Amanieu VIII and younger brother of

Bernard Ezi IV Bernard Ezi II (Ezi is also spelled ''Aiz'') was the Lord of Albret from 1324 to 1358 and the son of Amanieu VII. In 1330, Edward III of England sent men to Gascony to negotiate with the nobles. Bernard tried to negotiate a marriage between his ...

. Bérard remained a supporter of the English side after the

War of Saint-Sardos The War of Saint-Sardos was a short war fought between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France in 1324. The French invaded the English Duchy of Aquitaine. The war was a clear defeat for the English, and led indirectly to the overthrow of ...

in 1324 when many of his family defected to the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. At the onset of the Hundred Years’ War, in 1337, he was captain of

Blaye Blaye (; oc, Blaia ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. For centuries, Blaye was a particularly convenient crossing point for those who came from the north and went to Bordeau ...

and

Puynormand Puynormand (; oc, Pueinarmand) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gironde department The following is a list of the 535 communes of the Gironde depar ...

on the northern march of what remained of the

Duchy of Aquitaine The Duchy of Aquitaine ( oc, Ducat d'Aquitània, ; french: Duché d'Aquitaine, ) was a historical fiefdom in western, central, and southern areas of present-day France to the south of the river Loire, although its extent, as well as its name, fluc ...

. On 20 April 1339 a French force transported by galleys attacked Blaye from the river side. The defenders were caught completely by surprise and both town and citadel was taken. Bérard was captured and brought as a prisoner to the

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. By 1345 he was back in Gascony serving with his older brother

under Henry of Grosmont, Earl of Lancaster. In August Lancaster captured Bergerac, the principal French garrison town in

Périgord Périgord ( , ; ; oc, Peiregòrd / ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is div ...

, by storm. When the Earl marched onward on 10 September he left the brothers in command of the town with a force of 1,500 men.

References

* Sumption, Jonathan. ''The Hundred Years War I, Trial by Battle'' 1346 deaths

Berard Berard (or Bérard) is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name *Berard of Carbio (died 1220), Italian Franciscan friar *Berard of Castagna (died 1252), Italian archbishop * Bérard d'Albret, ...

Year of birth unknown {{France-noble-stub