Thomas West, 2nd Baron West (1391 or 1392 – c. 30 September 1416) succeeded as Baron West at the age of 14. In less than a year, he married Ida de Saint Amand, younger daughter and coheiress of Amaury de Saint Amand, 3rd Baron Saint Amand (1341–1402). He was knighted on the eve of Henry V's coronation. He fought at the

Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...

, and is listed on a pipe-roll with a

retinue A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers. Etymology The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', it ...

of 14

lancers A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

and 40

archers Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...

. Afterwards, he was assigned to the garrison of

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

. Next year, the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation c ...

, who was

Captain of Calais The town of Calais, now part of France, was in English hands from 1347 to 1558, and this page lists the commanders of Calais, holding office from the English Crown, called at different times Captain of Calais, King's Lieutenant of Calais (Castle ...

, sent out an expedition on 24 September 1416 to capture a Genoese

carrack A carrack (; ; ; ) is a three- or four- masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal. Evolved from the single-masted cog, the carrack was first used for European trade fr ...

, since the Genoese were allies of France. Thomas West was mortally wounded putting on his armoUr before the battle; he was arming himself at the foot of the mast when one of the stones being hauled up to the

catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...

s on the masthead slipped; but he survived long enough to die in England. (His wife died that same fall; either a little before him, or on 15 December.) The ''

Gesta Henrici Quinti The ''Gesta Henrici Quinti'' ("Deeds of Henry the Fifth") is a medieval Latin chronicle written by an anonymous author. History The book was published in 1975 by Frank Taylor and John Roskell Smith. There are currently only two manuscripts of ...

'' puns in describing the manner of his death, suggesting that he received the chief of all evils (''verticem mali'') while pursuing the root of all evil (''radicem mali'').

References

* Cokayne's ''

Complete Peerage ''The Complete Peerage'' (full title: ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant''; first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition revis ...

'' * ''Gesta Henrici Quinti'' = The deeds of Henry the Fifth / translated from the Latin, with introd. and notes by Frank Taylor and John S. Roskell.

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1975, {{DEFAULTSORT:West, Thomas West, 2nd Baron 1390s births 1416 deaths 2 People of the Hundred Years' War Accidental deaths in England Thomas West, 02 Baron West