The siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, or siege of St. Martin's (French: ''siège de Saint-Martin-de-Ré''), was an attempt by English forces under George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, to capture the French fortress-city of
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Saint-Martin-de-Ré (, literally ''Saint-Martin of Ré''; Saintongeais: ''Sént-Martin-de-Ré'') is a commune in the western French department of Charente-Maritime.Ré (near
La Rochelle
La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wi ...
), in 1627. After three months of siege, the Marquis de Toiras and a relief force of French ships and troops managed to repel the Duke, who was forced to withdraw in defeat.Fissel, p.123 The encounter followed another defeat for Buckingham, the 1625 Cádiz expedition, and is considered to be the opening conflict of the Anglo-French War of 1627–1629.
Landing
On 12 July 1627, an English force of 100 ships and 6,000 soldiers,''An apprenticeship in arms'' by Roger Burrow Manning p.116 /ref> having previously departed from Plymouth Sound, under the command of the Duke of Buckingham invaded the
Île de Ré
Île de Ré (; variously spelled Rhé or Rhéa; Poitevin: ''ile de Rét''; en, Isle of Ré, ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait.
Its high ...
, landing at the beach of
Sablanceau
Sablanceau (anciently Saint-Blanceau) is a beach at the easternmost end of the island of Île de Ré in western France. Sablanceau belongs to the commune of Rivedoux-Plage.
English landing (1627)
On 12 July 1627, an English invasion force of 1 ...
, with the objective of controlling the approaches to La Rochelle and encouraging rebellion in the city. Buckingham hoped to capture the Fort of La Prée and the fortified city of
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Saint-Martin-de-Ré (, literally ''Saint-Martin of Ré''; Saintongeais: ''Sént-Martin-de-Ré'') is a commune in the western French department of Charente-Maritime.dunes
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
, but the English beachhead was maintained, with over 12 officers and 100 men killed.
During a period of three days in which Buckingham consolidated his beachhead, Toiras took all available provisions on the island and fortified himself in the citadel of Saint Martin. Buckingham endeavoured to establish a siege around the citadel, but that proved difficult; the English siege engineer had drowned during the landing, the cannon were too few and too small and, as autumn arrived, disease started to take its toll on the English troops. The siege continued until October.Fissel, p.125
Reinforcements
Requested supplies from England proved insufficient. Two thousand Irish troops arrived under Sir Ralph Bingley on 3 September 1627. A small supply fleet under Sir William Beecher arrived with only 400 raw troops.
A Scottish fleet composed of 30 ships, with 5,000 men, was on its way in October 1627, but was broken up by a storm on the coast of
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
.''An apprenticeship in arms'' by Roger Burrow Manning p.118 /ref> A strong relief fleet under the
Earl of Holland
Earl of Holland was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1624 for Henry Rich, 1st Baron Kensington. He was the younger son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, and had already been created Baron Kensington in 1623, also in the ...
only departed on 6 November 1627, which proved to be too late.
The French, despite difficulties, managed to get small amounts of supplies through to the defenders throughout the siege – in August,
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...
offered a reward of 30,000
livres
The (; ; abbreviation: ₶.) was one of numerous currencies used in medieval France, and a unit of account (i.e., a monetary unit used in accounting) used in Early Modern France.
The 1262 monetary reform established the as 20 , or 80.88 g ...
to the first ship captain to deliver 50 barrels of corn, flour, or biscuits to the citadel. Finally, a large supply fleet arrived on 7–8 October, with 29 out of 35 ships eluding the English naval blockade. This was in the nick of time as Toiras had already declared he would be unable to hold out after this date of not being resupplied.
From the mainland, 4,000 additional troops were landed on the southern end of the island on 20 October. The rescue troops were under the
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
On 27 October Buckingham attempted a last desperate attack on Saint Martin, but the English ladders turned out to be too short to scale the walls, and the fortress again proved impregnable.
Although there were indications that the Saint Martin French garrison was also close to exhaustion, Buckingham finally retreated with his troops towards the northern part of the island, with the objective of embarking from the area of
Loix
Loix () is a commune in the south-west of France, located on the north coast of the Île de Ré, in the department of Charente-Maritime (region Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Its inhabitants are called ''Loidais'' and ''Loidaises'' .
Geography
* Loix is ...
. He was harassed by pursuing French troops, with heavy casualties. Altogether, Buckingham lost more than 5,000 men in the campaign, out of a force of 7,000.
Aftermath
Two months into the siege, the people of La Rochelle finally started open hostilities against the central government of France in September, initiating the
siege of La Rochelle
The siege of La Rochelle (, or sometimes ) was a result of a war between the French royal forces of Louis XIII of France and the Huguenots of La Rochelle in 1627–28. The siege marked the height of the struggle between the Catholics and the Pr ...
.
Following the defeat of Buckingham in October, England attempted to send two fleets to relieve La Rochelle. The first one, led by William Feilding, Earl of Denbigh, left in April 1628, but returned without a fight to
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
, as Denbigh "said that he had no commission to hazard the king's ship in a fight and returned shamefully to Portsmouth".''An apprenticeship in arms'' by Roger Burrow Manning p.119 /ref>
After returning to England, Buckingham tried to organise a second campaign to relieve the siege of La Rochelle, but he was stabbed and killed at Portsmouth on 23 August 1628 by John Felton, an army officer who had been wounded in the earlier military adventure and believed he had been passed over for promotion by Buckingham. Felton was hanged in November and Buckingham was buried in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
. However at the time of his death, Buckingham was a widely hated figure amongst the public; Felton was popularly acclaimed as a hero for assassinating him.
The second fleet was dispatched soon after Buckingham's death, under the Admiral of the Fleet, the
Earl of Lindsey
Earl of Lindsey is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1626 for the 14th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (see Baron Willoughby de Eresby for earlier history of the family). He was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1635 to 1636 a ...
in August, but remained blocked by the
seawall
A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation ...
in front of La Rochelle. Exhausted and without hope of outside support anymore, La Rochelle finally surrendered to French Royal forces on 28 October. Following these defeats, England would end its involvement with the
Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...
by negotiating peace treaties with France in 1629 and with Spain in 1630, to the dismay of Protestant forces on the continent.Peltonen, p.271 /ref>
Following these conflicts, the main port of Saint Martin, was further fortified by Vauban in 1681.
File:Landing of Buckingham in Sablanceau.jpg, Landing of Buckingham in
Sablanceau
Sablanceau (anciently Saint-Blanceau) is a beach at the easternmost end of the island of Île de Ré in western France. Sablanceau belongs to the commune of Rivedoux-Plage.
English landing (1627)
On 12 July 1627, an English invasion force of 1 ...
(detail).
File:English Siege of Saint Martin 1627.jpg, English forces besieging the citadel of Saint-Martin-de-Ré (detail).
File:Portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (by Peter Paul Rubens).jpg, The
Duke of Buckingham
Duke of Buckingham held with Duke of Chandos, referring to Buckingham, is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There have also been earls and marquesses of Buckingham.
...
had to retreat in defeat.
File:Toiras Versailles.jpg, The Governor of
Île de Ré
Île de Ré (; variously spelled Rhé or Rhéa; Poitevin: ''ile de Rét''; en, Isle of Ré, ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait.
Its high ...
(and future
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
)
Toiras
Jean Caylar d'Anduze de Saint-Bonnet, Marquis de Toiras (1585–1636), often just called Toiras, was a Marshal of France of the 17th century.
Toiras fought against Soubise in the Capture of Ré island in 1625. After his victory, he received the ...
led the defense of Saint-Martin-de-Ré.
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
.
File:Ravitaillement de l Ile de Re par Claude de Razilly en 1627 by Claude Vignon 1642.jpg, Successful resupply of Ile de Ré by Claude de Razilly in 1627, painted by
Claude Vignon
Claude Vignon (19 May 1593 – 10 May 1670) was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator who worked in a wide range of genres.Paola Pacht Bassani. "Vignon, Claude." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 2 November ...
(1642).
File:Combat et victoire obtenue sur les Anglois Michel de la Mathoniere 1627.jpg, Marshall Henri de Schomberg and
Toiras
Jean Caylar d'Anduze de Saint-Bonnet, Marquis de Toiras (1585–1636), often just called Toiras, was a Marshal of France of the 17th century.
Toiras fought against Soubise in the Capture of Ré island in 1625. After his victory, he received the ...
vanquishing the English army of Buckingham at the end of the siege. Michel de la Mathonière, 1627.
File:Retreat and reimbarkment of Buckingham in Loix.jpg, Retreat and reimbarkment of Buckingham in
Loix
Loix () is a commune in the south-west of France, located on the north coast of the Île de Ré, in the department of Charente-Maritime (region Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Its inhabitants are called ''Loidais'' and ''Loidaises'' .
Geography
* Loix is ...
.
File:Shomberg presenting English captives to the King.jpg, Schomberg presenting English captives to the King.
File:Plaque to Toiras in Saint Martin de Re.jpg, Plaque to
Toiras
Jean Caylar d'Anduze de Saint-Bonnet, Marquis de Toiras (1585–1636), often just called Toiras, was a Marshal of France of the 17th century.
Toiras fought against Soubise in the Capture of Ré island in 1625. After his victory, he received the ...
, defender of
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Saint-Martin-de-Ré (, literally ''Saint-Martin of Ré''; Saintongeais: ''Sént-Martin-de-Ré'') is a commune in the western French department of Charente-Maritime.Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Saint-Martin-de-Ré (, literally ''Saint-Martin of Ré''; Saintongeais: ''Sént-Martin-de-Ré'') is a commune in the western French department of Charente-Maritime.Vauban in 1681.
