Bérard d’Albret, lord of Vayres and Vertheuil (died 1346) was a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

member of the

House of Albret The House of Albret, which derives its name from the lordship (''seigneurie'') of Albret (Labrit), situated in the Landes of Gascony, Landes, was one of the most powerful feudal families of Kingdom of France, France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarr ...

Gascony Gascony (; ) 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 of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

and an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

commander during the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

. 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 hi ...

. 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 during which the French invaded the English Duchy of Aquitaine. The war was a clear defeat for the English and led indirectly to the ...

in 1324 when many of his family defected to the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

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

Blaye Blaye (; ) 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 Bordeaux or fur ...

and

Puynormand Puynormand (; ) 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 534 communes of the Gironde department of Franc ...

on the northern march of what remained of the

Duchy of Aquitaine The Duchy of Aquitaine (, ; , ) was a historical fiefdom located in the western, central, and southern areas of present-day France, south of the river Loire. The full extent of the duchy, as well as its name, fluctuated greatly over the centuries ...

. 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 place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. 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 ( , ; ; or ) 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 divided into f ...

, 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