Geoffroi de Charny | Timeline

Geoffroi de Charny (left)
faces Edward III
of England at Calais, 1350

Geoffroi de Charny (c. 1300 – 19 September 1356), was a French knight and author of at least three works on chivalry. He was born around 1300. His father, Jean de Charny was the Lord of Lirey in Burgundy and his mother was Margaret de Joinville. His grandfather on his mother's side, Jean de Joinville, was a close friend of King Louis IX and author of his biography. Geoffroi was a knight in the service of King Jean II of France and a founding member of the Order of the Star, an order of chivalry founded on 6 November 1351 by Jean II of France similar to the Order of the Garter (1347) by Edward III of England. He was also the carrier of the Oriflamme, the standard of the crown of France, an immensely privileged, not to mention dangerous, honour, as it made the holder a key target of enemy forces on the battlefield. Geoffroi de Charny was one of Europe's most admired knights during his lifetime, with a widespread reputation for his skill at arms and his honour. It was said that in his time he was known as a "true and perfect Knight". (Intro from Wikipedia)

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January(?) 1(?), 1300 - Lirey, S. of Troyes(?) - Geoffroi de Charny is born

January(?) 1(?), 1306 - Lirey(?) - Marguerite de Joinville, his mother, dies

January(?) 1(?), 1313 - Greece(?) - Jean de Charny, together with his eldest son Dreux, depart in an expedition to Greece under Louis of Burgundy. It is possible that Geoffroi may have gone with his father and brother, staying with his family there

January(?) 1(?), 1318 - Geoffroi de Charny marries 17-year-old Jeanne de Toucy

January(?) 1(?), 1319 - Daughter Charlotte is born

April 20, 1336 - Paris(?) - De Charny is present in a Parlament Act and refered to as a knight =(START)

July 1(?), 1337 - Languedoc | Guyenne - Geoffroi de Charny fights as banneret, to the expeditions of Languedoc and Guyenne, under the orders of Raoul de Brienne Comte d'Eu, Marshal of France (with 5 squires)
January(?) 1(?), 1338 - Lille - At Lille

April 28, 1338 - Tournai - Garrisoned at Tournai

March 9, 1339 - Tournai(?) - Making war on the flemish frontier

August 26, 1340 - Tournai - Edward III besieges Tournai

September 22, 1340 - Tournai - Edward's mother-in-law, Jeanne of Valois, visits him in his tent and begs for peace. She had already made the same plea in front of Philip, who was her brother. A truce (known as the Truce of Espléchin) could then be made without anyone losing face

September 25, 1340 - Tournai - Tournai is relieved

September 30, 1340 - Tournai - De Charny leaves Tournai
January(?) 1(?), 1341 - Besançon(?) - King Philip VI gives De Charny the "Shroud of Turin", for protecting his son in battle
October 15, 1341 - Angers - Accompanies the Duke of Normandy, future John II the Good, to Angers with 3 squires
September 30, 1342 - Morlaix - Battle of Morlaix - French tactival victory - De Charny leads a division of mounted knights. He is captured
October(?) 15(?), 1342 - Goodrich Castle, England - Captive of Richard Talbot at Goodrich Castle
December(?) 1(?), 1342 - near Vannes - De Charny escapes prison and soon, rejoins the Duke of Normandy fighting the english near Vannes
December(?) 10(?), 1342 - Ploermel - Philip de Valois meets Geoffroi de Charny, recently escaped from an english prison
January(?) 1(?), 1343 - Saint-Omer(?) - Named Governor of Saint-Omer
June 1(?), 1343 - A royal decree accorded to De Charny the right to an income of 140 lires in order to build a collegiate at Lirey, near Troyes, and endow the canons to administer it

(it is likely that de Charny returned to France after the first expedition to Smyrna, however, his presence was witnessed by Philippe de Mézières on the second battle of Smyrna, June 24, 1346. Although it means that he must had made a very fast return to France to sign a receipt for his pay at Aiguillon on August 2nd, I will follow that line of thought with this timeline)

October 28, 1344 - Smyrna - Surprise attack to the ottoman-held port of Smyrna with his fellow knight Edouard de Beaujeu
January(?) 1(?), 1345 - off Rhodes - Battle with the genoese off Rhodes. According to some sources, Geoffroi de Charny decides to return to France at this time
August 30(?), 1345 - Marseille - Departs to Genoa in a papal fleet led by Humbert II of Viennois with 62 other knights
September 10(?), 1345 - Genoa - Arrival at Genoa. Humbert's force begins crossing the Italian peninsula to Venice
November 1(?), 1345 - Venice, Italy - Humbert II of Viennois departs from Venice
December 24, 1345 - Negroponte (Chalcis, Euboea Island, Greece) - Humbert II of Viennois reaches Negroponte just before Christmas
February 1(?), 1346 - Mytilene, Lesbos Island - Victory over the turks at Mytilene
April(?) 1(?), 1346 - Negroponte - Humbert II of Viennois returns to Negroponte in the Spring
April 1, 1346 - (While in Negroponte?) - The Duke of Gascony lays siege to Aiguillon. De Charny is promoted to "chevalier" and "Captain of Saint-Omer"
June 1(?), 1346 - Smyrna - Humbert II of Viennois reaches Smyrna

Oriflamme

June 24, 1346 - Smyrna - Big Battle of Smyrna (De Charny's presence witnessed by Philippe de Mézières)
August 2, 1346 - Port-Saint-Marie | Aiguillon - Signs a receipt for his pay at Aiguillon. Promoted to "chevalier". Shortly after he is named captain of Saint-Omer
August 14, 1346 - Béthune - Hugh Hastings and his anglo-flemish force besiege Béthune
August 16, 1346 - Béthune - The anglo-flemish assault is beaten back
August 22, 1346 - Béthune - Godfrey d'Annequin leads a sortie from the town into the main camp of the besiegers and destroys a large part of it. Disheartened, the flemings begin quarrelling among themselves and decide to lift the siege
August 24, 1346 - Béthune - The flemings burn their siege engines and march away
March 18, 1347 - Saint-Omer(?) - Named the royal "porte d'oriflamme" by Philip VI of Valois
September 28, 1347 - Calais - The "Truce of Calais", mediated by Pope Clement VI, is agreed by King Edward III and King Philip VI of France - De Charny named Plenipotentiary to discuss between France and England, the terms of the truce
January(?) 1(?), 1348 - His first wife Jeanne de Toucy dies, probably of the Black Death. De Charny marries Jeanne de Vergy
July 1(?), 1348 - Saint-Omer(?) - As a member of the King's Council, De Charny is put in charge of all french forces in the Northeast
April 16, 1349 - Lirey, S. of Troyes(?) - Request addressed to Pope Clement VI, asking 100 days of indulgence for the pilgrims visiting the church that he should build
October 30(?), 1349 - Saint-Omer - Amery of Pavia enters negotiations with De Charny, the governor of Saint-Omer, for the sale of Calais in exchange for the sum of 20,000 écus.
December 31, 1349 - Guînes, S. of Calais - Geoffroi de Charny arrives before dawn with 500 lancers to occupy Calais. Sir Amery of Pavia receives his payment of 20,000 écus from Geoffroi and leads his advance company of twelve knights and a hundred archers into King Edward's awaiting trap in the tower of Calais castle

De Charny, wounded and a prisoner
of King Edward III (left), 1350

January 1, 1350 - Calais - Battle of Calais - Geoffroi de Charny is wounded in the head and captured
February(?) 1(?), 1350 - London - Writes the "Book of Chivalry" in captivity
June 1(?), 1351 - (While in London) - John II the Good gathers a ransom worthy of a king (12,000 écus) to redeem his bravest knight
June 6, 1351 - Ardres, Pas-de-Calais - Battle of Ardres - French victory, but Édouard I de Beaujeu is killed
July 1(?), 1351 - Takes part in the negotiations between the King of France and the Count of Flanders
July 31, 1351 - Receives 1,000 écus from King Philippe VI to pay the ransom of his prison in Calais in 1348
August 29, 1351 - Saint-Omer - Returns from 18 months of captivity, widely dedicated to prayer. Becomes Governor (Captain-General of the wars) of Picardy and the borders of Normandy
September 1(?), 1351 - Calais - Attends the negotiations that prolonged the Anglo-French truce
October(?) 1(?), 1351 - near Calais - De Charny ambushes an english force of several hundred men setting out a raid, killing or capturing all of them
November(?), 1(?), 1351 - Saint-Omer - Angry at being betrayed, Charny plans out his revenge. He enters Aimery’s home at St. Omer. The traitor is supposedly in bed with his English mistress, Marguerite, when Geoffroi arrives. He drags the knight out of his home, decapitates him, quarters his body, and displays the parts at the town gates
January(?) 1(?), 1352 - "Demandes pour la joute, les tournois et la guerre" written to the knights of the Order of the Star
January 6, 1352 - Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine - Inaugural ceremony of the "Ordre de l'Étoile" (Order of the Star)
October 1, 1352 - Saint-Omer(?) - Replaced by Marshal Clermont as Governor of Picardy and the borders of Normandy
February 20, 1353 - Lirey, S. of Troyes - The building of the collegiate church at Liray begins
June 20, 1353 - Lirey - Foundation of the collegiate church at Liray
January 30, 1354 - Lirey - Constitutive Act of the Liray Collegiate Church. Requests larger indulgences, more canons, and permission to be buried with his family in the cemetery to be established near the church now completed
January(?) 1(?), 1355 - Normandy - Secret mission in Normandy for Jean II le Bon
May 28, 1356 - Lirey, S. of Troyes(?) - Letter from Henri de Poitiers, congratulating him on the construction of the Collegiate Church
June 25, 1356 - Named "porte-Oriflamme" of France by Jean II le Bon
July 1(?), 1356 - The king increases the amortization by £60 of the rent for the foundation of the collegiate at Lirey, near Troyes
September 8, 1356 - Meung-sur-Loire, SW of Orléans - John II and the french army reach the River Loire at Meung-sur-Loire
September 10, 1356 - Blois - John II and the french army reach Blois and join forces with the Count of Poitiers
September 11, 1356 - Amboise - John II and the french army cross the River Loire, attempting to outflank the Black Prince at Poitiers
September 15, 1356 - Loches - The french leave Loches to intercept the english at Poitiers, via La Haye (Descartes)

Battle of Poitiers, 1356

September 16, 1356 - Chauvigny, E. of Poitiers - The french occupy the bridge over the river Vienne
September 18, 1356 - Poitiers - Meeting between english and french to settle their differences. Geoffroi de Charny proposes that they fight 100 against 100, but the Black Prince refuses
September 19, 1356 - Poitiers - Battle of Poitiers - Decisive english victory. As the bearer of the Oriflamme, Geoffroi de Charny is a key target to the english. He fights galantly until he is killed in the battle of Poitiers, according to some sources, by Sir Reynold Cobham =(END)