Patrick Delaforce & Ken Baldry

'The Delaforce Family History'
Chapter 25 - The Gascon Lord and the Battle of Barnet

Back to Patrick's
Index page

Back to Ken's
genealogy site

Other books by Patrick

Chapter 25

"He was a verray parfit gentil Knight" Chaucer 1340-1400.

The Gascon Lord and the Battle of Barnet

Bernard de la Force was born about 1425-30 probably in the Auvergne at one of the three chateaux near Aurillac.

His father was either Bertrand Forthon, who traded with London or Bertrand de la Forsa, Prior then Abbot of Meymac abbey north west of Mauriac in the fief of Ventadour. He was the 21st Abbot, and "Gallia Christiana" mentions him & his father of the same name in 1384/6/7, 1396, 1412, 1423 and 1443 (Book 2 p.600). Bertrand de la Forsa's father was Bernard de Forcia; Prior, then Abbot of St. Leonards of Montreal, near Fourcès in 1374, who had a distinguished career from 1354 to 1386.

Lord Bernard married about 1445 and his son Bernard was born in 1446. In the period 1446-1453, when the English were being driven out of France, Betrand De Fas/Du Fos was a 'capitoul' or consul in the Toulouse area (which would have included Aurillac) with 'Armes de Gueules, a une epee antique d'or or posee en bande, la pointe en bas, l'ecu borde d'azur'.

In the Calender of French Rolls (Membrane 5) King Henry VI granted on 15th March 1459/60 'a safe conduct for Bernard de la Force of Aquitaine for the ship 'Marie' of Ypusco, Spain trading from San Sebastien, Fuenterrabia, via Rouen and Calais for England'. This was probably Bertrand Forthon. His brother John de la Fource was also given a licence by Henry VI (Membrane 3) "to trade between France and England to compensate him for losses sustained by his loyalty".

In 1463 Bernard and his son Bernard were shown on the Aurillac city charts, one as a 'sutor' or merchant supplying the army and the other as a merchant. Both father and son had friends in London including John Dort, a Gascon trader.

On 30th June 1471 in the 2nd year of Edward IV's reign, the Privy Seals Rolls of the Tower of London record (file 2) "John Dort, Gascoyn, supplicates the King in order to sustain two priests for two years in the Church of St. Martin in the Vintry, London, to say masses and prayers for the soules of the Lord de La Forse and Isarn de la Bernia, Lord de Gensac, slain at the battle of Barnet (14 April 1471) in the Kings service, whose bodies are buried in the said church, for leave to trade for a yere with a ship or ships of 200 'tunnes'.

The Barnet battlefield today, seen from the Lancastrian side, although the line of battle swung anti-clockwise & this ground was later occupied by the Yorkists. The rows of hedge thickets & the trees were much the same in 1491, although the thickets were thicker & pigs would have rooted up much of the grass. The main road to the North ('old A1'), then as now, runs through the heath. The battle was fought in thick mist & 'we' (the Yorkists) won. One hopes Bernard knew we were winning before he was struck down.

"The battle of Barnet was fought on a cold grey Easter Sunday morning between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians, but including many professional mercenaries from Gascony. The Duke of Burgundy had fitted out and financed an expeditionary force for King Edward, who landed in March 1471 on the River Humber. Both armies comprised three battles in line. On Edward's right flank, his 17-year old brother Richard (later King Richard III), performed much better than the more experienced Lord Hastings on his left. The diagrams opposite illustrate the lucky Yorkist victory.

History does not relate whether John Dort's request was granted. Possibly it was, because the dead Lord's son Bernard had become Ambassador to Spain for King Edward IV seven years earlier and he was obviously a valuable servant of the Crown.

Lord Bernard DE LA FORCE (about 1427 - 14/4/1471 Battle of Barnet) = (1445) ?

Sir Bernard de la Forssa (1446 Auvergne - 1510) English Ambassador to Spain = (1466) ?

Bernard DELAFORCE (1467 - ?)

Sir Anthony DELAFORCE (1470 - 1510) also spelt De Fours & Feurs Bishop of Paris, Nevers, Member of Paris Parlement = (1488) ?

see chapter 23

Peter FORCE (Goldsmith of Canterbury)