17 - Edward III and Resistance to the Navy

Summary

Edward suffered considerable resistance to his use of merchant shipping which intensified as his reign progressed. The Hundred Years War made far greater demands on shipowners than earlier conflicts. Large fleets had been gathered under previous kings. Henry III had arrested 449 ships in 1230, although in the end he only used 228. In 1293 Edward I had arrested 325 ships for one expedition. Edward III was far more ambitious. He used 738 ships at the siege of Calais and 850 to 1,100 in 1359, almost every ship in the kingdom.

Edward III also required larger fleets more often than his predecessors. He demanded 85 ships in 1337, 350 in 1338, 130 in 1339 and 200 in 1340. These requirements escalated to 250 in 1341, 440 in 1342, 750 in 1346 and 738 in 1347, followed by the great fleet of 1359. On top of that were numerous smaller forces for Scotland and Ireland, and the king’s ships. Edward III also sent forces further afield than his predecessors. Edward I had mostly campaigned in Wales or Scotland, while Edward II usually used fleets in Scottish or home waters. Under Edward III, merchants’ ships were away from their home ports for longer than was the norm in earlier reigns.

By 1327 even the act of requisitioning merchant ships was becoming contentious. As the fourteenth century progressed, the infantry revolution increased in momentum, with feudal hosts giving way to paid professional armies. Edward III was an enthusiastic sponsor of this trend on land. When dealing with naval forces his attitude was the opposite. He consistently defended his feudal right to impress ships for free, and held wages and rewards at traditional levels. Shipowners saw this as archaic, but Edward was being practical. Although his prestige would have been damaged if he had admitted it, he could not afford to pay for so many vessels.

Shipowners became increasingly vocal against arrests of shipping during Edward III’s reign. The Commons in parliament allowed coastal communities a forum to express their views and orchestrate protests, which the king could not avoid because he needed money. This undermined the king’s authority and brought his feudal rights into question. Shipowners could also take more direct measures, as Edward II had discovered in 1326.