Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon - Later Years

Later Years

Courtenay made an important contribution to the outcome of the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. The Black Prince had sent the baggage train under Courtenay to the rear, which proved to be a wise manoeuvre as the long trail of wagons and carts blocked the narrow bridge and the Frenchmen's escape route. Courtenay played little part in the battle as a result of his defensive role. Courtenay retired with a full pension from the King. In 1373 he was appointed Chief Warden of the Royal Forests of Devon, the income of which in 1374 was assessed by Parliament at £1500 per annum. He was one of the least wealthy of the English earls, and did not compare in this respect with his much wealthier fellow warrior lords such as Arundel, Suffolk, and Warwick. He had nevertheless a retinue of 40 knights, esquires and lawyers in Devon. He also held property by entail, including five manors in Somerset, two in Cornwall, two in Hampshire, one in Dorset and one in Buckinghamshire. The earl had stood as patron in the career of John Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter. He supported the taking-on of debt to build churches in the diocese of Exeter.