Have you ever heard of the Battle of Margate?

This wasn’t the battle of Mods and Rockers in the 60’s

But it could have been, as it was the naval battle off Margate, where the rewards of this victory were over 2 million gallons of wine!

It was a mistake!

More interestingly, I believe that it actually happened by mistake.  You see on the 24^th and 25^th March 1387, the English fleet thought they were fighting the might of the French Navy, but they weren’t. They were fighting a Franco-Castilian-Flemish wine fleet!

Why was it so important?

Even so it was still of huge significance in British history. This was because in the previous year the French, under the instructions of Philip the Bold, who ruled North France and Flanders, had assembled an army of 30,000 men and a fleet of 1,200 ships ready to invade England. However, in the autumn Philip suddenly fell ill and the expedition was delayed,

The English King, Richard II, wanted him out and replaced by someone who was pro English, because even though the invasion had been delayed, he knew the fleet remained, or so he thought.

The Battle

Therefore, the King gave Richard, The Earl of Arundel, sixty ships to end the threat.  On 24th March 1387 the Earl sighted 300 French vessels, in fact they were carrying wine from La Rochelle to Sluis in the Flanders.   Richard immediately attacked this much larger fleet, which was, of course, totally unprepared, having both inadequate manpower and armaments.

The battle took place in the Southern North Sea, where this Franco-Castilian-Flemish fleet was defeated, those ships not sunk were then chased all the way to the port of Sluis, where seven ships were captured, and the rest burnt or sunk.  The Earl followed up by putting landing parties ashore to burn and plunder coastal villages. The campaign succeeded in its aim, it destroyed France’s chance to invade England for at least the next decade.  That is why it is such a significant battle.

The Wine

But, what about the wine you ask, well, all the barrels were bought to London and sold cheap, making the Earl of Arundel an extremely popular Earl!

That is the story of the forgotten Battle of Margate.

Isn’t history fun?

10 Questions to discuss:

1. 1. Accidental Engagement: How convinced were the English forces that they were facing the French Navy? Were there any attempts to verify the identity of the enemy fleet before the battle?
   2. Intelligence Failure: Did the English have inadequate intelligence gathering or communication breakdowns that led to this mistaken identification? What were the consequences of this information gap?
   3. Unprepared Opponents: How significant was the lack of preparation and weaponry on the Franco-Castilian-Flemish side in contributing to their defeat? Could they have presented a stronger resistance if forewarned?
   4. Beyond Wine: While the blog highlights the wine spoils, were there other valuable goods or prisoners captured that held strategic or economic importance?
   5. Casualties and Impact: Beyond the captured ships, were there significant casualties on either side during the battle and subsequent raids? How did the battle impact civilians in the coastal villages?
   6. Alternative Outcomes: If the English had correctly identified the fleet, would they have engaged in battle anyway? How might the battle and its consequences have differed if fought against a prepared French Navy?
   7. Long-Term Legacy: Beyond delaying the French invasion, did the Battle of Margate have any lasting influence on Anglo-French relations or naval warfare tactics in the region?
   8. Archaeological Evidence: Has any archaeological evidence been found from the battle, such as shipwrecks or artifacts, that offer more insight into the engagement?
   9. Alternative Perspectives: Are there any alternative accounts or interpretations of the battle, particularly from sources less celebratory of the English victory?
   10. Historical Importance: Considering the mistaken identity and focus on spoils, would you argue the Battle of Margate deserves its classification as a “forgotten” or insignificant event in history?

These questions delve deeper into the historical context, explore different perspectives, and encourage you to consider the battle’s significance beyond the humorous anecdote of capturing wine.

To learn more of this unknown battle click on: