Siege of Calais ( 1348 ) The 1348 siege of Calais began before dawn on December 31 , 1348 and ended later that morning . This siege was the result of a secret arrangement for Sir Geoffrey de Charney , a French knight , to purchase Calais from Sir Aymery de Pavia , the English - appointed Governor of Calais . Sir Geoffrey gathered a cavalry to take control of the town in December of that year , and King Edward III of England discovered the plot and brought an army from England and prevented the takeover . Background . the English took control of Calais following a siege in 1346 . King Edward III appointed as Governor of Calais a Lombard whom he had known and trusted for many years , Sir Aymery de Pavia . In 1348 , Aymery conspired with Sir Geoffrey de Charney , a French knight , to sell Calais to him for 20 , 000 crowns . When Edward discovered the plot , he summoned Aymery to England and confronted him . Aymery begged for leniency and informed the king that no money had yet been delivered and that Calais was still under his control . Edward commanded Aymery to keep his bargain and inform the king when the deal would be done . The siege . In late December 1348 , Sir Geoffrey gathered 500 lancer s to take control of the castle and town of Calais . Before dawn on the 31 December , he led this army across the bridge of Nieullet and sent two squires to confirm the plan with Sir Aymery . Receiving that confirmation , Sir Geoffrey sent twelve knights and 100 men at arms to take control of the castle , along with Sir Odoart de Renty to deliver to Sir Aymery the agreed upon 20 , 000 crowns . Receiving the bag of gold , Sir Aymery locked it away , lowered the castle ' s drawbridge so the French could enter , and led the French company to the castle ' s tower . When he unbolted the tower door , the French company found King Edward with 200 lancers waiting in ambush . Seeing that they were outmatched , the French company surrendered with few casualties and were confined in the tower . The English cavalry rode out from the castle led by Edward and his son under the banner of Sir Walter Manny . Also in the English expedition were Earl Suffolk , Lord Stafford , Lord John Mountecute , Lord John Beauchamp , Lord Berkeley , and Lord de la Waae . King Edward sent a detachment of three cavalry units and six hundred archers to meet the French reinforcements at the bridge of Nieullet , where they met an army led by Lord Moreau de Fiennes and Lord Crequi , while crossbowmen from Saint - Omer and Aire were stationed in front of the bridge . The forces met around dawn and ended with an English victory , though the French took several English prisoners . Meanwhile , outside the walls of Calais , King Edward met Sir Eustace de Ribeaumont in single combat , but their fight was interrupted by the advance of the warring armies . The result was a victory for the English , both at the city wall and at the bridge , though several prisoners were taken by both sides . All of Sir Geoffrey ' s men were either slain or imprisoned , including Sir Henry du Bois and Sir Pepin de Werre . Sir Geoffrey was also taken prisoner , and one of the last prisoners taken by the English was Sir Eustace de Ribeaumont . Aftermath . Calais remained under English control and governance of Calais was transferred to John de Beauchamp . At supper on the day of the battle , Edward revealed himself and commended the prowess of his rival Sir Eustace de Ribeaumont , the French knight who had twice brought Edward to his knees that morning . For his valor and as a sign of his esteem for his rival , Edward presented Eustace with a valuable string of pearls , stating : A rare example of historically attested heraldic abatement , recorded by Sir George Mackenzie , tells of the abatement of the arms of Aymery de Pavia by royal decree in 1349 : " And Edward the Third of England ordained two of six stars which a gentleman had in his arms to be effaced , because he had sold a seaport of which he was made governor . " Pursuivant of arms John Guillim , writing circa 1610 , recounted the story in considerable detail , adding that after Aymery sold Calais to Geoffrey , his arms were also inverted .