Calais, possession of
Calais, possession of. Calais was in English hands from its capture by Edward III in 1347 to its loss in 1558. It was essentially a ‘little bit of England overseas’, being represented in the English Parliament from 1536. Soon after its capture, some of the French were expelled and English settlement was deliberately encouraged. Thenceforward, the town's officials, garrison, and merchants were almost exclusively drawn from the homeland. Its strategic significance was as both an outer defence for England and a base for campaigns into France, but it proved a constant drain on English resources. It was heavily defended, often housing 1,000 troops alongside a civilian population of c.5,000. It also played a key role as the staple through which all exported wool had to be directed. As a result, its company of merchants became increasingly powerful in the government and financing of the town.
Anne Curry
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British English , BRITISH ENGLISH Short from BrE. The English language as used in Britain. The phrase contrasts with kinds of ENGLISH used elsewhere, and especially wi… Calais , Calais City and seaport in Pas-de-Calais department, nw France. An important port and commercial centre since the Middle Ages, it was captured by the… Norse , NORSE Also Old Norse, Scandinavian, and (with particular reference to its use in England) DANISH. The SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES in an early, relatively… Old English , The Old English comprised those whose ancestors had settled in Ireland since the twelfth century. They preserved an English lifestyle, incorporating… Welsh Language , WELSH ENGLISH The English language as used in Wales. The term is recent and controversial. English is, however, the majority language of Wales and, a… Modern English , MODERN ENGLISH, short form ModE, MnE. Also sometimes New English.
1. The third stage in the history and development of the ENGLISH language, c.1450 t…
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Calais, possession of