ol les   ... ▁even ▁before ▁the ▁army ▁sa iled ." ▁ ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁force ▁ ▁A ▁contemporary ▁chron ic ler ▁rel ates ▁how ▁" out ▁of ▁env y ▁and ▁self - import ance " ▁the ▁English ▁capt ains ▁ended ▁up ▁div iding ▁their ▁force ▁into ▁four , ▁and ▁going ▁separate ▁ways , ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁led ▁by ▁Min ster worth , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁leave . ▁So on ▁after ▁this , ▁his ▁colle agues ▁went ▁down ▁to ▁a ▁cr ushing ▁defeat ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Pont val lain ▁in ▁early ▁December ▁ 1 3 7 0 . ▁Min ster worth ▁was ▁not ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁battle , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁pos ited ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁even ▁then ▁in ▁tre ason able ▁communication ▁with ▁the ▁French , ▁and ▁so ▁directly ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁English ▁rout . ▁Either ▁way , ▁on ▁hearing ▁of ▁the ▁result , ▁Min ster worth ▁immediately ▁escaped ▁into ▁Brit t any , ▁probably ▁to ▁Kn ol les ' s ▁castle ▁at ▁Der val , ▁where ▁they ▁spent ▁the ▁winter ▁comfort ably . ▁He ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁force ▁decided ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁England ▁early ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁They ▁made ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Po inte ▁Saint - Math ieu , ▁although ▁continuous ▁amb ush es ▁de ple ted ▁their ▁numbers ▁before ▁getting ▁there . ▁Wor se , ▁when ▁they ▁arrived , ▁there ▁were ▁only ▁two ▁small ▁ships ▁available , ▁yet ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁hundred ▁men ▁to ▁transport . ▁Min ster worth