▁ 1 3 7 7 ) ▁was ▁a ▁four teenth - century ▁English ▁kn ight ▁from ▁Gl ouc esters hire , ▁England . ▁Nothing ▁is ▁known ▁of ▁his ▁early ▁life ▁or ▁up br ing ing ▁( even , ▁it ▁seems , ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁kn ight ed ▁or ▁by ▁whom ) ▁but ▁he ▁first ▁comes ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁the ▁records ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 3 7 0 ▁invasion ▁of ▁France . ▁Although ▁Edward ▁III ▁of ▁England ▁had ▁started ▁the ▁H undred ▁Years ' ▁War ▁many ▁years ' ▁earlier , ▁by ▁then ▁the ▁King ▁was ▁relatively ▁old , ▁and ▁also ▁ill . ▁The ▁war ▁in ▁France ▁was ▁going ▁poor ly ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁King ' s ▁son , ▁Edward ▁the ▁Black ▁Prince ▁and ▁had ▁only ▁recently ▁restart ed ▁after ▁a ▁tr uce . ▁Min ster worth ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁force ▁sent ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁the ▁English ▁command ▁in ▁France : ▁landing ▁in ▁the ▁north , ▁he ▁and ▁the ▁army ▁car ved ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁France . ▁There , ▁divisions , ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁ext ant ▁since ▁before ▁their ▁campaign ▁begun , ▁er upt ed ▁into ▁mut iny . ▁ ▁Min ster worth , ▁who ▁may ▁have ▁des pis ed ▁his ▁commander ▁on ▁grounds ▁of ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁perce ived ▁social ▁status , ▁and ▁others ▁split ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁main ▁force . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁latter ▁was ▁later ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁army ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Pont val lain ;