William Jauderell
English archer of the Black Prince, his safe-conduct pass survives.
William Jauderell served as an archer under Edward, the Black Prince, in the English campaigns in Wales during the 1300s. He came from the Derbyshire town of Yeardsley. A descendant of Peter Jauderel—a soldier who fought alongside King Edward I in the late 13th-century conquest of Wales—William held estates in Cheshire and Macclesfield Forest, recorded in 1351. His son Roger Joudrell later fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and was buried in the church of St James, Taxal, Derbyshire, where a large plaque commemorates William and other family members.
On 16 December 1355, Prince Edward granted Jauderell a safe-conduct pass to travel to England, a document still kept as a family heirloom. Its modern translation reads: "Know all that we, the Prince of Wales, have given leave on the day of the date of this instrument, to William Jauderel, one of our archers, to go to England. In witness of this we have caused our seal to be placed on this bill. Given at Bordeaux 16 December, in the year of grace 1355." After returning to England, Jauderell went back overseas, likely to France, where the Battle of Poitiers occurred in September 1356. He was recorded returning to England that same year, receiving two oak trees from Macclesfield Forest to repair his Derbyshire home.
Jauderell’s name endures in the name of Cheshire’s Jodrell Bank Observatory.
- Born
- Yeardsley, Derbyshire
- Active
- 14th century
- Service
- Archer in the English armies of Edward, the Black Prince
- Notable document
- Safe-conduct pass dated 16 December 1355, issued at Bordeaux
- Residences
- Estates in Cheshire and Macclesfield Forest (registered 1351)
- Son
- Roger Joudrell (fought at Agincourt, 1415)
- Burial
- Son Roger buried in St James, Taxal, Derbyshire
Lore & Background
William Jauderell was a descendant of Peter Jauderel, a soldier who helped King Edward conquer Wales in the late 13th century. He himself served as an archer in the English armies of Edward, the Black Prince, in Wales. In 1351, he held estates in Cheshire and Macclesfield Forest. On 16 December 1355, Prince Edward granted Jauderell a safe-conduct pass at Bordeaux, allowing him to travel to England. The pass, whose translated text reads 'Know all that we, the Prince of Wales, have given leave… to William Jauderel, one of our archers, to go to England… Given at Bordeaux 16 December, in the year of grace 1355,' remains in his family as an heirloom. After returning to England, Jauderell went back overseas, presumably to France, where the Battle of Poitiers took place in September 1356. He was recorded returning to England in 1356, when he was awarded two oak trees from Macclesfield Forest to repair his Derbyshire home.
Reader's Guide
William Jauderell's significance lies in the survival of his safe-conduct pass, a rare personal document from the 14th century that directly connects an ordinary archer to the highest levels of English military command. The pass, issued by Edward the Black Prince at Bordeaux, provides a tangible link to the campaigns of the Hundred Years' War and the movements of English forces in France. Jauderell's service in Wales and his subsequent return to England, where he received timber from Macclesfield Forest for repairs to his home, illustrate the practical rewards and logistics of a soldier's life. His family line continued through his son Roger Joudrell, who fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and was buried in St James, Taxal, Derbyshire, where a large plaque honors William and other family members. The Jauderell name persists in the modern era through Cheshire's Jodrell Bank Observatory, a lasting toponymic legacy of this medieval archer.
Did You Know?
- His safe-conduct pass, issued by the Black Prince at Bordeaux on 16 December 1355, is still kept by his family as an heirloom.
- His son Roger Joudrell fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and is buried in St James, Taxal, Derbyshire.
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