Greed, lack of moral conscience, & brutality

Arnaud Caillau was one of the most important figures in the ducal administration of Gascony during the reigns of Edward I (1272-1307) and Edward II (1307-27). A violent, even brutal, character, he made himself indispensable to the Plantagenet regime during a turbulent period of warfare and political instability.

The chief city of Gascony was Bordeaux, centre of the profitable wine trade, and Arnaud's family were one of the most well-established local gentry families. His grandfather, who bore the same first name, had briefly served as mayor under Henry III. Our Arnaud first appears as a witness to a document dated 12 July 1294, but then dips from sight for several years.

Arnaud resurfaces in January 1303, as the ringleader of a municipal revolt that drove the French out of Bordeaux after a nine-year occupation. This action marked the end of the Anglo-French war that had rumbled on and off since 1294, when Philip the Fair confiscated the duchy from Edward I. In the wake of the revolt, Edward was quick to re-establish his authority over Bordeaux. This was good news for Arnaud, whom the king confirmed in his appointment as mayor. In March 1307, as an extra mark of royal favour, Edward granted Arnaud all the rights the crown possessed over wines and grains in Bordeaux. This effectively made Arnaud the receiver of trade, which in turn gave him a splendid opportunity to cream off the profits and become a very wealthy man.

The English saw Arnaud as an essential pillar of the Plantagenet regime in Gascony. Arnaud himself appears to have hated the northern French with a passion. He was once accused of tearing out a French lawyer's tongue, and of helping the English seneschal of Gascony to hurl a French envoy from a window. The luckless envoy was forced to walk along a table and then tipped outside, breaking an arm and a leg.

Arnaud's personal loathing of the French was expressed in a memorable quote, when he warned his fellow citizens against appealing to Paris:

“Why do you appeal from us to the French? We will kill you, and the king of France has so many things to do with the Flemings that he will not help you, and if a war begins and you are appellants, the English king will conquer Normandy and you will gain nothing unless you give up your appeal”.

However, Arnaud could also be a serious hindrance. Under his leadership, the Caillau faction sided with the Colom, a pro-English faction inside Bordeaux. The Colom were opposed to the pro-French Soler, and the endless gang warfare and street violence was a serious threat to the maintenance of order. In 1310 the jurors of Bordeaux wrote to Edward II, warning him that Bordeaux was sliding into utter chaos, thanks to the 'great damage' committed by Arnaud. As a result he was briefly committed to prison, but the Plantagenet loyalist was too useful to remain in custody for long. Arnaud was soon released, and immediately resumed his career of violence, blackmail and embezzlement.

Despite his sins, Arnaud was eventually appointed lieutenant to the seneschal of Gascony. He used this position to feather his own nest, while at the same time resorting to any means – often illegal – to limit French power inside Gascony. This was all to the good of the fragile English regime, so many of Arnaud's crimes were winked at: for instance, when he was accused of murdering a Frenchman, Pierre Chat, he experienced no difficulty in obtaining a pardon from Edward II.

Arnaud rose higher still. In 1313 he became seneschal of Saintonge, and in 1317 survived a major enquiry into his long list of abuses while in office. At the same time he was accused of treason against the king of France, which probably explains why the English were so quick to exonerate him. Like many Gascons, Arnaud displayed a remarkable talent for playing off both sides for maximum profit. When the French ordered Edward II to banish Arnaud from the duchy, the instruction was simply ignored.

In future years Arnaud acted as a spy against French interests, and continued to receive patronage and reward from the English administration. He enjoyed the special confidence of Edward II, who even protected Arnaud against charges of corruption brought by the king's half-brother, the earl of Kent. The Gascon died in about 1326, still riding high in royal favour, in spite of a career marred by 'greed, lack of moral conscience, and brutality'.