1337–1453 The Hundred Years War.

1340 Edward III of England declares himself ‘king of France’.

1344 Arthurian Round Table at Windsor Castle.

1346 Edward III defeats the French at the battle of Crécy.

1346 English forces defeat the Scots at the battle of Neville's Cross and take prisoner their king, David II.

1346–7 English forces besiege the town of Calais and take it in 1347.

1348 Round of tournaments in England to celebrate the victories of 1346–7. Includes a tournament at Windsor in June 1348 at which the Order of the Garter was probably instituted.

1348–9 First outbreak of the Black Death in England; government passes the Ordinance of Labourers in spring 1349.

1349 First meeting of the Order of the Garter on St George's Day, 23 April.

1350 Sir William Shareshull becomes chief justice of the court of king's bench.

1351 First parliament since the outbreak of the plague; govern¬ment passes the Statute of Labourers and Statute of Provisors.

1352 Parliament grants three years of direct taxation in return for legislation on a range of economic affairs; passage of the Stat¬ute of Treasons.

1353 Sir William Shareshull heads the eyre of Cheshire.

1353 Great council grants the crown the wool subsidy in return for legislation establishing the wool staple in England. Statute of Praemunire.

1355–7 Black Prince's campaign through France, culminating in the victory at Poitiers in 1357, with John II of France taken prisoner.

1357 Treaty of Berwick with the Scots results in release of David II on payment of large ransom.

1358 St George's Day feast at Windsor mounted on an unprecedented scale as a sign of English dominance over France and Scotland.

1358 Second eyre of Cheshire, led by Sir William Shareshull.

1360 Treaty of Brétigny, followed by Treaty of Calais, make Edward III sovereign ruler of enlarged duchy of Aquitaine but require him to give up the title to the French throne; John II to be released from captivity on payment of a large ransom.

1361 Treaty of Calais accepted in parliament.

1361–2 Second outbreak of the Black Death in England. St Maurus’ Wind (1362). Sir William Shareshull retires as chief justice of king's bench (1361) but returns to service of the Black Prince in eyre of Denbigh (1362).