Crecy, Or Cressy, a village of N. France, in the department of Somme (Picardy), 11 m. N. of Abbeville; pop. about 1,700. The village is situated on the small river Maye, a tributary of the Somme. It has tanneries, soap and oil manufactories, and considerable trade in wood from the adjoining forests. Crecy owes its celebrity to the battle fought, Aug. 26, 1346, between the English under Edward III. and the French under Philip VI. Some discrepancy exists in the estimates of the respective forces. Froissart makes the English 30,000 to 40,000, and the French 100,000 to 120,000. Turner says the English army comprised 800 men-at-arms, 2,000 archers, and 1,000 Welsh, under the Black Prince; 800 men-at-arms and 1,200 archers, under the earl of Northampton; and the reserve, under the king, not engaged in the battle, 700 men-at-arms and 2,000 archers. Allowing for retainers, the total number may be computed at 17,000. Reducing the estimate of the French in the same ratio, we may assume the battle to have been fought between 17,000 English and 50,000 to 60,000 French. Edward saw the danger to which a hasty retreat would expose him in face of the enemy's superior force; he therefore determined to make a stand.

Selecting a rising ground near Crecy, he drew up his army on the ascent, and threw up trenches on his flanks, with a wood in his rear which he also secured by intrenchment. Villani alleges that Edward had six pieces of artillery, which he posted so as to sweep the enemy's advance. Artillery had been recently invented, and does not appear to have been in use in the field until the present occasion. Philip was confident that he had only to force the English to an engagement to destroy them utterly; hence he advanced his troops with little attention to order or discipline. His advanced guard of Genoese bowmen began the attack, but rain having fallen, their arrows fell short. The English sent a shower of shafts that drove the Italians back on the cavalry of the duke d'Alen-con. The English artillery opened fire, and the prince of Wales (aged 15) charged with his men-at-arms on the struggling mass. An opportune movement of the French retrieved their fortunes, and for a long time the battle hung doubtfully. Lord Cobham despatched Sir Thomas Norwich to the king requesting him to send the reserve to the assistance of the prince. "No," said Edward; "tell my boy he must win his spurs." This speech invigorated the English. They again charged.

The duke d'Alencon was killed and the French line was broken. Philip made a final effort to recover the day, but without effect. The rout had become a flight. Of the French 30,1300 perished, including 2,600 knights and gentlemen and 4,000 men-at-arms, while the English loss was comparatively small. Froissart relates the singular fate of King John of Bohemia. Being old and blind, he ordered the bridle of his horse to be tied on each side to the horses of two cavaliers of his train, and, thus guided, charged into the battle, where he fell, together with his attendants. His crest, consisting of three ostrich feathers, with the motto Ich dien (I serve), was, according to the custom of chivalry, adopted by the Black Prince, and is still the crest of the prince of Wales. This battle broke for a time the power of France, and enabled the English in the following year to become masters of Calais.