[2][3] The English forces are believed to have been commanded by Captain Robert Fyssher, and the French by Le Seigneur de Tais.

Peace talks between England and France were unsuccessful, partly because Henry VIII refused to return Boulogne.

Thirty thousand French troops and a fleet of some 400 vessels were assembled,[5] and sailed from Le Havre on 16 July.

[3] To entice the English to abandon their defensive position and engage the larger French fleet, they decided to invade the Isle of Wight and burn buildings and crops.

During the Hundred Years War, society had become militarised: male adults were obliged to fight if needed, and they received regular military training.

The Captain of the Isle, Sir Richard Worsley of Appuldurcombe House, was considered a "capable and energetic commander".

[2] The area around Bonchurch was important because nearby Dunnose Point offered safe anchorage, and had a fresh water source.

The account concludes by claiming that, after heavy casualties on both sides, the English line broke and the militia routed, and that Captain Robert Fyssher shouted an offer of £100 for anyone who could bring him a horse to escape, because of his being too fat to run.

[3][2] Another skirmish took place several days later, when the English engaged Frenchmen, disembarked from ships retreating from Portsmouth to look for fresh water.

The assumed English victory at Bonchurch only had a marginal impact on the course of the war, because it only involved a fraction of the forces engaged throughout.