in 1457, the kingdom was again outraged when it was discovered that pierre de brézé, a powerful french general and an adherent of margaret, had landed on the english coast and burnt the town of sandwich. as leader of a french force of 4,000 men from honfleur, he aimed at taking advantage of the chaos in england. the mayor, john drury, was killed in this raid. it thereafter became an established tradition, which survives to this day, that the mayor of sandwich wears a black robe mourning this ignoble deed. margaret, in association with de brézé, became the object of scurrilous rumours and vulgar ballads. public indignation was so high that margaret, with great reluctance, was forced to give the duke of york's kinsman richard neville, 16th earl of warwick, a commission to keep the sea for three years. he already held the post of captain of calais.