On 24 May 1337, King Philip VI of France announced that he was confiscating Aquitaine and French commissioners were sent to take possession of the duchy. Ingham met them at Libourne and refused to surrender his territory. He then began military operations, mostly in the Agenais. Overall English strategy concentrated on attacking the north of France, with the result that Ingham in the south-west received neither troops nor funds from England and had to rely entirely on local resources. The income of the duchy depended mainly on tolls and custom dues from goods conveyed along the great rivers, but trade dried up almost entirely with the onset of war. Most of what revenue remained had to be used to support garrison commanders. As a result, Ingham’s government in the capital city of Bordeaux had very limited options over how to conduct the defence. Although losing Penne-d'Agenais, he successfully defended Bonnegarde and other strongholds and fought off a French attack on Bordeaux itself in 1339. Despite financial stringency, he retained substantial companies of Gascon nobles in his service. His services to the crown in Aquitaine were acknowledged when his and his ancestors' debts were written off.
