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man-at-arms

Armour and the royal household

In the medieval period when a king went to war he was accompanied by a large number of men from his household. These included the knights and esquires of his chamber who waited on him, as well as officials and servants who fulfilled the different functions necessary for the running of the royal household. We know that in 1415 many of these men served on the campaign. The men from the royal household who served as men-at-arms were generally expected to provide their own equipment. Continue reading →

Armour and the men-at-arms

When Henry V’s army departed in August 1415, about a quarter of the soldiers were men-at-arms. Most of these were of the status of esquire – indeed that term was often used to describe them -  and were paid one shilling per day (twice the rate of pay of an archer) but some were of noble and knightly rank and received higher rates of pay based on their social status. A duke, for instance, was paid 13 s 4d per day. Continue reading →