 |
ENGLISH MEDIEVAL SOLDIERS |
The information provided below was extracted by DGS North American Secretary Karen Dalton Preston from work underwritten by the The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in the UK.
The AHRC was awarded a Research Grant worth just under £500,000 to Dr Adrian Bell of the ICMA Centre and Professor Anne Curry of the University of Southampton to challenge assumptions about the emergence of professional soldiery between 1369 and 1453. The project has an innovative methodological approach and produced an on-line searchable resource for public use of immense value and interest to genealogists as well as social, political and military historians. The project employs two Research Assistants over three years and also includes one Doctoral Research Studentship - all of whom began work on 1st October 2006. The whole team is working on a jointly authored book, conference papers, and articles. Note that this is an on-going project, and one should check for upadtes to the databases periodically.
Information on soldiers has been taken from from the AHRC-funded 'The Soldier in Later Medieval England Online Database', 25 July, 2009.
This page was added to the Databank 25 July, 2009
Muster Roll Database
These are taken from muster rolls, housed in The National Archives (TNA), for the years 1369 - 1453. These are working documents that would probably have been drawn up in advance of a campaign, and then annotated at least once, during a formal muster at the port of embarkation. They represent mainly overseas expeditions.
The process of raising armies in England was highly bureaucratic and driven by the Exchequer with their obsession for accounting for monies being spent. Forces were raised by indenture (a contract), which specified size, rank, length and location of service. The expeditionary force was subject then subject to muster and review. Thus the muster rolls themselves are annotated with soldiers who have not turned up for service or who have not 'passed muster', deaths, promotions and replacements.
First Name |
De |
Surname |
Rank |
Captain Name |
Commander |
Year |
Nature of Activity |
Status |
Edmund |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Holand, John, Sir |
Huntingdon, John Holand, Earl of |
1439 |
Standing force, Acquitaine |
|
Henry |
|
Dalton |
|
|
Exeter, Thomas Beaufort, Duke of |
1417 |
Garrison |
|
Henry |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Luttrell, Hugh, Sir |
Exeter, Thomas Beaufort, Duke of |
1418 |
Garrison |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Windsor, William de |
Windsor, William de |
1371-1372 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
1389-1390 |
Standing force Scotland (East March) |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Godard, Henry |
Henry V |
1415 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Beaufort, Thomas, Earl of Dorset |
|
1415-16 |
Garrison, Harfleur |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Fitz Hugh, Henry, Lord |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
John |
de |
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Clifford, John, Lord |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Neville, John, Sir |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Leyhun, Thomas |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Gray, Ralph, Sir |
York, Richard, Duke of |
1441 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Beaufort, John, Duke of Somerset |
Beaufort, John, Duke of Somerset |
1443 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Cusak, Thomas, Sir |
Beaufort, John, Duke of Somerset |
1443 |
Exped France |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Luttrell, Hugh, Sir |
Exeter, Thomas Beaufort, Duke of |
1418 |
Garrison |
|
John |
|
Dolton |
Archer |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
1389-1390 |
Standing force Scotland (East March) |
|
John? |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
1389-1390 |
Standing force Scotland (East March) |
|
Peter |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
1389-1390 |
Standing force Scotland (East March) |
|
Richard |
|
Dalton |
|
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
1389-1390 |
Standing force Scotland (East March) |
|
Richard |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Leyhun, Thomas |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
Richard |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Leyhun, Thomas |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
Richard |
|
Dalton |
|
|
Exeter, Thomas Beaufort, Duke of |
1417 |
Garrison |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
|
|
|
1383-1386? |
Not known |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Arundel, Richard Fitz Alan, Earl of |
Arundel, Richard Fitz Alan, Earl of |
1387 |
Exped Naval |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Hake, Andrew, Sir |
Arundel, Richard Fitz Alan, Earl of |
1388 |
Exped Naval |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Arundel, Richard Fitz Alan, Earl of |
Arundel, Richard Fitz Alan, Earl of |
1387 |
Exped Naval |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Braine, John, Sir |
Scrope, Stephen le, Sir |
1395-1397 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Braine, John, Sir |
Scrope, Stephen le, Sir |
1395-1397 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Braine, John, Sir |
Scrope, Stephen le, Sir |
1395-1397 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Braham, John, Sir |
Scrope, Stephen le, Sir |
1395-1397 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Braine, John, Sir |
Scrope, Stephen le, Sir |
1395-1397 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
Robert |
de |
Dalton |
Archer |
Scrope, John Lord, of Masham |
|
1421 |
Exped France |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Umfraville, Gilbert, Sir |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
Solomon |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
Nottingham, Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of |
1389-1390 |
Standing force Scotland (East March) |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Windsor, William de |
Windsor, William de |
1371-1372 |
Standing force Ireland |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Botreaux, William, Lord |
Henry V |
1415 |
Exped France |
Yeoman/Valettus |
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Beaufort, Thomas, Earl of Dorset |
|
1415-16 |
Garrison, Harfleur |
|
Thomas |
de |
Dalton |
Archer |
Ashton, William |
Bedford, John, Duke of |
1420 |
Exped France |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Chamberlain, William, Sir |
Henry V or Henry VI |
|
Standing force, France |
|
Thomas |
of |
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Beaufort, John, Duke of Somerset |
Beaufort, John, Duke of Somerset |
1443 |
Exped France |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Percy, Thomas, Sir |
Percy, Thomas, Sir |
1385 |
Exped Naval |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Eure, Ralph, Sir |
Percy, Henry, Earl of Northumberland |
1383 X 1385 |
Not specified (Scottish Marches) |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Fitz Hugh, Henry, Lord |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Northumberland, Henry Percy, Earl of |
Gloucester, Humphrey, Duke of |
1417 |
Exped France |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
|
Huntingdon, John Holand, Earl of |
1439 |
Standing force, Acquitaine |
|
Garrison Database
The records are drawn from mainly French repositories and record service for the English crown, in the occupation of Normandy from 1415 - 1453. The data currently accessible here are accurate, but are not fully complete at the moment.
First Name |
De |
Surname |
Rank |
Captain Name |
Lieutenant |
Field Commander |
Nature of Activity |
Location |
Date |
Edmund? |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Talbot, John Lord |
Talbot, John Lord |
No garrison/field |
Louviers + Conches |
14410103 |
|
Gibbon |
of |
Dalton |
Archer |
Fastolf, John, Sir |
|
Garrison creu |
Rouen |
14350612 |
|
Guillaume |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Hilton, Adam |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel de Lincourt |
14470824 |
|
Guillemin |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
|
|
Garrison detachment |
relief of Pontoise |
14410718 |
|
Henry |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Talbot, John Lord |
|
Garrison |
Harfleur |
14420331 |
|
Henry |
of |
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Cotford, Walter, Sir |
|
Garrison |
Montivilliers |
14410618 |
|
Henry |
of |
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Cotford, Walter, Sir |
|
Garrison |
Montivilliers |
14410919 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Talbot, John Lord |
Wake, John |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14370905 |
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Despoy, Lewis, Sir |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14350224 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Don, Griffith |
|
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel de Lincourt |
14410329 |
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Talbot, John, Lord |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14370414 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Burgh, Thomas |
|
Field |
Siege of Pontorson |
14270429 |
|
John |
of |
Dalton |
Archer |
Ogard, Andrew |
Welton, Henry |
Garrison |
Vire |
14240322 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Talbot, John Lord |
Crake, John |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14371228 |
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Wake, John |
|
|
Garrison creu |
Rouen town |
14391029 |
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Burgh, Thomas |
|
Garrison |
Avranches |
14270323 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Fiennes, James |
|
Garrison |
St Valery |
14230929 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Harpelay, John, Sir |
|
Official retinue |
Cotentin (bailli) |
14280701 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Waller, Richard |
Salisbury, Thomas Montagu, earl of |
Field |
Siege of Orleans |
14281106 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Scales, Thomas Lord |
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Siege of Orleans |
14290420 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Dorset, Edmund Beaufort, earl of |
Medecroft, Nicholas |
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14291114 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Despoy, Lewis, Sir |
|
Garrison creu |
Neufchatel |
14350604 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Talbot, John Lord |
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Crotoy |
14371201 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Talbot, John Lord |
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Caux (Pays de) |
14380617 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Gerard, Thomas |
Gerard, Thomas |
Field? |
Creil? |
14390621 |
|
John |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Don, Griffith |
|
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel de Lincourt |
14401229 |
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Beaufort, Henry, Cardinal |
|
Garrison |
Honfleur |
14320324 |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Surienne, Francois, Sir |
|
Garrison |
Galardon |
14420628 |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
|
|
|
Garrison |
Eu |
14240110 |
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Fauconberg, William Lord |
|
Garrison |
Vernon |
14370725 |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Fauconberg, William Lord |
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Siege of Tancarville |
14370824 |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Fauconberg, William Lord |
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Siege of Tancarville |
14370927 |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Monford, William, Sir |
|
Garrison |
Honfleur |
14380103 |
|
Robert |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Warwick, Richard Beauchamp, earl of |
Garrison |
Honfleur |
14390404 |
||
Robin |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
|
|
Talbot, John Lord |
Garrison detachment in field |
Siege of Tancarville |
14370813 |
Symonet |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Gough, Matthew |
|
Personal retinue in field |
Siege of Louviers |
14310821 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Huntingdon, John, Earl of |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14301226 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Huntingdon, John, Earl of |
Baould, Thomas |
Garrison/Garrison creu |
Neufchatel |
14310324 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
|
Somerset, John Beaufort, Earl of |
Personal retinue |
Field |
14400222 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Salvain, John, Sir |
Leaue, John |
|
Garrison |
Pont Audemer |
14470308 |
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Morhier, Simon, Sir |
Fauconberg, William Lord |
No garrison/field |
Meaux, Creil and Pontoise |
14380916 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Somerset, John Beaufort, earl of |
Personal retinue |
14400901 |
|||
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Stanlowe, John |
|
Garrison |
Eu |
14291001 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Dorset, Edmund Beaufort, earl of |
Medecroft, Nicholas |
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14291114 |
|
Thomas |
junior |
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Hoo, Thomas, Sir |
|
Garrison/official retinue |
Mantes/Mantes (bailli) |
14380228 |
|
Thomas |
senior |
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Hoo, Thomas, Sir |
|
Garrison/official retinue |
Mantes/Mantes (bailli) |
14380228 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Scales, Thomas Lord |
Longworth, Elis of |
Garrison |
Vire |
14380330 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Talbot, John Lord |
|
Garrison |
Montivilliers |
14420326 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
|
|
|
Pontaudemer |
14480323 |
|
Thomas |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Salvain, John, Sir |
Leaue, John de |
Garrison Additional |
Pontaudemer |
14461123 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Suffolk, William de la Pole, earl of |
Salisbury, Thomas Montagu, earl of |
Field |
|
14280823 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
|
|
Garrison? |
Falaise |
14311128 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Don, Griffith |
|
Dorset, Edmund Beaufort, earl of |
Garrison detachment in field |
Neufchatel de Lincourt |
14391229 |
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
|
|
Field |
Caen |
14310214 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Talbot, John, Lord |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14370414 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Willoughby, Robert Lord |
|
Garrison |
Pont de l'Arche |
14300529 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Ogard, Andrew |
Welton, Henry |
Garrison |
Vire |
14240322 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Don, Griffith |
|
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14400322 |
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Talbot, John Lord |
Crake, John |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14371228 |
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
Willoughby, Robert Lord |
|
Field |
Siege of St Severin |
14320502 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Gower, Thomas |
|
Garrison |
Evreux |
14300411 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Trafford, William, Sir |
|
Personal retinue |
Marches d'Avranchin |
14320714 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Trafford, William, Sir |
|
Personal retinue |
Mortain and Domfront |
14320728 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Asche, Edmund de |
Arundel, John Fitz Alan, earl of |
Field |
Siege of Montfort l'Amaury, Houdan etc |
14340303 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer mounted |
|
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Champagne, Brie + Normandy |
14370911 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Talbot, John Lord |
|
Garrison detachment in field |
Crotoy |
14371201 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms |
Don, Griffith |
Howell, Thomas |
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14390612 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Somerset, John Beaufort, earl of |
Lampet, John |
Garrison |
Avranches |
14390918 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Man-at-arms foot |
Lansac, Mondot de |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14451126 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Hilton, Adam |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14470609 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Hilton, Adam |
|
Garrison |
Neufchatel |
14470929 |
|
William |
|
Dalton |
Archer |
Crafford, William, Sir |
|
Personal retinue |
Field |
14320824 |
|
Protection Database
This database contains letters of protection and powers of attorney granted and recorded on the Treaty (or French) Rolls (TNA C 67) and Scottish Rolls (TNA C 71) for the years 1369-1453. They represent a very different source to that available in the Muster roll database and should be treated with care. They are both legal instruments that would be taken by soldiers, prior to undertaking military service. However, they only demonstrate for the most part intention to serve, although protections were also sought by others going overseas or to Scotland, for instance in support of the armies as victuallers. The letter of protection protected an individual from prosecution whilst serving overseas; and by a power of attorney an individual could appoint legal representatives to act on his behalf whilst absent. For the reliability of this source for the campaigns of 1387-1388 see Adrian R Bell, War and the Soldier in the Fourteenth Century (Boydell, 2004), pp. 68-79; and for other discussion see Andrew Ayton, Knights and Warhorses: Military Service and the English Aristocracy under Edward III (Boydell, 1994), pp. 157-159 and Michael Prestwich, Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience (New Haven, 1996), pp. 109-110.
First Name |
De |
Surname |
Captain Name |
Type |
Date |
Duration |
Location |
John |
de |
Dalton |
Northland, Richard, Sir |
Protection |
13730510 |
1 year |
Portugal (overseas) |
John |
de |
Dalton |
Percy, Henry, Sir |
Protection |
14020212 |
1 year |
Berwick castle and town |
Philip |
de |
Dalton |
Lancaster, John of Gaunt, duke of |
Attorney |
13730506 |
1 year |
France (overseas) |