Medieval and Early Modern Soldiers

Military Records Information 1

1. Introduction
2. Sources
3. The Medieval Soldiers' Database, 1369-1453
4. Further Reading

1. Introduction

There was no standing army in England before the civil war: forces were raised, when needed, by two means.

The feudal system

This was based on the obligation for tenants-in-chief to do military service either in person or by proxy and also to raise forces to accompany them. Theoretically all holders of a certain amount of land (it varied during this period from between 10 and 40 librates and may derive from the pre-Conquest "five hide rule" where holders of five hides of land were miles or knights) were obliged to accept knighthood and therefore serve. Many of the earlier records relate to knights, the obligation to become knights and also the fees they paid for so doing. The use of knight service as a means of raising armies died out during the early 14th century.

The contractual system

The contractual system gradually replaced the feudal system and was based on contracts or "indentures" between the King and his lords, then between the lords and the lesser nobility, then between the lesser nobility and the smaller landholders and so on right down to the troops at the bottom of the hierarchy. Also part of the contractual system was the use of commissions (e.g. commissions of array and commissions to muster) whereby lords were authorised to raise forces in the name of the King and also to inspect those available for service. Many of the "indentures for war" between the monarch and the nobility are preserved amongst the records of The National Archives; those between lesser figures are unlikely to be found at The National Archives but may be found in other collections. As commissions were issued by the Crown they should have been enrolled in Chancery and can be found in several of the Chancery enrolment series.

2. Sources

The records are spread amongst many series and include enrolments, accounts and miscellaneous collections. Most are of a formal nature, containing little personal detail, and are written in Latin, with others in French or English.

Relevant Chancery enrolments can be found in the following series, several of which have been published:

The Duchy of Lancaster records include DL 40 Returns of Knights fees, Hen III - Chas I, and enrolments of payments of fines for respite of homage can be found in DL 42 .

Exchequer and Audit Office: military accounts are in:

Other Exchequer records :

Other material can be found in SC 1 Special Collections Ancient Correspondence, Hen II-Hen VIII which may include material similar to that found in C 47 , E 30 , E 39 etc.

Other relevant records publications

3. The Medieval Soldiers' Database, 1369-1453

A recent project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and based at the Universities of Reading and Southampton, has created several online databases for the study of English soldiers between the resumption of the Hundred Years War in 1369 and its end in 1453. Two of these databases cover the muster rolls in E 101 and protections for war service and appointment of attorneys in the Treaty Rolls in C 76 , and both are searchable by name, commander, and by National Archives document reference (though references must be searched in the format TNA_E101_46_36). This is therefore an extremely useful tool for researchers looking for individuals participating in military campaigns during this period. The database is available at:

www.icmacentre.ac.uk/soldier/database/search.php

4. Further Reading

(ri2001) Last updated: 24 July 2009 | © Crown Copyright 2002