Full Description
First full investigation into the men of Agincourt - their service, backgrounds, lives and experiences.
King Henry V's brothers, Thomas, duke of Clarence, and Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, recruited the two largest retinues of the famous army of 1415, whose service culminated in victory at Agincourt. At the heart of this book are case studies of these two retinues, the personnel of which have never been the subject of close scrutiny before. These retinues were made up of, respectively, 960 and 800 men, most of whose names are known from their complete surviving muster rolls. Using this crucial information, and by employing information from a wide range of sources, from official Chancery and Exchequer records to manorial accounts and personal the lives of many of these men can be reconstructed.
One central theme of this book is concerned with the men themselves, and considers issues such as where they came from in 1415, their previous military, career and personal experiences, and whether they had pre-existing ties with either their ducal commander, sub-retinue captain or comrades. It charts the experience of the retinues from before the campaign (the mustering of the army), during the campaign (the siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt) and after the campaign (the future careers of some men and the influence the campaign had on the ducal affinities). It also considers wider historiographical issues relating to the "dynamics of recruitment", military professionalism, careerism, the changing socio-economic standing of those undertaking military service in the early fifteenth century, and the size and willingness to engage in martial activity of the English military community.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Before the Campaign
The 'Dynamics of Recruitment'
The Two Dukes: Clarence and Gloucester
Chapter 2 - The Muster Rolls of the 1415 Expedition
Context and Purpose of the Muster Rolls
Before the Muster
During the Muster
After the Muster
Conclusions
Chapter 3 - Clarence's and Gloucester's 1415 Retinues
Comparison of the Dukes' Personal Sub-Retinues
Chapter 4 - The Sub-Retinue Captains
Military Service Ties
Additional Ties in Clarence's Retinue
Additional Ties in Gloucester's Retinue
Investigation of Select Sub-Retinues
Recruiting Troops: Conclusions
Chapter 5 - During the Campaign
The Siege of Harfleur
The Impact of the Siege of Harfleur and the Battle of Agincourt
Chapter 6 - After the Campaign
Clarence's Retinue
Gloucester's Retinue
Conclusion
Appendices:
1. The Muster Rolls of the 1415 Campaign
2. The Duke of Clarence's 1415 Retinue
3. The Duke of Gloucester's 1415 Retinue
4. The Military Service History of Clarence's Sub-Captains before 1415
5. The Military Service History of Gloucester's Sub-Captains before 1415
6. The Military Service History of Clarence's Sub-Captains after 1415
7. The Military Service History of Gloucester's Sub-Captains after 1415
Bibliography
Index
