Henry of Lancaster's Expedition to Aquitaine, 1345-1346 by Gribit Nicholas A.;

Author:Gribit, Nicholas A.;
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781782048121
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer

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Lancaster’s War Retinue in 1345: Cohesion and Stability

An investigation of the extent to which Henry of Lancaster’s war retinue was a cohesive force, and an assessment of the stability of its composition, are prerequisites to understanding why it was such a formidable fighting contingent in 1345. The strength and cohesion of the retinue were fundamental to establishing efficient networks of command and communication, discipline and tactical capability, all of which were vital to its ‘operational effectiveness’ and no doubt contributed to the overall success of the expedition in the duchy.1 A feeling of camaraderie based on previous experience of fighting alongside one another, of serving under the same captain or campaigning in the same theatre of war, would have helped forge a collective identity among the troop and enhanced their effectiveness and efficiency as a team of combatants. An insight into the esprit de corps which had developed among Lancaster’s retinue can be gained by analysing the men’s histories of service: including how often they had taken up arms together on earlier occasions and the proportion who had previously served under Lancaster’s command. Moreover, evidence of continuity of military service with Lancaster on campaigns undertaken either side of the expedition to Aquitaine can be used to establish the stability of his military personnel in the mid 1340s. The level of stability of the composition of Lancaster’s retinue can also be compared with that of retinues led by other captains around that time, as well as those led by noblemen at the end of the thirteenth and later in the fourteenth centuries, in order to determine whether the size of his comitiva, and the means by which it had been assembled, affected the overall stability of his troop in 1345.

In addition to a shared campaigning experience prior to 1345, the cohesion and unity of Lancaster’s retinue derived from a wide range of personal connections which existed, on the one hand, between the retinue leader and his men (at-arms or archers) and, on the other, between the men themselves based, among other things, on family and friends, comradeship, lordship, tenure and a shared locality. The prosopographical evidence of Lancaster’s men can be used to elucidate the pre-existing ties and personal relationships between individuals and groups of men who served under the earl’s banner. Such ‘horizontal’ ties among the military personnel would have provided greater impetus to the sentiment of camaraderie and, in many ways, can reveal the complex social networks which often underpinned a war retinue. The corpus of men who left Lancaster’s service in the duchy and returned to England during the course of the expedition will also be considered with a view to understanding the mentality of these soldiers, and gain a further insight into the retinue’s cohesion.

Continuity of Service and Retinue Stability

A detailed study of Henry of Lancaster’s retinue undertaken by Kenneth Fowler more than half a century ago elucidated many of the relationships between the earl and his men, and identified those individuals who served repeatedly under his banner.

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