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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Stuart on September 28, 2015, 09:28:47 PM

Title: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 28, 2015, 09:28:47 PM
I've found the following description of French infantry surrendering Therouanne in 1513;

On the 21st the captains of the city treated with the Lord Steward to move the King to allow them to depart with their lives; and on the 22nd the King, with the Emperor's consent, rode unto the walls and gave them mercy. The captains left the town on the 23rd, the soldiers in three guards. One guard had written in gold letters on their breasts, Heilly; the second, Sarcuz; the third, Picarde.

Are there any extant examples of text on liveries that you know of?

How would you paint these, any ideas?

Thanks for looking

Stuart
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Atheling on September 29, 2015, 07:22:59 AM
I've found the following description of French infantry surrendering Therouanne in 1513;

On the 21st the captains of the city treated with the Lord Steward to move the King to allow them to depart with their lives; and on the 22nd the King, with the Emperor's consent, rode unto the walls and gave them mercy. The captains left the town on the 23rd, the soldiers in three guards. One guard had written in gold letters on their breasts, Heilly; the second, Sarcuz; the third, Picarde.

Are there any extant examples of text on liveries that you know of?

How would you paint these, any ideas?

Possibly in the same type of script used on standards of the Late C15(?)

It's a stab in the dark really but it's my best guess :)

Darrell.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Arlequín on September 29, 2015, 09:28:33 AM
The Ghent militias used a Germanic-style (or gothic) lowercase 'g' on their jackets, which also appears on the 'Maid of Ghent' standard. That would support Darrell's theory. I would imagine French would use the same, or similar, letter style as appears on Burgundian standards of the Swiss Wars.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 29, 2015, 10:28:12 AM
Or something like this - completely forgot about painted armour.

(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb281/amorfatipictures/SL277561.jpg)

Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Atheling on September 29, 2015, 10:56:03 AM
Or something like this - completely forgot about painted armour.

(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb281/amorfatipictures/SL277561.jpg)



That's the same sort of 'Gothic' script that is used on Standards o yeah, that's what I was leaning towards Stuart. I should add that for the time period you're talking about i have no evidence that this was the case.

Darrell.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 29, 2015, 10:58:23 AM
No me neither, i can't recall seeing lettering in any early 16c drawings and woodcuts so it was a revelation, a good eyewitness source too.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Patrice on September 29, 2015, 01:27:11 PM
Gothic was still widely used in the early 16th century.

However it's not always easy to copy, there were many abreviations and shortened words.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/a/archers_bracer.aspx

an earlier (early 15th C.) example of lettering: Osprey Armies of Medieval Burgundy, plate B4.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 29, 2015, 05:32:31 PM
Thanks Patrice, there's some inspiration there
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Captain Blood on September 29, 2015, 05:37:09 PM
Good luck painting words in Gothic lettering onto the coats of your 28mm figures, Stuart  ;D
(I believe in you!)
:D

(Pavises and horsecloths would be possible I think :))

Send for the Optivisor!
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Paul on September 29, 2015, 07:08:27 PM
One guard had written in gold letters on their breasts, Heilly; the second, Sarcuz; the third, Picarde.

Could it mean they (the leaders of each group) were wearing Livery collars? They are mainly made of Gold and some contain letters?
Roman de Girrart de Rousillon 1448
(http://i62.tinypic.com/jgilgx.jpg)
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Keith on September 29, 2015, 07:53:02 PM
Cunningly enough I was just contemplating painting script on some of my Swiss helmets. I've been looking for reference and havn't seen anything actually from the period yet.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Patrice on September 29, 2015, 08:10:21 PM
On the 21st the captains of the city treated with the Lord Steward to move the King to allow them to depart with their lives; and on the 22nd the King, with the Emperor's consent, rode unto the walls and gave them mercy. The captains left the town on the 23rd, the soldiers in three guards. One guard had written in gold letters on their breasts, Heilly; the second, Sarcuz; the third, Picarde.

Could you mention the original source? "Picardie" would be more likely ...but perhaps shortened.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 29, 2015, 08:43:53 PM
Here you go, letter from Giles ap ... To the earl if Devon;

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol1/pp997-1012 (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol1/pp997-1012)

It's in English, as you mention I think it's actually Sercus, Heily & Picardie
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Arlequín on September 29, 2015, 09:05:32 PM
They are writing in the days before the great vowel shift and standardisation, so they are in fact Heilly, Sercus and Picardie. Note also 'Tyroan' for Thérouanne, 'Sir Rice' for Sir Rhys (ap Thomas) and a few more written vocalisations.

They are talking 'Guard' in the plural, as three units, so they are talking about all the men wearing their town/region's name on their clothing. Whether made from cut-out letters, embroidered, or painted on, is anyone's guess though. 

Nice to see the Chevalier Bayard get his name in there in the letter above too.  :) 
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 29, 2015, 09:16:37 PM
You're a gent Jim

That resource is an absolute gem, go back to June and read through to October it's fascinating, well for me anyway. Lots of Flodden info in there too.

Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Atheling on September 30, 2015, 07:55:51 AM
Lots of Flodden info in there too.



Now that has piqued my interest!!  ;D ;D

Will give it a read through when I can find the time (ASAP).

Darrell.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Paul on September 30, 2015, 10:41:04 AM
Quote
In 1464 a contingent sent north from Nottingham were issued with red 'jakettes and a yard of white fustian was used to cut out letters (N?)and set them on the jackettes'.
http://users.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/florilegium/government/gvdef03.html
and
Quote
Among Burgundian troops besieging Velexon castle in 1409-10 were 30 'armed men' and 15 crossbowmen sent from Dijon for one month's service, 'dressed and ready to go'. Vermilion cloth was supplied 'from which were cut the letters Dijon put on the sleeve of each jack', backed with white cloth 'in the form of a scroll'
Ducal accounts 1409
Something like this?
(http://i58.tinypic.com/dr7fiw.jpg)
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Patrice on September 30, 2015, 04:49:27 PM
Something like this?
(http://i58.tinypic.com/dr7fiw.jpg)

Yes, from same source as inspired the artwork in the Osprey book I mentioned:

Osprey Armies of Medieval Burgundy, plate B4.

This sign ~ is one of them word shortenings that you very often find in 15th C. texts: Õ for ON.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Arlequín on September 30, 2015, 09:28:27 PM
Yes, from same source as inspired the artwork in the Osprey book I mentioned:

This sign ~ is one of them word shortenings that you very often find in 15th C. texts: Õ for ON.

Likewise 'Y' written in English back then is often actually 'th' as a holdover from the Old English þ, while the alphabet also had a 'y' too (as in Ymbercourt for Umbercourt in the letters) - so when you see "Ye Olde English Tea Shoppe", it is actually 'The'. Confusingly 'ye' when written could be second person singular for 'thee' or second person plural for 'ye'... our present-day 'you' (objective) was rendered as 'thou' when used in the singular, but as 'you' in the plural.

It got somewhat more complex after 1600.  o_o
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on September 30, 2015, 09:44:02 PM
That's interesting, y in welsh can mean 'the'. I'm not welsh btw I just live here under extreme suspicion
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Atheling on October 01, 2015, 08:20:00 AM
That's interesting, y in welsh can mean 'the'. I'm not welsh btw I just live here under extreme suspicion

Does being from Cleveland not give you special status?  lol ;) ;)

Darrell.
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Stuart on October 01, 2015, 09:58:58 AM
I was ejected from there as a witch as I could read  :D
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Arlequín on October 01, 2015, 12:25:53 PM
I can't help thinking Medieval merchants missed a trick by not paying to add their name or mark onto livery jackets... Warwick's men could have the bear and staff on the front and "Oswald's nearly fresh fish" in fustian letters on the back.

 ;)
Title: Re: Lettering in liveries
Post by: Atheling on October 01, 2015, 01:38:13 PM
Lots of Flodden info in there too.



Talking of Flodden.... I'm putting off that project and going for something else after Hastings. Great project to do- i just want to wait a little so I don't have too many fingers in too many pies (ooh err Missus) :)

Darrell.