Hundred Years War army update Mounted MAA 25/3/21

[bluewillow]

Men at arms completed

French écuyers and gentile hommes led by Pierre Michel, écuyer banneret seigneur Le Plessis, Villiers, Saint-Gilles, Bossacourt et la Noe. Supplied 20MAA and 40 Archers for La Brossinière.



Cheers
Matt

[HappyChappy439]

Nice work!

Silly question but where do you get the numbers for the amount of men-at-arms and archers provided by the knights and nobles? Les Armées des Trois Premiers Ducs de Bourgogne tends to be good for Burgundians (naturally) but I've not found something similar for the Armagnac/Dauphinist forces!

[bluewillow]

From a number of places, books, accounts, on Acedemia, reading papers and university Honour and doctorate documents. Primarily I have been digging through the archives at Laval and Le Mans of musters and some that are digitised in Paris, plus talking to blood relatives of noble families in the Maine region, it has been a three year process so far.

 It is all linked to three Wargame books I am putting together on the different phases of the war, which will include armorials, short bios, campaign, chevachee and key chateau layouts for the western Anjou/Maine region.

Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

Wow! I didn't know you were compiling such a tome!

I will certainly be buying a hard copy of this when it is published!

[bluewillow]

Wow! I didn't know you were compiling such a tome!

I will certainly be buying a hard copy of this when it is published!

I possibly will release a PDF of the armorials and chevalier and écuyers bio, but three books coming. It has been my lockdown project to pull it all together, still possibly a year or so off though as my friend thinks I should submit it for my PHD.

Also would like to put together one for the first Barons War focusing on  Anjou, Maine, Normandy and Aquitaine, the personalities, sieges and the battles in France, my next medieval wargaming project.....

Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

I possibly will release a PDF of the armorials and chevalier and écuyers bio, but three books coming. It has been my lockdown project to pull it all together, still possibly a year or so off though as my friend thinks I should submit it for my PHD.

Also would like to put together one for the first Barons War focusing on  Anjou, Maine, Normandy and Aquitaine, the personalities, sieges and the battles in France, my next medieval wargaming project.....

You're a dark hose mate 

I am really excited to hear about this as it is obviously of great interest to me. It's not too bad getting info on 'English' armies, largely down to the Lance and Longbow Societies superlative work over the years but 'Frenc' information is a lot harder to come by. I don't really have an opinion either side of the argument but I do wonder what you think of the premise that a lot of records in France were destroyed in WWII?

[bluewillow]

You're a dark hose mate 

I am really excited to hear about this as it is obviously of great interest to me. It's not too bad getting info on 'English' armies, largely down to the Lance and Longbow Societies superlative work over the years but 'Frenc' information is a lot harder to come by. I don't really have an opinion either side of the argument but I do wonder what you think of the premise that a lot of records in France were destroyed in WWII?

Between the revolution and ww2 a lot was lost, tax documents, fines and payments has been a gold mine as they are located in local Marie’s and regional prefectures, up to Paris. My biggest bonus has been the introduction into the nobility circle here locally so I get to view original documents
.
Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

My biggest bonus has been the introduction into the nobility circle here locally so I get to view original documents

That has to be more then useful!

[bluewillow]

That has to be more then useful!

Yes exceptional, have seen 13th century original documents, seals and commissions up to the 19th century and a marshals baton, plus a lot of Chateaus and fortified manors in the last two years. As a thank you I have been painting 28mm figures, from that I have just started to receive commissions also for painting family armorials on larger figures.

Cheers
Matt

[Patrice]

what you think of the premise that a lot of records in France were destroyed in WWII?

Some were, but the most massive destructions of medieval archives probably happened during and after the French Revolution. Some by setting fire to a few castles (an easy way to get rid of debt accounts that a lord may own) but also by lack of interest, neglect, and in many cases they were used to make powder cartridges for the artillery for the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.

In Brittany we are lucky that 18th century (before the Revolution) "historians" priests as Dom Lobineau and Dom Morice worked on medieval documents and copied some of them, including lists of squires called for muster etc. But it's only a part of what was destroyed later, and also they were not interested by documents about common people.

[Atheling]

Patrice, Matt, thanks. I knew that many has been destroyed but WWII just stuck as the main culprit.

I didn't even take the French Revolution into account 

I suppose it's possible that a lot of records in Paris may have been destroyed in the Parisian Communes too 

[bluewillow]

Patrice, Matt, thanks. I knew that many has been destroyed but WWII just stuck as the main culprit.

I didn't even take the French Revolution into account 

I suppose it's possible that a lot of records in Paris may have been destroyed in the Parisian Communes too 

Yes, quite a lot has been digitized now which is good

Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

Yes, quite a lot has been digitized now which is good

Cheers
Matt

Thanks again Matt. I am really looking forward to this publication and appreciate that it may be some time away.

(Though yesterday would have been good  )

[bluewillow]

Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas) (c. 1286 – 25 August 1330, loyal companion of Robert de Bruce. Schiltron for my Scottish war of Independence army. Hand painted shield and standard, on the right flank is Kenneth Williamson, as a memory to my uncle Ken who passed this year. Miniatures are a mix of Claymore and Anteluvian miniatures.



My Scot Ancestor




Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]