Livery of Calais Garrison during WotR

[shandy]

Hi,

as there are some real experts on the WotR on this forum: Does anyone know the livery colour of the Calais garrison during the Wars of the Roses?
And for that matter, could someone help me with sources wherein I would find the livery colours of town contingents and militias?
Thanks for the help!

All the best,
Shandy

[Arlequín]

People keep telling me I'm an expert, but I can't actually answer this question with any degree of certainty.  

The Old Osprey on the WotR and 'Medieval European Armies' both have a decent list of liveries of the WotR and Tudor period... but don't differentiate between them. As a general rule of thumb, if it's two colours it's WotR and if its three or more, it's 16th Century Tudor - there are exceptions.

The old WRG 'Armies of Medieval Europe' had a somewhat shorter list, but not many WotR ones. Some kind soul scanned it and put it on scribd. That's now been removed, but you might find it elsewhere.

The Freezywater Publications 'Liveries and Banners' book has ones for nobles and knights, but iirc none for towns.

Towns generally stuck with a particular colour, although some apparently thrifty ones just chose whichever colour was cheapest on the local market, or from a particular merchant (i.e. backhanders etc, the usual council methods). Some didn't even go for a livery jacket and just gave their men a 'bend' (a shoulder sash worn diagonally) in a single colour.

Unless someone knows a definitive answer for the Calais garrison, my best guess is that they either wore the 'Royal Livery' of the appropriate king for that week (Blue and White for Henry VI, or Blue/Red or Blue/Murray - depending on your source, for Edward), or and I think most likely, they wore the livery that the 'Captain of the Calais Garrison' selected for them.

As the way things worked was that royal appointees were often paid partly or fully in arrears, much of the expense was borne by them, which would include 'uniform' costs. Naturally on the theoretical basis of being able to contract for advantageous rates for the cloth to make them, it effectively meant that they got to choose the colour. 'Livery' was a direct reference to 'power', so having the Calais Garrison in your livery, made a statement. The only exception would be those few men who were 'off the books' and maintained by individual officers of the garrison, who might wear their livery instead.  

Best I can do, sorry.  

[Captain Blood]

People usually mention 'Freezywater' at this point...
I don't actually own any of these booklets, but I've heard it said here (often) that they provide as much of a comprehensive list of liveries and badges as exists anywhere.
(In other words, not much).

[Arlequín]

You've pre-empted my edit above. I agree though, while they aren't 100% perfect (but what is?), they are the most comprehensive on the whole that you will find.

[Elk101]

There is also on old issue of Hobilar that lists a number of livery colours, including a few towns (well Coventry at least!). I think there is a summary of it here:

http://sswg.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=33

Generally it seems consistent with other books I've read, though I seem to recall there were a few variations. F#ck@d if I know which ones are right/more likely! 

Arlequin IS an expert as far as most of us are concerned. Read his blog stuff for more info, it's bloody good.

[shandy]

Thanks everybody!
I actually have the Freezywater booklet, and also the Osprey on WotR as well as WRG Armies of Medieval Europe Vol. I. Although great sources, none of them contain livery colours of towns as far as I know - but I might look again in case I missed something.
Concerning Calais, your theory about the livery of the King or the Captain of Calais seems plausible... not least because it would make my work easier, as I painted my armies in the livery of Warwick and in the livery of Henry VI (which, as I don't paint badges, doubles as Somerset).
I'm going to track down that Hobilar issue, I thought about joining the L&LS anyway.
I am thinking about doing a Calais-based scenario or even campaign (including siege and naval raids), or a scenario based on the raid on Sandwich harbor... I am in the mood for something involving ships 

Cheers,
Shandy

[Arlequín]

There was actually a short campaign fought around Calais in 1460... Somerset took a force to boot the Yorkist Lords out. It's ideal for a 'small war', with the Lancastrians based on Guisnes and the Yorkists in Calais. I think there was only one pithced battle (Pont de Neuilly iirc or something like that), but a whole lot of skirmishes on a daily basis.

The Sandwich raid took place during the campaign.   

There's a bit about it here: http://www.beaufort-companye.org.uk/research/calais.html

[shandy]

Great Arlequín, thanks again! I have read about the Calais campaign in the book by John Gillingham and am now reading Goodman's book in the hope of finding more material (as well as other information). Do you have any further recommendations? I've seen there is a book on the Calais garrison by David Grummitt, but it's very expensive and not on my local library...

Cheers,
Shandy

[Arlequín]

The only other that might cover Calais was by Gervase Phillips, who lectures at Manchester Met. Can't remember what it was called and he focuses on the Tudor era in any case. He did have a thing for researching individual archer's careers though, which was illuminating and fascinating, but probably useless for your needs.

I think it's going to be a case of building up the knowledge from bits and scraps from here and there. Welcome to my world!  

Seriously though, the main 'captains' shouldn't be too hard to find and both forces were in the region of 1,000 men... wing it a bit. It's not like anybody can really argue you're wrong and if they actually can, get them on here contributing!

 

[painterman]

Hi
I'm no expert either, but my thoughts (without access to any ref material) would be that the Calais garrison would be very likely to have worn royal colours - as they were one of the few garrisons directly in government control (and funded by royal taxes on wool trade exports via Calais I believe). If so, then for the Yorkist period of WotR this would be blue and murrey (which then raises the old chestnut of what colour the latter actually was...ho hum).

When I get home, I'll see if this book has any reference to livery colours, as its the most recent on the subject.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Calais-Garrison-Military-1436-1558/dp/1843833980

Simon.

[Cubs]

The best I can do is offer up the Calais badge on the Kingmaker boardgame. Let me have a look for it and I'll see.

EDIT: Bum, no coat of arms on the board for Calais, sorry.

[painterman]

Ok, so I've checked out David Grummit's book on Calais Garrison - only reference using the index to livery does reflect my previous assumption/guess.
Using an example he cites from 1503, of a court defendant of the garrison receiving "a red rose badge, royal livery, from Sandes so that he might "doo the kings service when he shuldbe commandid'", he concludes that men were recruited directly by the Crown (not the lieutenant or office holders of the garrison) and so likely to bear royal livery.
Seems like the best guide you may get - hope it helps?
Cheers
simon.

[shandy]

Cheers Simon, that is very helpful! Of course game-wise it poses the problem of Warwick as Captain of Calais fielding troops in the livery of Henry VI fighting Somerset whose troops use the same livery colors…
Anyway, I will keep you posted if the Calais project should progress. First thing is to try to scratch build some 15mm cogs.

[Arlequín]

If you wanted an easily researchable period, you should have gone for Napoleonics.  

Simon's find does seem to settle it for me, as I don't see things being so different in the early 1500s. The only proviso is that the 'Calais Garrison' were spread out across all the fortresses in the Pale, not just Calais itself.

Certainly in the Tudor period the garrison appear to have worn 'royal livery and a red rose badge', but reinforcements mentioned in the 1430's wore their own. Maybe there's your compromise? Garrison troops in blue and white and those of Warwick et al in theirs?

I've never looked too deeply into this, but the portion of the force that Somerset provided might have been somewhat smaller than that of others (he was high status, but land-poor in comparison), so a possible clash of colours might not have been a big deal in that sense. Certainly it was apparently not uncommon though; if our 'sources' are correct, the Percy's and Neville's appear to have both wore the same colours during their pre-WotR dispute.

[shandy]

Oh, I don't mind research at all - I even like it 
Hm, your theory about the differences between Tudor era livery and earlier ones also seems plausible.
Now my interest has been piqued, and I will have to look into it myself  I have collected a bibliography on the whole Calais thing now, let's see if I can unearth the articles in my local library. I anyone's interested, I will post the result - it may take some time however.
Cheers,
Shandy