The Soldier in Later Medieval England

Project start date: 2006-09

Project end date: 2009-08

It has been argued that standing armies and professional soldiers were a phenomenon of the early modern state. There can be no doubt, however, that the period from 1369 to 1453 witnessed hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the pay of the crown. Although these dates themselves relate to the beginning and end of important phases in the war with France commonly known as the Hundred Years War, soldiers were dispatched for campaign and garrison service not only across the Channel, but also in the Iberian Peninsular, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. This vast amount of nominal data gives us the unparalleled opportunity for medieval England to study the soldier as an individual and as a type, and to debate whether we can speak of a professional soldiery over this period. The uniqueness of this project is the length of the period to be covered, since it will permit a truly longitudinal survey to be undertaken. We will be able to identify continuities, incremental and slow modifications and more abrupt and revolutionary changes. The project is also distinctive in its comprehensive geographical coverage. The project will produce an online searchable database listing soldiers involved in English armies and garrison service during the period.