The Medieval troops were assembled in companies of twenties, which were grouped into hundreds, and lastly massed into thousands, the commanding officers taking their names from the number of men they were leading. If the army was raised by contract, two or more Marshals were appointed in command. The Earl Constable and Earl Marshal held the chief command under the King. In case of a greater income, if the knight was in debt, and the income minus the amount he had to pay to his creditors was less then 20 pounds, he was excepted as well. A knight was excepted from performing his duty if he had a yearly income under twenty pounds. The accepted excuses for not answering the call to enlist were mostly of a financial nature. When the troops were provided, an inspection was done to verify if their number and equipment was in compliance with the contract. Proclamations in courts, fairs and markets were used for the lower feudal ranks, the so-called lesser tenants. They in turn produced copies which were sent to the parties in question. The writs for the feudal tenants were first sent to the sheriffs. Whoever did not comply was to be sent to prison. Feudal lords were asked to send men-at-arms and archers proportionally to their income. In 1346, King Edward III of England commanded every man-at-arms in the country to join the army or to send a substitute. The great Medieval wars were asking for special military organization, such as a compulsory mass enlisting. The army troops provided by contract were paid according to their ranks. In cases of great emergency, the clergy was called to take arms after consultations with the prelates in Parliament. In addition, men of military age with an income exceeding a certain amount per annum were required to contribute according to their means. Those in the second one were armed and provisioned by the third. The men in the first category were required to serve in person.
People with financial means but unfit for service. The physically fit and capable to equip themselves according to the standards. The agreements specified the number of troops, the time they were available, and the amount of pay per man enlisted.īasically, three classes of men are mentioned in the royal ordinances: Troops were provided by contracts with various feudal lords and knights.
The old, the infirm, females inheriting knights or the clergy, all were required to send substitutes, or pay the money needed to recruit and equip the equivalent number of troops. The feudal tenants were performing the service according to their fiefs. It was a well organized system working as follows:
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