Administration and Organization of War in Thirteenth-Century England

Description

The essays brought together in this volume examine the conduct of war by the Angevin kings of England during the long thirteenth century (1189-1307). Drawing upon a wide range of unpublished administrative records that have been largely ignored by previous scholarship, David S. Bachrach offers new insights into the military technology of the period, including the types of artillery and missile weapons produced by the royal government. The studies in this volume also highlight the administrative sophistication of the Angevin kings in military affairs, showing how they produced and maintained huge arsenals, mobilized vast quantities of supplies for their armies in the field, and provided for the pastoral care of their men. Bachrach also challenges the knight-centric focus of much of the scholarship on this period, demonstrating that the militarization of the English population penetrated to men in the lower social and economic strata, who volunteered in large numbers for military service, and even made careers as professional soldiers. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Tables Preface Part 1 Military technology and engineering Chapter 1 The royal crossbow makers of England, 1204–1272 Sources Origins of the office Nature of their work Duties of the crossbow maker Rates of pay Perquisites Conditions of service Length of service Conclusion Chapter 2 Crossbows for the king: The crossbow during the reigns of John and Henry III of England Materials used in crossbow construction Types of crossbows in use Relative numbers of weapons in use Conclusion Chapter 3 The royal arms makers of England, 1199–1216: A prosopographical survey Arms production in John’s reign Artillery builders Wages Conditions of service Origins of the artillery builders Crossbow builders: Wages and perquisites Conditions of service Families and backgrounds Origins Conclusion Register of arms makers during the reign of King John Chapter 4 Crossbows for the king, Part 2: The crossbow during the reign of Edward I of England (1272–1307) Technological development Relative numbers of crossbows deployed during Edward I’s reign Types of crossbows in use Material construction Conclusion Chapter 5 English artillery, 1189–1307: The implications of terminology Spear-casting engines Early stone-casting engines Later stone-casting engines Conclusion Part 2 Military logistics Chapter 6 The military administration of England: The royal artillery (1216 –1272) Administrative procedures for the construction of siege engines Administrative procedures for the storage and transportation of artillery Conclusion Chapter 7 Military planning in thirteenth-century England Part 1: The entry of arms into royal possession Royal arms production Royal arms purchases Part 2: Arms in transit Part 3: Inventories and audits Conclusion Chapter 8 Military logistics during the reign of Edward I of England, 1272–1307 Background Edward I’s early career The Second Welsh War (1282–1284) Land transportation in a new logistical system Land transportation during the Scottish Wars, 1296–1307 Conclusion Chapter 9 Prices, price controls, and market forces in England under Edward I, c. 1294–1307 Quantitative studies Purchases of grain and livestock by royal officials The “national price” in perspective Appendix 1 Chapter 10 Military industrial production in thirteenth-century England: The case of the crossbow bolt Introduction The reigns of Richard and John, 1189–1216 The reign of King Henry, 1216–1272 The reign of Edward I, 1272–1307 Conclusion Chapter 11 The crossbow in English warfare from King John to Edward I: An administrative perspective Crossbow production in England, 1202–1272 Crossbow production 1272–1307 Conclusion Chapter 12 King Edward I’s military bureaucracy: The case of Peter of Dunwich Introduction Peter of Dunwich in royal service Who was Peter of Dunwich? Conclusion Part 3 Military organization Chapter 13 The organization of military religion in the armies of King Edward I of England, 1272–1307 The royal household Garrison soldiers Pay and status of royal castle chaplains Shire levies Military tenants Conclusion Chapter 14 The ecclesia Anglicana goes to war: Prayers, propaganda, and conquest during the reign of Edward I of England, 1272–1307 Introduction English church at war under Edward I Lay participation in military-religious rites Conclusion Chapter 15 Urban military forces of England and Germany, c. 1240–c. 1315, a comparison England Germany Conclusion Chapter 16 Edward I’s “centurions”: Professional soldiers in an era of militia armies Introduction Professional officers Professional centenarii Professional soldiers Conclusion Index