Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

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Ernst
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Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

Post by Ernst »

Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=j9MhA ... es&f=false

History: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gav ... f_Cornwall
On 4 May, the King and Gaveston were at Newcastle, and barely escaped a force led by Lancaster, Henry Percy and Robert Clifford. Gaveston then returned to Scarborough, while the King left for York. Scarborough was soon besieged by Pembroke, Warenne, Percy and Clifford, and on 19 May Gaveston surrendered to the besiegers.
Yes, the infamous Piers Gaveston. The listing is for goods captured from the wagon train of Gaveston and King Edward II as they fled northward. Mixed within the pages of gold and silver plate, jewels, and fine clothing, can be found a few armor-related items.

1313 Acquittance of goods seized from the captive, Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall

Image

Item, Une Cote Armere des Armes Sire Pieres
Item, one coat armor with the arms of Sir Piers.
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Item, En un autre Coffre, une Peire de Plates, enclouez & garniz d'Argent, od quatre Cheynes d'Argent, coverz dun Drap de velvet vermail, besaunte d'Or.
Item, in another coffer, one pair of plates, nailed and garnished with silver, with four silver chains, covered in cloth of vermillion velvet, bezanty gold. (silver weapons chains, vermillion velvet 'sequined' with gold spots or coins.)
Item, Deux Peires de Jambers de feer, ventz & noveaux:
Item, two pairs of legs of iron, sold(?) & new: (jambers might be greaves only)
Item, Autres divers garnementz des Armes le dit Pieres, ovek les alettes, garniz & freitez de Perles;
Item, other diverse garments of arms of the said Piers, with the ailettes garnished and fretted with pearls;
Item, En un sak un lancenet burny od surcils.
Item, in a sack, a polished 'lancenet' with eyebrows.
Some printed sources citing this (Fœdera ii, 203) show, Item, en un sak, un bacenet burny od surcils, i.e. a polished bascinet with eyebrows. I am uncertain if this is a typeset error, or a scribal error which has been repeated.
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Item, En un autre Sauk, une Peire Treppes des Armes de dit Piers:
Item, in another sack, a pair of trappers with the arms of the said Piers:
Item, Un Curtyn de Cendal:
Item, a bed curtain of cendal:
Item, Deux cotes de velvet, pur plates coverir:
Item, two coats of velvet, for covering plates:
Item, Une houche pur palefrei des Armes le Roy:
Item, one housing for a palfrey with the arms of the King:
Item, Quatre Chemises & trois brais de Gascoigne, orfreses:
Item, four undershirts & thee pairs of underwear of Gascony, with orphrey. (Richly decorated bands of golden embroidery)
Item, Une veille banere des le dit Piers:
Item, one old banner of the said Piers:
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ferrum ferro acuitur et homo exacuit faciem amici sui
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RandallMoffett
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Re: Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

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Four silver chains on the pair of plates... interesting. I thought at first these could be the chains so often spoken of with Pairs of plates like the Hirschstein castle one as well but I wonder if silver would be strong enough?

Thanks for putting this up. Been years since I saw this one.

RPM
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Ernst
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Re: Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

Post by Ernst »

I really think the "lancenet" is a typesetting error, and that those showing "bacenet" must be correct, if for no other reason than the difficulty of putting a lance or lancegay in a sack -unless it's only a winged lancehead. I suspect this would be some sort of bascinet with a nasal, like we find in contemporary art.

Most of the effigies showing weapon's chains this early only show two.
http://effigiesandbrasses.com/search/?t ... 0chains%22
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RandallMoffett
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Re: Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

Post by RandallMoffett »

I know that is an odd one. I will look for the original MS and see if I cannot get a look at it.

Not concerned on the number of chains but the material. Seems silver would break easy.

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Ernst
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Re: Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

Post by Ernst »

Coin silver's pretty tough. A suppose it depends on the amount of copper in the alloy.
http://www.riogrande.com/Content/Compar ... html?Pos=7
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Re: Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

Post by Sean M »

RandallMoffett wrote:Four silver chains on the pair of plates... interesting. I thought at first these could be the chains so often spoken of with Pairs of plates like the Hirschstein castle one as well but I wonder if silver would be strong enough?
I thought of Blair's "guard-chains" too. My Italian sources include a cuirass covered in cloth of gold with buckles, tips (Fr. ardillions ... strap-ends? caps for laces?), and hinges of silver in 1367. It would be interesting for someone who can afford that much silver to try making the guard chains of silver.
DIS MANIBUS GUILLELMI GENTIS MCLEANUM FAMILIARITER GALLERON DICTI
VIR OMNIBUS ARTIBUS PERITUS
Check out Age of Datini: European Material Culture 1360-1410
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RandallMoffett
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Re: Document: 1313 Earl of Cornwall

Post by RandallMoffett »

Good point Ernst! Though we also see that coins after circulation do wear a fair amount. If I ever had the money for silver I'd love to try it out to see. The only objects of silver I have had around have been treated very gently.
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