The Armour Archive

Hi all,

I'm looking into naming practices for 14th century military units (background preferably English free companies). Hints/directions to documentation for the use of saints' names (even if not obtainable for the context mentioned) would be especially helpful. Thank you!

Cheers,
William
*get the herald off my back!*

bump

cuz i wanna know too

Typically I'd expect them to be named after their patron, or lacking a specific noble for backing, the patron saint of the area from which they originated.


Effingham

I've heard them named after their captain, and also the "white company" named after the large amount of plate armor that they wore. Seems that colors have also been popular, ie the "Red company" and the "Black company"-at least by the 16th c.

Captains, nationalities/regional groupings, saints.

Not a lot of data on naming practices in France, lots in Italy. Froissart interviews the Bascot de Mauleon who refers to groups by their Captain or their locality (the Sancerre boys). There is a reference to the company of a Welsh captain (Ruffin). The Great Company was the horde of mercenary groups that gathered together after the Treaty of Bretigny but I haven't come across the names, if any, of the groups that composed it.

In Italy you've got lots more to go on:
The Great Company (several)
The Company of St. George (several)
The Company of the Dove
The Company of the Hat
The White Company

Saint's names seem to have been regional and/or warrior saints. St. George (warrior and English), St. Martin (Spanish and warrior), St. Maurice (German [for some reason] and warior), St. Michael (French [I think] and warrior).

Legitimate groups, i.e. those considered respectable, are generally going to be referred to by the name of the noble who leads them. Those groups not considered respectable are on the outside trying to get in. Those that have no interest in legitimacy are generally just bandits.