Medieval Knights - House hold?

Question

What made up a knights house hold ? did they have their own guards? or were militia used from villages under their control ?

Answer 1

A knight's household would be of variable size depending on how wealthy he was. In 'Life in a Medieval Castle' Frances and Joseph gies write:



"A grandfather might found a business, a father exapnd it, a son inherit it. Sucha son might purchase estates inthe country from which he could draw an aristocratic name; he could afford expensive entertainment and bribes to great lords, and be knighted if he so chose.



At the other end of the economic scale, many a poor soldier womn knighthood through valour in the service of a lord.



The great majority of knights were, horse and armor aside, penniless. The system of primogeniture left younger sons even of great families without fiefs, and so without income. These young men were sent out into the world with the training and equipment for a single profession, that of arms. The normal business of the knight was war, and often as a mercenary. By the twelfth century, since the practice of hiring knights was well established, and even if a knight served his liege lord as a part of a feudal levy, the thought of gain was in the forefront of his mind. '



A knight who owned land and had a substantial household would have men at arms, who would be trained soldiers. He would have many servants working in his household, most of them male, apart from the ladies in attendance on his wife, nurses to his children, and the laundresses who washed the clothes. A household large enough to have its own chapel would have a chaplain to officiate at mass and deal with any correspondence etc.

Answer 2

Ben---



It depends on the size of the Knight's holdings of land and his rank. An earl or baron would have a squadron of knights, a knights might have a bully boy or two. They might be in charge of local justice and were given the title Shire Reeve. This comes from the title gerefa, or "high official" in Middle English, because he led a ROF ("several soldiers").



These words then allided and changed to form "Sheriff".



So -- the sheriff of Nottingham had his "several soldiers" but your average knight probably was lucky to have a squire (aged about 10).



Militia is a modern word to describe something much less formal back then. If a band of robbers or raiders struck a village, villagers might run around with whatever "weapons" came to hand -- pitchforks, staves, clubs, cudgels, knives. they would usually act defensively, eg trying to get the women and children into a safe place, such as a church (one of the few solid stone buildings, probably).



Ironically, such improvised weapons led to the development of a superior infantry weapon, and variants, such as the bill hook. These were sometimes called halberds, although these often lacked hooks.



A simple scythe, mounted on a long pole, is ideal for "hooking" a knight and pulling them off their horse. a knight in armour on the ground would struggle to get up -- they were like turtles turned on their backs. So -- crash -- knight down -- stab stab stab -- this is an ex knight, pushing up the daisies.



If a knight had a retinue of soldiers, they would eat near the top table, near the fire. Status was measured by how far from the fire you were and whether you go meat cuts or scraps.



Few households had regular guards on permanent watch -- this is why homes had dogs or, still used in Scottish disilleries, geese.



What kept the peasants under control? Not just brute force, although that happened. The church preached acceptance -- that everyone accept their station in life and not try to change or rise above it. Fathers and mothers taught their children their trades. Nothing changed. The church preached rewards in the afterlife. Today we want our rewards NOW.



Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Life in a Medieval Castle



http://www.medieval-castle.com/



http://www.castlewales.com/life.html



http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castle6.htm



http://members.aol.com/TeacherNet/Medieval.html#Castle

Answer 4

"Lord of the manor" isn't a identify, to any extent further than "slum landlord" or "boarding-abode landlady" is a identify. it rather is basically an define of somebody who has particular property rights. (There are a great style of sites suggesting that in case you purchase the lordship of a manor you get the properly suited to call your self "Lord something", yet it rather isn't any longer genuine, and on no account has been.) So what the lord of a manor have been given talked approximately as might rely on what his rank in society replaced into, and that should variety broadly. Many manors have been owned direct by utilising the Crown, and so the King replaced into the lord of those manors. Othe manors have been held by utilising dukes, earls, and barons, who might each and each be talked approximately and addressed accurately for their rank, e.g. "Your Grace" for a duke, "My Lord" for a baron. nevertheless others have been held by utilising knights, who have been constantly "Sir Christianname", and undeniable esquires, gents and franklins, who have been "grasp Surname".

Answer 5

http://books.google.com/books?id=5UkXTX8v-JoC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=household+of+a+medieval+knight&source=bl&ots=2Fh6aq3BE7&sig=NjNr_sOYZyU65rlHbO6bARAX0tQ&hl=en&ei=wI1bSqjZLtagjAeOnfAa&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9