Shipping the Medieval Military: English Maritime Logistics in the Fourteenth Century

262 Pages·2011·5.34 MB·English

by  Craig L. Lambert

spine 21.5mm A
9 Sep 10
LAMBERT
During the fourteenth century England was scarred by famine, plague
and warfare. From such disasters, however, emerged great feats of human
endurance. Not only did the English population recover from starvation and
disease but thousands of the kingdom’s subjects went on to defeat the Scots
and the French in several notable battles. Victories such as Halidon Hill,
Nevilles Cross, Crécy and Poitiers not only helped the English chivalrous
class to recover their pride, but also secured the military reputations of
Edward III and the Black Prince. E
N S
Yet what has been underemphasized in this historical narrative is the role G h
L
played by men of more humble origin, among them the medieval mariner; IS i
H p
during the fourteenth century the manpower and ships provided by the M p
English merchant fleet underpinned every military expedition. The aim of A i
R n
this book is to explore the role and importance of the ordinary seaman. Craig IT
g
I
Lambert’s fresh approach to the sources reveals the enormous contribution M

E t
of the English merchant fleet to the wars conducted by Edward II and L h
O
Edward III; he also explores the complex administrative process of raising a G e
fleet and provides career profiles for many mariners, examining the familial IS
T M
I
relationships that existed in port communities, and the shipping resources of C
S e
English ports. I
N d

CRAIG LAMBERT is Research Assistant at the University of Hull. T i
H e
E v

F
O a
Cover: ... U l
R
T M
E
E
N i
T l
H i
C t
Series: Warfare in History E a
N
T r
GENERAL EDITOR: Matthew Bennett (RMA Sandhurst) U y
R
Y
BOYDELL & BREWER Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY14620-2731 (US)
www.boydellandbrewer.com
warfare in history
Shipping the Medieval Military
English Maritime Logistics in
the Fourteenth Century
warfare in history
issn 1358–779x
Series editor
Matthew Bennett, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
This series aims to provide a wide-ranging and scholarly approach
to military history, offering both individual studies of topics or
wars, and volumes giving a selection of contemporary and later
accounts of particular battles; its scope ranges from the early
medieval to the early modern period.
New proposals for the series are welcomed; they should be sent to
the publisher at the address below.
Boydell and Brewer Limited, PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk,
ip12 3df
Previously published volumes in this series are listed at the back of
this volume

Detail from the Luttrell Psalter, BL, Add. MS 42130, folio 161v, showing a northern
European vessel transporting troops. Note in particular the stern rudder, which was
an advancement on the quarter rudder, and the endcastles containing an archer and
a crossbowman. This illustration shows how cramped the conditions were likely
to have been for soldiers aboard ships during logistical operations. © All Rights
Reserved. The British Library Licence Number: BOYBRE03.
Shipping the
Medieval Military
English Maritime Logistics in
the Fourteenth Century
Craig L. Lambert
the boydell press
© Craig L. Lambert 2011
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
The right of Craig L. Lambert to be identified as
the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
First published 2011
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBN 978–1–84383–654–4
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620, USA
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy of
URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is,
or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Papers used by Boydell & Brewer Ltd are natural, recyclable products
made from wood grown in sustainable forests
Printed in Great Britain by
CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne
FOR MY MOTHER AND FATHER

Contents
List of Tables x
Acknowledgments xi
Abbreviations xii
Introduction 1
1 Raising a Fleet 11
Sources of Shipping 11
Requisition Orders 19
Process of Requisition 33
Return Passage 46
2 The Supply of Armies and Garrisons by Sea, 1320–1360 52
Logistics and Preparations for War: An Overview of Procedures 52
The Supply of Armies and the Naval War in Scotland, 1322–1336 65
Maritime Logistics and the Naval War in Scotland, 1337–1360 79
The Supply of English Armies in France, 1324–1346 86
3 The Transportation of English Armies to France, 1324–1360 101
Preparing the Fleet: A Timetable for Invasion 101
Two Transport Fleets of Edward II’s Reign, 1324–1325 108
The Earl of Surrey’s Transport Fleet, 1325 111
Five Transport Fleets for Edward III’s Armies, 1338–1359 114
The 1355 Transport Fleet for the Black Prince 152
4 Maritime Resources and the King’s War 156
Developments in Fleet Organisation 158
Port Resources 172
Shipmaster Service and Mariners 184
Crew Size and Manning 196
Conclusion 207
Appendix 1: Ports that Supplied Ships to the Fleets 211
Appendix 2: Reconstructing the Merchant Fleet: A Methodology 215
Bibliography 223
Index 237