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Portrayal
Before the raising of the compagnies d’ordonnance, in 1471 the Armies of the Valois dukes of Burgundy were mostly raised through feudal service, and levied troops. The problems and expenses with raising and maintaining these armies under arms were one of the reasons behind Charles the bold creating these compagnies d’ordonnance. It would however be mistaken to think of the compagnies as being similar in organisation to a modern standing army today.
Before the official compagnies, there were already various ordonances’ issued, stating the desired composition and behavior of any raised army. However these armies were raised on a case by case basis, and generally only stayed together for the duration of a campaign, and if the campaign went on for any length of time it often became harder to keep the required number of troops in service.
The raising of these armies generally went along the lines of the Duke sending out letters to various nobles and civil authorities requesting certain amounts of men for a muster at a certain location on a certain date. These would then turn up in numbers and times dependant on the availability and state of politics on a case by case basis. “Charles the Bolds military preperations for Liége had probably already begun, when couriers had been sent to the grand bailiff of Hainault, Jehan de rumpré, lord of Biévres, to Louis, lord of Gruuthuse and to other noblemen and captains, ordering them to muster troops”, Richard Vaughan, Charles the Bold.
In the case of civic authorities these men would often be sent as a contingent from the various trade guilds, or in some cases fraternities of pike or crossbowmen. These were usually young men, apprentices and journeymen, who trained together at intervals, sometimes regularly sometimes less regular. The men would be organized by their trade guilds or the weapon fraternities, when officially existing with a civic charter. Burgoise with a certain amount of income or chattels over a certain worth, could be required to go as officers or as hommes des’ armies, although the paying of scutage was also often accepted, instead.
For the Feudal Armies, a letter would be sent to various lords, asking them to raise x number of troops, each lord would then send out to his knights bannerette, who in turn would send out to their knights bachelor, and homes des armies. Each lord would then turn up with his retinue which would comprise him and any knights currently in direct service or holding office, his and their servants, and the knights bannerettes with any knights in direct service, his and their servants and their knights bachelors, and hommes des’ armies with their servants.
The servants would be taken from the household staff that would travel with their master, if he had more than one estate to move between, or his permanent staff. These men would perform various duties in regular life, cooking, clerks, grounds keepers, field labourers, etc. As well as likely also performing various military duties, guard duty, infrequent musters for training under arms, with pike, crossbow, or bow depending on the area and its local customs.
These servants would act as valets, archers, crossbowmen and pikemen, when fighting, but would also act as servants and labourers when not fighting, which made up most of the time. Off the battlefield they would be under the direct control of their regular master banding together with the men they spend most of their life around, only being organised into units as desired by the captains when getting ready to fight.
The compagnies d’ordonnance, were raised to help organise this, with the setting of the lance at a larger number, to include more infantry (up to then the lance existed, but was usually only counting the mounted men), also with standardised pay scales and officers. However, the conducters were generally from the mid nobility and petitioned for their commissions, they then set the diseniers who set their chef de chambers. Each level again tending to bring the servants from their own estates to fill the other roles in their lance. So while the compagnies gave Charles the bold more direct control and authority over a large number of troops, the compagnies themselves were still an amateur fighting force, with a lot of the old social structure of the feudal levies.
Drill
Burgundian ordinance from 1473
Furthermore, my lord [the duke] ordains that, in order that the said troops, may be better trained and exercised in the use of arms and better practiced and instructed when something happens, when they are in garrison, or have time and leisure to do this, the captains of the squadrons and the chambres are from time to time to take some of their men-at-arms out in the fields, sometimes partly, sometimes fully armed, to practice charging with the lance, keeping in close formation while charging, how to charge briskly, to defend their ensigns, to withdraw on command, and to rally, each helping the other, when so ordered, and how to withstand a charge. In like manner they are to exercise the archers and their horses, to get them used to dismounting and drawing their bows. They must learn how to attach their horses together by their bridles and make them walk forwards directly behind them, attaching the horses of three archers by their bridles saddle-bow of the page of whose man-at-arms they belong; also to march briskly forwards and to fire without breaking rank. The pikemen must be made to advance in close formation in front of the said archers, kneel at a sign from them, holding their pikes lowered to the level of a horse's back to that the archers can fire over the said pikemen as if over a wall. Thus, if the pikemen see that the enemy is breaking rank, they will be near enough to charge them in good order according to their instructions. The archers must also learn to place themselves back to back in double defense, or in a square or circle, always with the pikemen outside them to withstand the charge of the enemy horse and their horses with the pages enclosed in their midst. The conducteurs can begin by introducing this way of doing things to small groups and when one of these groups is practiced and instructed, they can take out others. While doing this, the conducteurs are to keep an eye on all their people every day so that none will dare absent themselves or be without horse and armour, because they will not be sure on which day the conducteurs will want to take them out on exercises. Thus each will be constrained to learn to do his duty.
The Ordinances of 1471, 1472 & 1473
The Ordinance of Abbeville 31st July 1471. Charles recruited 1,250 lances and the ordinance set each lance at one man-at-arms, one mounted valet, one coustillier, three mounted archers, one crossbowman, one handgunner and one pikeman. This gave a total of 10,000 men which were formed into Ordonnance Companies. Each company was to consist of 100 lances commanded by a Conducteur (after the Italian Condottiere) or Captain. Eight of these captains were nominated in 1471. The company was further divided into units of 10 lances commanded by a Desenier (possibly from the French dessiner, to draw up, designate). This 10 lance unit was again split into a group of 6 lances commanded by the Desenier himself, and a 4 lance unit commanded by Chef de Chambre (Head of the Barracks).
The Ordinance at Bohain en Vermandois 13th November 1472. Here the eight Ordonnance Captains nominated in 1471 were added to by five others, thus bringing the number of companies up to thirteen. However, the first company was almost certainly formed from the Ducal Guard from the outset leaving 1,200 men-at-arms with three horses, giving 1,200 valets and 1,200 coustiliers. Added to these were 3,000 mounted archers, 600 mounted crossbowmen, 2,000 pikemen, 1,000 foot archers and 600 handgunners. These were formed into a further twelve companies.
The Ordinance at St Maxmin de Treves October 1473. At this ordinance the companies were reorganised copying the Italian system. The company was still commanded by the Conducteur, but was now divided into four squadrons of 25 lances, each commanded by a Chef d'Escadre (squadron leader). The squadron was then further divided into four Chambres of 6 lances, each commanded by a Chef de Chambre. The odd missing lance was probably still commanded by the Chef d'Escadre. The composition of the lance was as stipulated in the 1472 ordinance. However, further to this we see the first Italian mercenary company raised by the Comte de Campobasso, a Neopolitan Condottiere.
Each Compagnie also had civilian support personel; clerks, trumpeters, musicians, surgeons, cooks, miners, carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, farriers, armourers, brigandiners, barrel makers, rope makers, saddlers, waggoners, merchants, washerwomen, etc.
5th Compagnie, formed in september 1471, from men of the Low Countries.
Conducteurs:
Philippe
Dubois from Artoi, Died in 1472 during a raid into Picardy.
Bernard
van Ravenstein, from Kleeves, promoted to conducteur after the death of Philippe
Dubois. Died in 1474 at the siege of Neuss. (Coat of Arms not known).
Jan
van Broechhuisen, from Guelders, was a captain in the company before being
promoted to conducteur after the death of Ravenstein.
Banner
– 5th Compagnie, St Nicholas on a field vert (green), 1m by 3m.
1st
Escadre.
Chef
d’escadre:
Name unknown
Cornet
–1st Escadre, 0.5m by 2.5m.
4th
Chambre (6
Lances).
Chef
d’chambre:
Name unknown, Pay = 20
francs per month.
Full harness, war horse with chanfrain and war saddle.
Lance or polaxe if fighting on foot, bastard sword, mace or war hammer, dagger (rondel).
Shoes, hoes, shirt, doublet, belt, hat and jacket. These should all be of best quality materials (fine wool, silk, velvet and brocade).
Hommes
d’armes (6)
Pay = 15
francs per month.
The hommes d’armes were heavy cavalry. Primarily still deployed on horse rather than the English tactic of fighting dismounted.
Full harness, war horse with chanfrain and war saddle.
Lance or polaxe if fighting on foot, bastard sword, mace or war hammer, dagger (rondel).
Shoes, hoes, shirt, doublet, belt, hat and jacket. These should all be of better quality materials than the basic clothes (fine wool, fine linen, some silk, possible velvet and brocade).
MS
6 Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert Brussels
MS Douce Bodleian Library Oxford
Valet (6) Pay = 6
francs per month.
The
main function of the valet was to support the hommes d’armes and coustiliers,
not all valets seem to have had armour.
Sallet, bevor or maille standard, brigandine and maille shirt or back and breast and plate arm harness, gauntlets, leg harness. (Horse and saddle, if possible).
Light lance or guisarme (bill) if fighting on foot, bastard sword, dagger ( rondel).
Shoes, hoes, shirt, doublet, belt, hat and jacket. These should all be of better quality materials than the basic clothes (fine wool, silk. Velvet and brocade are also ok for collar on the doublet).
MS
2693 Bibliotheque National de France MS 9392 Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert Brussels
Coustilier
(6) Pay = 10
francs per month.
Deployed
as light cavalry, although they were sometimes used to increase the ranks of the
hommes d’armes, or as heavy infantry assigned to defend the archers.
Sallet, bevor or maille standard, brigandine and maille shirt or cuirass, plate arm harness, gauntlets, plate leg harness. (Horse and saddle, if possible).
Light lance or guisarme (bill or glaive) if fighting on foot, bastard sword, dagger ( rondel).
MS
Douce Bodleian Library Oxford
MS 2693 Bibliotheque National de France
Archers
(18) Pay = 4
francs (mounted archers 5 francs) per month.
Sallet (with or without visor), maille standard, brigandine, padded jack (mounted archers should also have; thigh boots, horse and saddle).
Bow and quiver, lead hammer, bastard sword, dagger (bollock or rondel).
MS Fr 2643 Bibliothéque Nationale de France
Crossbowmen
(6) Pay = 4
francs per month.
Sallet,
bevor or maille standard, brigandine over padded jack, leg harness.
Crossbow
and quiver, bastard sword, dagger (bollock or rondel).
Handgunners
(6) Pay = 4
francs per month.
Sallet
and bevor, breast plate over sleeved maille shirt.
Handgun,
falchion, buckler, dagger (bollock or rondel).
Pikemen
(6) Pay = 4
francs per month (before the St Maximin ordinannce the pay was 2 patars a
month).
Sallet,
breast plate over padded jack.
Pike,
arming sword, buckler, dagger (bollock or rondel).
MS 6 Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert Brussels
Trumpeters and musicians.
MS Fr 2693
Bibliothéque Nationale de France
Surgeons.
Royal 15
E II British Library
Cooks.
Royal 15
D1 British Library
Craftsmen
- miners, carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, farriers, armourers,
brigandiners, barrel makers, rope makers, saddlers, waggoneers.
Merchants.
MS 9066 Koninklijke Bibliotheek Albert Brussels
Priests.
Washer
women - (the
ordonnaces state there should be no more than 30 women per 1000 men, this is
specifically aimed at the “non productive” camp followers, washerwomen and
the more open prostitutes).
MS 5070
Bibliotheque de Arsenel Paris
Prostitutes
- (mentioned in the Swiss chronicles as “fillies de joy” after the defeat of
the burgundian army at Grandson where they record having captured 2000 of them.
Which given the 10,000 strong army that Charles the Bold had at Grandson
indicates that there were more women present than the 30 women per 1000 men that
the ordonnances stipulate).
MS Rehdinger Staatsbibliothek zu
Berlin
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