Modes of Address of Medieval Knights

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Tim Powys-Lybbe

Modes of Address of Medieval Knights

Legg inn av Tim Powys-Lybbe » 02 feb 2007 21:18:53

A couple of weeks back, in the heat of an exchange about modes of
addressing people in the middle ages, I promised to gather the names
that various knights of the garter had put on their stall plates in St
George's Chapel, Windsor. Here we are, then.

A word of explanation for the hopefully few who have never heard of the
Garter. This was a select group of the finest 25 knights appointed by
the Sovereign to join him in various practices and generally to set a
high example of knighthood. They had a permanent chapel at Windsor
where a core administrative body lived and where some additional 'poor'
knights continued the religious ceremonies on behalf of the Real Knights
over the course of the year. It was a serious honour to be appoint to
this order, though the official rubric was, and remains, that they were
elected.

The order was founded around 1348 and for the first hundred years there
was a requirement that a brass plate be made after their death and
erected on the stall in St George's Chapel which the knight had
occupied. Unfortunately this did not always happen and further quite a
few of the early plates, and some later ones, were stolen. Later
knights were required to affix a stall plate within a year of
appointment. So, of the 227 knights appointed in Platagenet times, that
is before 1485, only 87 of their stall plates survive; while this
appears a heavy attrition, on the other hand it is quite remarkable that
so many of these ancient objects survive when they are only screwed to
the wall.

In 1902, possibly when there was a serious refurbishment of this area of
the Chapel, an opportunity was taken to take copies of all the
Plantagenet stall plates; this was done and then published by a chap
called W H St John Hope. A copy of this magnificent book is now
obtainable on CDROM from
http://www.heraldicmedia.com/store/page ... lates.html

As well as being remarkable examples of medieval craftsmanship and
artistry, most of these plates contain the title of each knight.
Presumably this title was how the knight or his relations thought he
should be addressed. Further these modes of address might have had a
little more involvement of the families than the the modes used in
charters drawn up by clerks. The plates were expensive to make and I
can only imagine that a little care was taken in specifying their
content, though one or two do have mistakes on them.

A list of the titles follows. A fuller list with more details is at:
http://www.southfarm.plus.com/Genealogy ... _names.pdf
The principal significant feature of these titles to me is lack of
obsequiousness, this is in contrast to the 16th century when the
dreadful over-elaboration of address seems to have commenced,
specifically with the use of 'Majesty' for the Sovereign. While I know
that most names are in French, or perhaps Norman French, is is notable
that there is a complete lack of use of the Latin word Dominus, or any
equivalent, for knight; we know all these were knights, further that
they had already to have been knighted ordinarily before they could be
appointed to the garter, but mostly they were addressed as 'Monsieur' or
'Sire' or 'Sir'. I wonder what this says for the previous debate here?

Further we have nice uses of the spellings for each chap's name. We
know that these spellings were authentic medieval spellings, so I am
confident that, of course, the practitioners of authenticity will now
adopt these quaint forms in all their works.

In transcribing the titles, I have not been able to include the correct
symbols for some of the abbreviated words. I have generally capitalised
names though the earlier ones at least had no or few capitals. The
order here is that of their surnames if they had one.

Plate name
==========

Johan Roy d' Portingallie
John Fitz Roy Duc de Bedeford
Le duc de Urbyn Frederic
Le Duc de York Edmod
Mons' Wyl liam Arondelle
Syr Jon Asteley
Mons' Thomas Banaster
John lord Beauchamp
Le Conte de Warrewyk
Le S' de Warwyke Thomas
Le Counte de Somersete
Moun s' de Deaumunde John
Walter Blount s'or de Montjoye
Le Counte de Herford Ofrey
Le Syre de Bourgcher John
Mons John Bourgchier S' de Berners
Mons' Henry Bourghcher le Count de Essex
Mons Gwy de Bryen
Mons' Thomas Burgh chlr
Le Syre de Burnell Hugh
Mons Gelam Chamberlen
Mons John Chandos Primer Fondeux
Le S' de Powes Edward'
Mons Heer Tanke Clur
Sir Reynald Cobeham
Mons' John de Cornewayll
Mons' Hugh de Courteney p'me' Foudeu
Mons Sanchete de Dabrichecourte
Mons' John Deverose
Walt Dev'eux lord fferr
Mons Iamis le Count de Dowglas
Mons' Thomas Erpygham
Mon S' Symond de ffelbrygg
Mons' Thomas de Felton
Mons ffu fiz Baren
Mons Gaston de Foix Conte de Longueville et de Benanges Captan de Buch
Le Capitow de la Bouch' Mons' Piers
Mons' John Grey
Le S' de Grey Richard
Mes John Grey de Ruthin
Monsr Franke van Haile Capp de Calais
Le Mes Robert Harcourt
Le Sire de Hug'ford Waulter
Le S de Latemer Willm
Mons' John Lyle p'm' Found'
Mons Neell Loryng p'm' fund
Francis viscont Lovell S' de Holand Burnett Deyncort & Grey
Le Count Marchall John
Le C de Montagu
Mons' Wauter Paveley p'mer foudo'
Mons William Phylyppe
Duc de Clarence
Le Duc de Eu'wyk Rychard
Guilham de la Pole Cont de Suffi
John de la Pole duk de Suffolk
Mon l' Sandich' de Traue
S' Lowes Robessart le S' Bourgchier
Le Conte de Stafford
Le S' de Bourc' Hugh de Stafford
Mon Seinour Stanley
Thomas lorde Stanley
S' Miles de Stapulton p'm' fond'
Sir John Sully
Le Counte de Schrewisberi
Le S' de Talbot Gylbert
Mons' Rici Donstal Chlr
Mouns' l' Richard le Vache
Mons' Philippe la Vache
Le S' de Wylogby William

Note: Any use of 'foud', 'fond' etc refers to those being one of the 25
founder knights of the Garter.

--
Tim Powys-Lybbe                                          tim@powys.org
             For a miscellany of bygones: http://powys.org/

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