Snaggle
04-03-2013, 08:30 AM
SOCIAL RANKS
I have not written any house rules into these, hoping those who want historically accurate games will use them to write their own house rules.
WEALTHY KNIGHTS
RICH KNIGHTS*
Holding a large fee (magna feodum)
ORDINARY KNIGHTS*
Holding a fee (feodum)
POOR KNIGHTS *
Holding a small fee (minuta feodum) of a manor.
*Wealthy Knights
Were the more successful versions of “Rich Knights”. Holdings d6+4 manors the size of Ordinary Knights. Their status was high enough for them to be: sheriffs; foresters; or sub-escheators. They would be reporting to King Arthur's court and receiving orders from it and might be off and on Athur's Household Knights. If Household Knights they would normally serve King Arthur for a year or three before returning home.
*Rich Knights
Did not differ from ordinary Knights in arms or function; but most likely they were originally the “Constable”/ leader of a group of ten ordinary Knights. They held d3+1 manors the size of Ordinary Knights. During the 13th century they became the “Ordinary Knights”.
Their status was high enough for them to be: Royal Bailiffs over hundreds; verderers (serving foresters as bailiffs served sheriffs)
*Ordinary Knights
Served as lancers, arms: lance; sword; shield and hauberk. In KAP terms reinforced mail with a dagger. The hauberk was a mail coat reaching a little below the knees, the reinforcements were a splint vambrace on their sword arm and a pair of split greaves. Their real holdings were 4-7 hides. Their daily pay would have been 8d when serving Arthur, paid in a lump sum of 26s 8d (two marks). Historically in the 13th century they become the “Poor Knights”.
*Poor Knights
Served as companions to the Ordinary Knights, following behind him into battle. In the second period they're reduced to adult squires/landed squires. Arms: an espie/boars spear; sword; shield and haubergel. The haubergel was a short mail coat reaching a little pass the hips, the sheaves of the coat reached only to about mid upper arm. Note: the “boar spear” though it became the standard hunting weapon http://www.forensicfashion.com/800CarolingianKnightSpear.html it started out as the winged spear carried by Carolingian Scara (pl. Scarae). It had several variations and remained in use till the end of the middle ages.
In game they'll have their basic 2 hide fee extended about one oxgang whenever their lord rewards them for exceptional service, since Pk are already exceptional Knights their manor will be extended to two hides and they'll become Ordinary Knights (the grade they'll pass on to the next Knight in their line)
Wealthy Knight 1,200s+
Rich Knights 480s+ 8 hides, lives in brick or stone hall (with a lead roof)
Ordinary Knights 240s+ 4 hides, lives in brick or stone hall (with wooden shingled roof)
Poor knight income 120s+ 2 hides/240 acres, lives in hall (with wooden shingled roof)
Franklin* 60s a hide/120 acres, lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Franklin (poor) 30s ½ hide/60 acres, lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Sokemen/Molmen* 15s ¼ hide/30 acres, lives in house (with thatched roof)
Villein 15s ¼ hide/30 acres (virgate/yardland), lives in house (with thatched roof)
Bordar* 11s 3d 1/8 hide/15 acres (bovate/oxgang), lives in bord (cottage)
Cottar * 7s 6d a messuage/2-5 acres (add 6d+/acre income)
Serf /Slave* 11s 3d special
Hireling 7s 6d
*Ordinary Knights
Served as lancers, arms: lance; sword; shield and hauberk. In KAP terms reinforced mail with a dagger. The hauberk was a mail coat reaching a little below the knees, the reinforcements were a splint vambrace on their sword arm and a pair of split greaves. Their real holdings were 4-7 hides. Their daily pay would have been 8d when serving Arthur, paid in a lump sum of 26s 8d (two marks). In the second period they become the poor knights.
*Poor Knights
Served as companions to the Ordinary Knights, following behind him into battle. In the second period they're reduced to adult squires/landed squires.
*Franklins were the better sort of freemen, a mounted sergeant holds the same amount of land, but sergeants might or might not be free, while franklins always were. A poor franklin holds the same land as a foot sergeant, though the poorer sergeants hold only the same land as a villein and many were sergeants in name only. There would be at least 2 poor franklins or foot sergeants serving with a knight, though they were not really his men. They went with him to join the host and then joined other foot sergeants. Both franklins and sergeants get kicked out of armies in the 13th century. Sergeants were also kicked out of hall and a new order of servants replaced them or they were renamed: yeomen and grooms. Their never was a “Yeoman class” in the middle ages. During the 15th century some yeoman farmed (rented) parts of the demesne of their seigneurs, though generally yeomen were paid servants living in the household of their seigneurs.
*Sokemen/Molmen paid set rents in cash or kind and could not be “squeezed”.
*Villeins were the typical tenants, they were neither free or slaves. Their status was like a Roman “freedman”, though they had been the poorest free men before 1066 ;).
*Bordars had half-size holdings, leaving them free to earn about half as much as an ordinary hireling.
*Cottars were both the richest and the poorest tenants of a manor.
*Serfs were literally owned by their masters and could be sold off it. They generally, though lived about the same as villeins and bordars. They would not be “squeezed”
Millers (40s), lives in house (with wooden shingle roof)
Blacksmiths (30s), lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Carpenters (20s), lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Carter (20s), lives in house (with a wooden shingled roof)
Thatcher (15s), lives in house (with thatched roof)
Dairymaid ( 7s 6d)
Neatherds (7s 6d)
Shepherds (7s 6d)
Swineherds (7s 6d))
Hirelings were not tenants of even the lowest kind. They were either ruined tenants from another manor or vagabonds working place that would have them.
I have not written any house rules into these, hoping those who want historically accurate games will use them to write their own house rules.
WEALTHY KNIGHTS
RICH KNIGHTS*
Holding a large fee (magna feodum)
ORDINARY KNIGHTS*
Holding a fee (feodum)
POOR KNIGHTS *
Holding a small fee (minuta feodum) of a manor.
*Wealthy Knights
Were the more successful versions of “Rich Knights”. Holdings d6+4 manors the size of Ordinary Knights. Their status was high enough for them to be: sheriffs; foresters; or sub-escheators. They would be reporting to King Arthur's court and receiving orders from it and might be off and on Athur's Household Knights. If Household Knights they would normally serve King Arthur for a year or three before returning home.
*Rich Knights
Did not differ from ordinary Knights in arms or function; but most likely they were originally the “Constable”/ leader of a group of ten ordinary Knights. They held d3+1 manors the size of Ordinary Knights. During the 13th century they became the “Ordinary Knights”.
Their status was high enough for them to be: Royal Bailiffs over hundreds; verderers (serving foresters as bailiffs served sheriffs)
*Ordinary Knights
Served as lancers, arms: lance; sword; shield and hauberk. In KAP terms reinforced mail with a dagger. The hauberk was a mail coat reaching a little below the knees, the reinforcements were a splint vambrace on their sword arm and a pair of split greaves. Their real holdings were 4-7 hides. Their daily pay would have been 8d when serving Arthur, paid in a lump sum of 26s 8d (two marks). Historically in the 13th century they become the “Poor Knights”.
*Poor Knights
Served as companions to the Ordinary Knights, following behind him into battle. In the second period they're reduced to adult squires/landed squires. Arms: an espie/boars spear; sword; shield and haubergel. The haubergel was a short mail coat reaching a little pass the hips, the sheaves of the coat reached only to about mid upper arm. Note: the “boar spear” though it became the standard hunting weapon http://www.forensicfashion.com/800CarolingianKnightSpear.html it started out as the winged spear carried by Carolingian Scara (pl. Scarae). It had several variations and remained in use till the end of the middle ages.
In game they'll have their basic 2 hide fee extended about one oxgang whenever their lord rewards them for exceptional service, since Pk are already exceptional Knights their manor will be extended to two hides and they'll become Ordinary Knights (the grade they'll pass on to the next Knight in their line)
Wealthy Knight 1,200s+
Rich Knights 480s+ 8 hides, lives in brick or stone hall (with a lead roof)
Ordinary Knights 240s+ 4 hides, lives in brick or stone hall (with wooden shingled roof)
Poor knight income 120s+ 2 hides/240 acres, lives in hall (with wooden shingled roof)
Franklin* 60s a hide/120 acres, lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Franklin (poor) 30s ½ hide/60 acres, lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Sokemen/Molmen* 15s ¼ hide/30 acres, lives in house (with thatched roof)
Villein 15s ¼ hide/30 acres (virgate/yardland), lives in house (with thatched roof)
Bordar* 11s 3d 1/8 hide/15 acres (bovate/oxgang), lives in bord (cottage)
Cottar * 7s 6d a messuage/2-5 acres (add 6d+/acre income)
Serf /Slave* 11s 3d special
Hireling 7s 6d
*Ordinary Knights
Served as lancers, arms: lance; sword; shield and hauberk. In KAP terms reinforced mail with a dagger. The hauberk was a mail coat reaching a little below the knees, the reinforcements were a splint vambrace on their sword arm and a pair of split greaves. Their real holdings were 4-7 hides. Their daily pay would have been 8d when serving Arthur, paid in a lump sum of 26s 8d (two marks). In the second period they become the poor knights.
*Poor Knights
Served as companions to the Ordinary Knights, following behind him into battle. In the second period they're reduced to adult squires/landed squires.
*Franklins were the better sort of freemen, a mounted sergeant holds the same amount of land, but sergeants might or might not be free, while franklins always were. A poor franklin holds the same land as a foot sergeant, though the poorer sergeants hold only the same land as a villein and many were sergeants in name only. There would be at least 2 poor franklins or foot sergeants serving with a knight, though they were not really his men. They went with him to join the host and then joined other foot sergeants. Both franklins and sergeants get kicked out of armies in the 13th century. Sergeants were also kicked out of hall and a new order of servants replaced them or they were renamed: yeomen and grooms. Their never was a “Yeoman class” in the middle ages. During the 15th century some yeoman farmed (rented) parts of the demesne of their seigneurs, though generally yeomen were paid servants living in the household of their seigneurs.
*Sokemen/Molmen paid set rents in cash or kind and could not be “squeezed”.
*Villeins were the typical tenants, they were neither free or slaves. Their status was like a Roman “freedman”, though they had been the poorest free men before 1066 ;).
*Bordars had half-size holdings, leaving them free to earn about half as much as an ordinary hireling.
*Cottars were both the richest and the poorest tenants of a manor.
*Serfs were literally owned by their masters and could be sold off it. They generally, though lived about the same as villeins and bordars. They would not be “squeezed”
Millers (40s), lives in house (with wooden shingle roof)
Blacksmiths (30s), lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Carpenters (20s), lives in house (with wooden shingled roof)
Carter (20s), lives in house (with a wooden shingled roof)
Thatcher (15s), lives in house (with thatched roof)
Dairymaid ( 7s 6d)
Neatherds (7s 6d)
Shepherds (7s 6d)
Swineherds (7s 6d))
Hirelings were not tenants of even the lowest kind. They were either ruined tenants from another manor or vagabonds working place that would have them.