Tudor Military Training
WIth no standing army, the defence of the nation relied on the local Trained Bands – a part-time militia made up from labourers and craftsmen of the parish. Our military displays focus upon the experience of ordinary men who were periodically called upon to do their duty, gathering together to practice military matters. Cabbages upon sticks represent the dastardly Spaniards who might at any moment have landed their Armada enabling our band of tailors, farmers and blacksmiths to practice their skills with a sword, halberd, bow or caliver.
Military discipline
Elegance of line
Ready to kill
Tudor soldiers - an army of amateurs
Tudor rapiers were a fashion statement
The caliver man
The musket - the cutting edge of technology
Bang!
A Tudor Bowman
The parish armour
Burgonet and Almain Rivet
All dressed ready to go to drill
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Military discipline
All arts require formal practice, no matter how ridiculous it makes you look. -
Elegance of line
A gentleman needed to be elegant as well as effective with the sword. Closely following the period fencing manuals reproduces techniques and style of Elizabethan military practices. -
Ready to kill
The seriousness of the exercise becomes clear. Elizabethan gentlemen needed to be equiped to lead the fight in the defence of the realm. -
Tudor soldiers - an army of amateurs
Defence of the realm depended on part time enlistment of the working man. These trained bands might only have a couple of days of training a year and some didn't meet for years at a time. The better trained troops were the household staff of lords or those in the towns and cities of the kingdom.. -
Tudor rapiers were a fashion statement
In Elizabethan England, the right to bear arms was restricted to gentlemen with a coat of arms, or to soldiers. As such, wearing of swords became a symbol of social status and everyone who could carry a sword did. -
The caliver man
Early guns were gradually replacing bows in Elizabethan warfare. The training period was much shorter and more suitable for hastily trained troops. -
The musket - the cutting edge of technology
Firearms were changing rapidly and becoming more accurate and reliable. These modern arms mixed with those of the medieval age on the battlefield. -
Bang!
Mark fires the caliver at a recalcitrant cabbage. It may be a Spanish one! -
A Tudor Bowman
Although technically obsolete, people found it hard to let go of the idea of the bow as a military weapon. It still played a central role in armies of the time. -
The parish armour
Parishes were required to hold stocks of weapons and armour for their trained bands. Local musters could subsequently contain a real mismatch of equipment. -
Burgonet and Almain Rivet
Typical of non-elite equipment, we are particularly proud of this burgonet (helmet) and almain rivet (body armour) that our blacksmith and his assistants produced. -
All dressed ready to go to drill
The soldiers drill included firearms, polearms, swords and archery practice. All cabbages beware!