6 - “Military” Knighthood in the Lancastrian Era: The Case of Sir John Montgomery

Summary

In the summer of 1449, Sir John Montgomery lay dying, probably at his fortified manor house at Faulkbourne, Essex. As many people do when they near the end, he may have reflected on his life and what he had achieved. He was a knight, the pinnacle of status among those of his social stratum. He was a wellrespected member of the county community in both Essex and Hertfordshire, having represented the latter in the parliament of 1426 and served later in his life as a JP in both shires. He would leave his wife and children an estate comprising landed wealth in three counties and enough social standing that his second son, Thomas, became, in the words of Philip Morant, “one of the most eminent men in his time.” Above all, though, Sir John had been a military man, a dedicated soldier who had participated vigorously in virtually every phase of the English conquest, occupation, and defense of Normandy since 1415. Montgomery's life is worth recounting in some detail for a number of reasons. First, in spite of his significant involvement in the events of his day, his career has, as far as I can determine, been dealt with only briefly in a 1921 article by J. H. Round on Faulkbourne manor. I hope, therefore, that the present biographical account will fill a gap in our data on the members of the English gentry in this period, particularly regarding those who participated in the Hundred Years War. Second, Montgomery is an outstanding example of those fighting men whose chivalric enthusiasm and practical skills helped make possible the great success of the English in Normandy in the early part of the fifteenth century. If one is to understand fully this success and how it was sustained for so long, one must appreciate the military and administrative contributions of men like Sir John. Third, and most importantly, his life can serve as an interesting case study for our understanding of the institution of English knighthood in this period and the degree to which military activity was a facet of it.