II.—Jousting Cheques of the Sixteenth Century

Charles Ffoulkes

doi:10.1017/S0261340900011565

II.—Jousting Cheques of the Sixteenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 November 2011

Charles Ffoulkes

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In considering the regulations which governed the scoring of the different points in joust or tourney we have certain materials preserved to us which are at once interesting and useful but at the same time confusing in the extreme. These materials consist of written or printed rules and regulations, either of a general nature or framed for some particular contest, sample ‘cheques’ or score sheets, and also actual scores of the points made at certain jousts.

Type: Research Article
Information: Archaeologia , Volume 63 , 1912 , pp. 31 - 50

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261340900011565 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1912

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^{page 32 note 1} In a ‘Memorial’ of the Field of the Cloth of Gold (Cal. of Lett, and Pap. Hen. VIII, iii. 807) we find ‘the number of strokes with the sword (at barriers) to be at the pleasure of the ladies’.

^{page 33 note 1} Deutsche Turniere, Rüstungen und Plättner, 1889.Google Scholar

^{page 33 note 2} Das deutsche Turnier im XII. und XIII. Jahrhundert, 1881.Google Scholar

^{page 33 note 3} Der sächsischen Kurfürsten Turnierbücher, 1910.Google Scholar

^{page 34 note 1} A tapestry representing the wedding is preserved in the state rooms of the President's Lodgings, Magdalen College, Oxford.

^{page 34 note 2} One of the figures on the roll has been engraved in Dallaway's Heraldic Enquiries, and three figures, an initial letter, and a badge are reproduced in the Catalogue of the Heraldic Exhibition, Society of Antiquaries, 1896. Mr. Everard Green, F.S.A., Somerset Herald, has described the roll in detail in Proceedings, xv, p. 212.

^{page 35 note 1} Crinet or neck defence for the horse.

^{page 36 note 1} William, son of Edward Courtenay, bearer of sword at coronation of Henry VIII, created Earl of Devonshire 1511, uncle by marriage of Henry.

^{page 36 note 2} Master of Horse 1509, captain of the Regent, which was blown up with all on board 1512, knighted 1509.

^{page 36 note 3} Knighted at Tournay 1513, standard-bearer 1531, beheaded 1538.

^{page 36 note 4} Ellis, Vide, Orig. Lett. on Eng. Hist., 2nd series, vol. i.Google Scholar

^{page 36 note 5} ? brother of Lord Dorset.

^{page 36 note 6} Sheriff of Northamptonshire.

^{page 36 note 7} ? son of fourth Baron Montjoy, and brother of Elizabeth, mistress of Henry VIII.

^{page 36 note 8} Earl of Surrey 1489, Duke of Norfolk 1514.

^{page 36 note 9} Created Earl 1510, brother of Edward, Duke of Buckingham.

^{page 36 note 10} Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset, Lieutenant-General of the Army, 1512.

^{page 36 note 11} ? brother of the above.

^{page 37 note 1} Father of Anne, arranged the preliminaries of the Field of the Cloth of Gold, created Earl of Wiltshire and Ormonde 1529.

^{page 37 note 2} Master of Horse and Controller of the Household, knighted 1512, standard-bearer 1513.

^{page 37 note 3} Created Duke of Suffolk 1514.

^{page 37 note 4} Son of Sir Thos. Howard, first Earl of Surrey, Marshal of Horse and standard-bearer at Flodden. He was entirely ruined by the expense incurred at the Field of the Cloth of Gold and was granted a ‘diet for taking thieves’ at 205. a day.

^{page 37 note 5} Lord Leonard Grey, brother of Dorset, marshal and deputy of the English army in Ireland, created Viscount Crane 1531, beheaded 1541.

^{page 37 note 6} Sewer to Henry VIII, knighted 1512.

^{page 37 note 7} In many respects this is identical with the matter found on the Roll published in Vetusta Monumenta, vol. i, but the poem on the latter is not given in this MS.

^{page 37 note 8} N.E.D. gives ‘an iron plate, a fastening’. The latter is the more probable. Cf. 1500, Melusine: ‘And thene Regnald … smote the kynge Zelodyus upon the helmet… and therewith brake the taches of his helmet.’ In the MS. before us the word may refer to the expedient of tying the jouster to the saddle. In Cot. Julius, E. iv. 31, Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, was accused of being bound to the saddle at a joust, and alighted to prove the falseness of the charge. See also note 2 on p. 38.

^{page 37 note 9} Douce (Archaeologia, xvii, 292) gives ‘breastplate, Fr. brichet’. If taken in conjunction with the volant-piece it would be some additional plate defence. It is mentioned in the Hastings MS. (Archaeologia, lvii, 42), but here it seems to be connected with the gauntlet or brassard. In the Treatise of Worship in Arms by Johan Hill, 1434 (Ashmole MS. 856, fol. 376-383), which is given in full in The Armourer and his Craft, Charles ffoulkes, we have the same arm defences ordered under the same conditions, but they are described as ‘shitten with forelocks’. We may therefore suppose that the breket was a turning hook or linch-pin (Fr. brochette).

^{page 38 note 1} Either a spring breastplate used in the German Geschiftscheibrennen, or more probably a reinforcing piece worn on the breast or lower part of the helm.

^{page 38 note 2} These must refer to the lance and its appointments. In the Lansdowne MS. 285 above referred to the rests or arrests advantageuz are mentioned in the challenge of Loys de Brutalle which was issued after the fight between Lord Scales and the Bastard of Burgundy. Here it is stated that the course was to be ‘without toille’. The lance rest with the queue could not be used conveniently over the toile or barrier, but was employed when the riders rode right arm to right arm. At the same time, in the challenge of Phillip de Bouton, in the Lansdowne MS. 285, although the courses are to be ‘a la toille’, the following passage occurs: ‘Et se les arrestz dezd’ lances estoient rompuz ou desclouez, on les ‘pora resserrer a just mese et saunz male engyn.’ The article goes on to state, ‘et se pourra fournir de ron-delles mond’ compaignon a son choys et plaisir de couronelles aussi.’ It should be noticed in the illustration on pl. VII that Henry VIII has no rondel or vamplate on his lance and there are no lance-rests shown on the armour of any of the jousters. In Jehan de Lescaille's Ordonnances of the Jousts at the Field of the Cloth of Gold we find the fifth condition states definitely that ‘pieces d'avantage’ means with no headpiece but an armet, neither helm, demi-helm, or bascinet allowed. Th e combatants are also ordered to joust either with ‘pieces d'avantage cramponees ou non cramponees’ and without fastening to the saddle. The ‘crampon’ was a staple by which the reinforcing piece was fastened to the armour underneath. In the ‘memorial’ referred to on p. 32 the words ‘pieces of advantage’ have been crossed out and ‘tonnelets and bacinet’ substituted, apparently to leave no doubt as to what these ‘pieces’ were.

^{page 43 note 1} The bolt that fastened the helm to the cuirass. Cf. Treatise of Johan Hill, armourer, Bod. Lib. Ash. MS. 856, p. 377: ‘The basenet … locked or charnelled also to ye brest & behynd wt. two forlocks.’

^{page 46 note 1} Charles Brandon.

^{page 46 note 2} Bourchier, Henry, ‘lieut.-general of spears.’Google Scholar

^{page 46 note 3} Sir Nicholas; held the lists against all comers at Guisnes; K.G. 1536.

^{page 46 note 4} Knighted at Tournay; overseer of the retinue of Henry VIII at Guisnes. Nicolas gives Baron Montague as Henry Pole, son of Countess of Salisbury; admitted to House of Lords 1533; beheaded 1539.

^{page 46 note 5} See note 2 on page 37.

^{page 46 note 6} Speaker of the House of Commons.

^{page 46 note 7} Constable of the Tower, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.

^{page 46 note 8} Knighted 1511; captain of the Gret Barbara; served in Tangiers, Brest, Ireland, &c.; High Marshal of Calais 1524; Captain of Guisnes 1540; K.G. 1543.

^{page 46 note 9} One of ‘the King's spears’.

^{page 46 note 10} Monstrelet, Johnes's trans., vi. 333.

^{page 46 note 11} Noticed by Mr. Oswald Barron, F.S.A., in the Encyc. Brit, (nth ed.), and reproduced under ‘Heraldry’ in the same work.

^{page 47 note 1} Count d'Estampes.

^{page 47 note 2} In attendance on Henry.

^{page 47 note 3} Henry Courtenay, son of William (see note i, page 36), Marquis of Exeter and Earl of Devon; beheaded 1539.

^{page 47 note 4} SirAnthony, prize-winner at Guisnes, Standard-bearer of England, Masterof Horse 1539, K.G.1540.

^{page 47 note 5} Sir George Harvey of Bedfordshire, one of the retinue of Henry VIII.

^{page 47 note 6} Sir Richard, prize-winner at Guisnes; Treasurer of Tournay 1516-17.

^{page 47 note 7} M. de Lursy, in attendance on Francis.

^{page 47 note 8} Sir John, Deputy of Calais and an expert jouster, whose name frequently occurs in Hall's description of these entertainments.

^{page 47 note 9} Prize-winner at Guisnes.

^{page 47 note 10} In attendance on Francis, and. brought twelve companions dressed in black to the jousts of June 14. He was killed at the Battle of Pavia 1525.

^{page 47 note 11} See note 4, page 46.

^{page 47 note 12} Anne de Montmorency, Constable of France, on the staff of Henry VIII; a prize-winner.

^{page 47 note 13} Prize-winner at Guisnes; see note 4, page 37.

^{page 47 note 14} Rafe (?) Broke, whom Hall describes as a strong man, and who had charge of the King's great horses.

^{page 47 note 15} Prize-winners at Guisnes.

^{page 47 note 16} Edward deVere, sue. 1562; attended on the Queen at her state visits to Oxford and Cambridge; Commissioner for the trial of Mary Queen of Scots; volunteered with the Fleet against the Armada; published several poems; M.A. Oxon. and Cantab.

^{page 47 note 17} Master of Ordnance; President of the ‘Society of Knights Tilters’ and champion of the Queen; knighted 1553; Master of the Armouries 1580.

^{page 48 note 1} Lord Chancellor 1587.

^{page 48 note 2} Lord High Admiral at the Armada; created second Lord Howard of Effingham; Earl of Nottingham 1597; M.A. Cantab. 1571.

^{page 48 note 3} Edward, third Baron, sue. 1566; M.A. Oxon.in the same year; Vice-Admiral of county of Gloucester.

^{page 48 note 4} Second Lord Burghley, sue. 1598; K.G. 1601; Earl of Exeter 1605.

^{page 48 note 5} Esquire to the Queen; son of Sir Francis Knollys.

^{page 48 note 6} Created Lord Knyvet 1607; Gentleman of the Privy Chamber; received the confession of Guy Fawkes.

^{page 48 note 7} Author of The Art of Riding, and translator of Macchiavelli's History of Florence.

^{page 48 note 8} Treasurer to the Queen; ‘muster master’ of English forces at Rouen in 1591; knighted same year.

^{page 48 note 9} Lord Grey of Groby, grandson of the second Marquis of Dorset; father of the first Earl of Stamford.

^{page 48 note 10} Treasurer to the Royal Household 1602; Baron Knollys 1603; K.G. 1615, Earl of Banbury 1626.

^{page 48 note 11} Sheriff of Montgomeryshire.

^{page 48 note 12} Sir William of Lingfield, second son of Lord Howard of Effingham.

^{page 48 note 13} First Governor of Virginia; ‘Chief bell-ringer of Ireland’; Keeper of Southsea Castle.

^{page 48 note 14} Ambassador to Russia 1583; an expert horseman who tamed wild horses for the Czar.

^{page 48 note 15} The visit was to endeavour to arrange a marriage between Elizabeth and the Duke of Anjou, and the entertainment was very costly, for the temporary banqueting-house alone cost £1,744 to erect.

^{page 48 note 16} Philip Howard, succeeded 1580, attainted 1591, died in the Tower 1595.

^{page 48 note 17} Fourth Baron Windsor of Stanwell.

^{page 49 note 1} Succeeded as Lord Grey of Ruthin and Earl of Kent 1533; Commissioner for the trial and execution of Mary Queen of Scots.

^{page 49 note 2} See note 10, page 48.

^{page 49 note 3} Holinshed's Chronicles, sub anno.

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II.—Jousting Cheques of the Sixteenth Century

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