[James R.Fox]

Danial- thanks a lot for the link. This is the type of info I joined for, I know my knowledgs of detail is weak in some areas.
As for the scot pladie, (NOT Kilt,we didn't wear kilts) I am aware of differences in color( Romans and Greeks seemed to have used whire only) style of folding,etc. However, the long wide strip of cloth wound around the body over one or more tunics of wool or linen were the basic garmets of that whole culture group that moved into Europe from the Russian steppe around 1200s bce. I mean Dorians, Latins,Celts, plus the random tribes that became the Dacians,Illiryians etc.

[Steven H]

The Medieval era did have a middle class. The big difference between then and now is that in our era around 50% of the population is middle class (in industrialized nations) and less than 2% farms. In the Medieval era the middle class accounted for around 5%-10% of the population and a majority of the people farmed.

Fighting men came exclusively from the middle and upper classes/nobility. England only expected military service from land-owning freemen whose land was worth at least 1 pound (240d). And military service was only required for nobility (who would have to pay scutage if they didn't serve).

Many musters (arrays ?) had far more people show up than were being contracted. The result was that only the properly equipped (and competent, and preferably experienced) people were selected. There was no need for dirt poor folks who could barely afford a sword, so those people weren't contracted.

Cheers,
Steven

[James R.Fox]

Steven- that is correct.These are the town levies, who were rated on their wealth in movables in the Assize of Arms.The townsmen of London had their own army they could produce so many, including men eligible to be knighted,and were, due to their wealth in movables.By EdwardIII's time, for example many of the mayors of London were knights, and backed by the town's wealth Very powerfull.

[Michael Edelson]

[James R.Fox]

A good point. Townsmen were being called up based on wealth in movables beginning, I believe, with Edward I's Assize of Arms in 1185, however I need to find copies of the succeding Assize of arms to see how much the rating in wealth in movables changed, and when the requirement that townsmen with a certain wealth in movables were knighted. I know that was in effect by Edward III's time because many of the richest townsmen were knights, espically in London.

[Steven H]

[Michael Edelson]