Info on armor at Leeds -- myArmoury.com

Timothy Lyon · Posted: Tue 14 Jun, 2011 12:59 pm Post subject: Info on armor at Leeds

Can anyone give me more info about this armor - I lost my notes. It's at the Royal Armory at Leeds and obviously armor for combat at the barrier, probably late 16th c. Any more info would be appreciated.

Christopher VaughnStrever · Posted: Tue 14 Jun, 2011 2:34 pm Post subject:

I don't mean to go off topic; so my apologies, though my grandfathers name is Barrier and from what I am told they were originally from France, moved to Germany and then the states.

You Mentioned Combat at the Barrier would you mind sending me a link or any info about that? I am quite interested in the subject and know nothing about it.

Adam D. Kent-Isaac · Posted: Tue 14 Jun, 2011 11:40 pm Post subject:

Here is a very crude, but period-accurate, illustration of foot combat over a barrier:

The event was very popular at tournaments all throughout the 16th century and into the beginning of the 17th. No leg armour was worn, and the pauldrons were usually symmetrtical in size since swords and not lances were used.

This is distinguished from foot combat with no barrier, for which the armour would be fully enclosing or feature a tonlet skirt.

Randall Moffett · Posted: Wed 15 Jun, 2011 11:39 am Post subject:

I could not remember much about it but have some notes I will look through. That said I am not sure it is armour intended for the barrier. If I remember correctly the gent went to war in Ireland and had this light armour for use there.

I will look around some more on in my notes but so far I have not found it. That said I have four or five notebooks of notes from the RA as I live less than 40 minutes away so I spent a great deal of time there.

If not I have a few friends who work there that can help. I remember where the armour is even. It is sitting in one of the single glass displays beside the equestrian display.

RPM

Christian Henry Tobler · Posted: Wed 15 Jun, 2011 12:36 pm Post subject:

Hello all,

Axes and spears were also used at the barrier. The Field of the Cloth of Gold (1520) featured considerable fighting at the barrier, with spear called out explicitly.

Yours,

Christian

Timothy Lyon · Posted: Mon 20 Jun, 2011 1:42 pm Post subject:

I received a photo of the armor's placard: "Italian and English about 1550-5 Of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in whose possesion it is recorded in 1558. The armor is for light calvary use. Its details suggest it was made in Northern Italy, but subsequently remounted in the Royal Armor workshops in Greenwich where its splinted arm defenses were added. The armor lacks its gauntlets, which were already missing in 1558, and its helmet, which was probably an open-faced burgeonet."