Affinity (medieval) facts for kids
In medieval times, an affinity was the name for a group of people, usually men, who worked for a powerful lord. Think of it like a lord's special team or group of followers. Historians describe it as "the servants, helpers, and other followers of a lord." This system was a key part of something called bastard feudalism. It helped connect powerful nobles (called magnates) with less powerful nobles, similar to how feudalism worked, but in a different way.
One common part of this relationship was known as livery and maintenance. The lord would give his followers special livery badges to wear, like a uniform, so everyone knew who they belonged to. "Maintenance" meant the lord would support them in their disagreements or problems. Sometimes, this support even meant helping them get around legal rules or court cases.
How Affinities Started
One of the first known medieval affinities belonged to William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. By 1190, he had gathered a group of men around him. These men didn't necessarily own land from him. Instead of land, they received jobs and felt safe because they were close to King Richard I.
Historians say this was a "personal" connection, not just about land. Another example, about a hundred years later, was the Earl of Lincoln. He gathered men, often his own tenants, from his lands in Lincoln. These men were still connected to him through the land they held.
Who Was in an Affinity?
At the heart of a noble's affinity were followers who had signed formal agreements, called indentured retainers. Beyond them was a less formal group of general supporters and contacts. The main difference was that the signed retainers gave the lord "exclusive service," meaning they worked only for him. The others received the lord's support in different ways.
Historian Christine Carpenter described the Earl of Warwick's affinity like "a series of concentric circles," with the earl right in the middle. A lord didn't need to know every single person in his affinity. Members of the affinity supported not only the lord but also each other. This meant the number of people who could help the lord was often much larger than the number he actually knew.
These were people the lord trusted. For example, in 1459, just before the Wars of the Roses began, the Earl of Salisbury gathered his closest affinity members at Middleham Castle. He asked for their advice before publicly supporting the rebellious Duke of York.
Lords often included people in local power, like Justices of the Peace, in their affinity. On the other hand, a lord like John of Gaunt in the late 1300s might recruit people regardless of their social standing. This showed his interest in "courtly and chivalric ambitions," meaning fancy court life and knightly ideals. A person at the time described these followers as "kin, friends, allies, and partakers" to the lord.
Members of an affinity could usually be recognized by the special clothing or badges the lord gave them. This could be simple armbands or more fancy metal badges. High-ranking members of John of Gaunt's group, which was a very important position, wore a special Collar of Esses necklace. The people closest to the lord were the most useful: his estate managers, treasurer, stewards, and often several lawyers.
Affinities in Later Times
By the late Middle Ages, kings like Richard II and Henry IV started creating their own affinities among local landowners (called gentry). They did this for political reasons, as well as for military strength. These royal affinities were further away from the royal court but were much larger than the groups of knights earlier kings had.
By the 1400s, most local officials working for the king were considered part of the king's affinity. They had a closer connection to the king than regular citizens. During the reign of Henry VI, the number of squires (young gentlemen) working for the king in different areas grew from about 150 to over 300.
Some historians believe King Richard II built up his royal affinity to balance the power of the nobles' existing affinities and make his own power stronger. His affinity was a big part of the army he took to Ireland in 1399, just before he was removed from power. This group could include hundreds of 'King's knights' and squires, who were paid with money.
The large amounts the king spent on his regional affinity caused a lot of unhappiness about royal spending, for example, for Richard II in 1397. Similarly, John of Gaunt's affinity grew by half between 1381 and the early 1390s. It cost him much more money than the usual 10% of income that powerful nobles spent on their followers. Gaunt used his affinity to protect himself when King Richard II's rule became very unpredictable. His son, Henry of Bolingbroke, inherited this strong group in 1399. It became a ready-made army that helped him overthrow Richard.
In a very similar situation in 1471, Edward IV returned from exile to reclaim his throne. He gathered his affinity as he marched south. It's said that "it was as master of such an affinity that at Barnet and Tewkesbury King Edward won a wider mastery" (meaning he won important battles and became king again). The Earl of Salisbury also used his affinity to show his strength in 1458. He attended a royal council meeting with about 400 horsemen and eighty knights and squires. A history book from that time, the Brut Chronicle, estimated his group at around 500 men.
Affinities weren't just for kings or powerful nobles. For example, in the 1420s, Cardinal Beaufort had an affinity in many English counties. Even though he was a churchman, his affinity was more about politics than fighting. Affinities weren't only for men either. King Edward II's wife, Queen Isabella, had an affinity. This group of women had "collective influence" that was as strong as the most powerful lords, even if they weren't a military force. Affinities could also grow through events. When Edward IV secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, it brought her important family from the Midlands and their followers directly into the royal household.
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