Goodman, Anthony, 'John of Gaunt: Paradigm of the Late Fourteenth-Century Crisis', Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 37 (1987), 133-148

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Quick Summary

John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, aimed to surround himself with a ‘chivalrous company of knights and esquires’

  • Most lords could not afford to emulate Gaunt’s ‘magnate affinity’
  • Gaunt recruited people with courtly and governmental skills
  • Chroniclers were hostile to John of Gaunt but did not criticize his magnate affinity
Key Conclusion

Goodman explores John of Gaunt’s strategy of recruitment to his ‘magnate affinity’ – a band of men bound to a lord by an ‘indenture of retainer’ (contract) and a ‘money fee’ (salary) rather than a traditional feudal bond of a ‘heritable fief’ (land held in exchange for customary services). Goodman concludes that Gaunt sought to realize the ideal of a ‘chivalrous company of knights and esquires’ – an ideal that other magnates sought to copy. However, most lords could not afford ‘Gaunt’s luxurious priority of retaining large numbers of knights and esquires for life’ (p. 146). Instead, they had to concentrate their resources on recruiting a magnate affinity in counties where they held lands and property.

Content Overview

Goodman argues that Gaunt’s wealth and resources gave him the freedom to pursue a strategy of recruitment based on ‘courtly and chivalrous principles’ (p. 145). Although this was not incompatible with a strategy of strengthening his traditional Lancastrian ties with knightly families, Goodman notes that some of his ‘annuitants’ (retainers) had ‘no useful local standing’ – i.e. they did not increase Gaunt’s influence in a particular region or locality. Gaunt’s affinity was distinguished by his recruitment of foreigners, as well as individuals recruited for their courtly and governmental skills rather than their Lancastrian connections. This recruitment strategy caused occasional upset in Lancashire, where knights and esquires expected to receive Gaunt’s patronage but did not receive it.

Further Findings

English chroniclers were generally hostile to John of Gaunt, but they tended not to criticize his magnate affinity, the conduct of his retainers, or the way that Gaunt exercised power and influence in his capacity as duke of Lancaster. The indifference of contemporary writers ‘about the role of Gaunt’s followers is weighty testimony to their collective lack of impact on national affairs’ (p. 135). Goodman also finds that Gaunt’s widespread recruitment may have encouraged other members of the higher nobility to seek to enhance their status and influence through the maintenance of ‘impressive followings’ (essentially private armies, p. 148).

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