Free company

Free company

A free company or free lance was a late medieval army of mercenaries acting independently of any government, and thus "free". They were not called "free" because their services were gratis, rather they sold their services to the highest bidder. They regularly made a living by plunder when they were not employed. The term "free company" is most applied to those companies of soldiers which formed after the Peace of Brétigny during the Hundred Year's War and were active mainly in France, but it has been applied to other companies, such as the Catalan Grand Company and companies that worked abroad, in Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. The White Company of John Hawkwood is probably the most famous free company, active in Italy in the latter half of the fourteenth century.

References

*Carr, A. D. (1968/9), "Welshmen and the Hundred Years' War", "Welsh History Review"/"Cylchgrawn Hanes Cymru", 4, pp. 21–46.
*Severus, Alexander (1941), "The Fetish of Military Rank", "Military Affairs", 5, pp. 171–176.
*Showalter, Dennis E. (1993), "Caste, Skill, and Training: The Evolution of Cohesion in European Armies from the Middle Ages to the Sixteenth Century", "Journal of Military History", 57(3), pp. 407–430.
*Rowe, B. J. H. (1932). "John Duke of Bedford and the Norman 'Brigands'." "The English Historical Review", 47(188), pp. 583–600.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • free company — noun : a band of free companions * * * a band of free companions. [1870 75] * * * free company, a band of free companions …   Useful english dictionary

  • Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia — Compañía Franca de Voluntarios de Cataluña Active 1767 1815 Country …   Wikipedia

  • free company — a band of free companions. [1870 75] * * * …   Universalium

  • Free Company — ♦ Band of mercenaries formed for the Hundred Years War in France but subsequently fighting in many other parts of Europe. (Wise, Terence. Medieval Warfare, 248) …   Medieval glossary

  • Free Men — is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, collected in one of Heinlein s anthologies, Expanded Universe , and the collection The Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein . It is copyrighted by Heinlein in 1966, but was probably written between… …   Wikipedia

  • free companion — noun : one of a band of medieval mercenaries available for hire by a prince or country : condottiere * * * a member of a band of mercenary soldiers during the Middle Ages. [1810 20] * * * free companion noun (historical) A member of a free… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Free market roads — is the libertarian concept of privately owned roads as opposed to the most normal government owned ones in existence today.Roads are often cited as a justification for the need for government action, both for their creation and maintenance. As… …   Wikipedia

  • Free Fall Associates — was a computer game developer of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was founded in 1981 by Jon Freeman, his wife, game programmer Anne Westfall, and game designer Paul Reiche III. To start the new company, Freeman and Westfall left the computer game… …   Wikipedia

  • Company (free improvisation group) — Company Genres Free improvisation Occupations Musical collective Years active 1968–present Labels Incus Records Company was an ever changing collection …   Wikipedia

  • Free Spirit (South African TV series) — Free Spirit is a television series, created by Sharon Farr and Lee Otten which first aired during 1999 and is currently running in its eighth season in South Africa on SABC.Free Spirit is an upbeat and eclectic magazine programme for people… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”