[MR] Archaeology Today

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today Archaeology News features a piece on the Medieval Soldier Database
hosted by the University of Southampton.

This searchable archive brings together information from period muster
rolls for some 290,000 men who served in English wars from 1359 to 1453. It
provides a rare glimpse of archers, and sometimes support personnel, who
are often otherwise overlooked.

The article can be found at
https://archaeologymag.com/2025/12/database-of-290000-english-medieval-soldiers/
. [Great photo of modern reenactors, though from the nasal helmets and a
shield these guys seem more like 11th century Normans or Anglo-Saxons.]

The actual database can be accessed at https://www.medievalsoldier.org/ .

As a test, I entered the dates 1415-1415 for "Gunner", and found two men
listed from Henry V's campaign and siege of Harfleur. Thomas Bemer and
Flemyng are on the "sick list", which suggests to me they might have been
too ill to join Henry's march to Calais via Agincourt (and I have never
seen mention of gunners in accounts of that battle), but rather were left
behind in Harfleur.

Fun stuff!

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.