How Medieval Soldiers Profited from War under Edward I - Medievalists.net

"Following his conquest of England in 1066, Duke William of Normandy maintained the traditional Anglo-Saxon requirement that men meeting a minimum property qualification had to serve in the king's army on campaign, at their own cost. This basic principle remained in force for more than two centuries, although it was updated by King Henry II in his 1181 Assize of Arms, which required mounted military service of anyone holding 16 marks (a bit over £10) of property."

"King Henry III (1216-1272) reissued the royal assizes of arms several times, including in 1253 when new wealth requirements were introduced for the lower orders of society to serve on foot in the royal army with only limited equipment. Under Henry III, wealthier men still had to serve on horseback. The basic principle of the original Anglo-Saxon system, however, was retained for both poorer and wealthier men."

"The military institutions of the kingdom were altered fundamentally by Edward I (1272-1307), particularly later in his reign as he found it necessary to mobilize very large military forces year after year to fight campaigns in Gascony, Flanders, Wales, and above all in Scotland. To gain public support for these wars, and just as importantly, to convince the nascent parliament to vote for taxes to sustain his military efforts, Edward found it necessary to offer pay for military service."

After 1066, men meeting a minimum property qualification had to serve in the king's army at their own expense, a principle maintained for over two centuries. Henry II's 1181 Assize of Arms mandated mounted service for holders of 16 marks of property. Henry III reissued assizes and set new wealth thresholds in 1253 for foot service with limited equipment while wealthier men still rode. Everyone summoned bore their own costs and received no royal pay. Edward I's prolonged campaigns forced a shift toward offering pay to secure public support and parliamentary taxation. Mounted service created unexpected profit and social mobility for many ordinary men.

Read at Medievalists.net