Posted on 03/06/2009 9:06:28 AM PST by SunkenCiv
John Hawkwood came from obscurity in Essex to fight with distinction in the early part of the Hundred Years War when he was knighted. With the coming of peace in 1360 he went with other "unemployed" soldiers to Italy, where he became a famous mercenary captain. He was appointed Captain General of the armies of Florence and in old age was planning to return to England when he died... Hawkwood learned his trade as the English battled the French for twenty years. It was during this time that the tactics of the English with their men at arms supported ably by the dreaded longbowmen meant that money was to be made for soldiers and nobles alike and it was Hawkwoods' only source of income. Therefore when the peace treaty of Bretigny was signed in 1360 John and thousands of other soldiers were out of a job. He was, according to the famous chronicler Froissart, "a poor Knight with nothing but his spurs"... The free companies decided to pay the Pope a visit in Avignon. Understandably the Pope was not [too] keen about large numbers of pillage experts in his neighbourhood and suggested that they might find gainful employment in the Italian city states... John was soon working for Pisa against Florence, Florence against Pisa, etc... Hawkwood was fighting in Italy for over 20 years and had notable employers during that time including the Pope, the Visconti's of Milan and the city states of Pisa, Padua and Florence.
(Excerpt) Read more at paladins-of-chivalry.org.uk ...
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Thanks Berosus for pointing out this guy a few years ago. Hmm, probably more than a few. |
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Fascinating, thanks for posting.
My pleasure.
This is my brother John, and my other brother John.
I don’t think I was the one who pointed him out, but thanks anyway. Hopefully whoever did will pop in and say, “You’re welcome.”
Maybe, provided they’re from About.com ;’)
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