Significant Of Retaining to Political Stability

Importance of Land and the Feudal System

Political power in the late Middle Ages was closely tied to land ownership. This system developed from Feudalism, which structured relationships between nobles and their followers.

Key Elements of the Feudal System

Lord

• A noble or senior member of the clergy.

• Controlled large estates and granted land to followers.

Vassal

• A person granted land by the lord.

• In return they owed loyalty and service.

Fief

• The land given by the lord to the vassal.

Duties of the Lord

• Grant the vassal use of the fief.

• Provide military protection.

• Offer legal protection if the vassal faced legal problems.

• Demonstrate the ideals of “good lordship.”

Duties of the Vassal

• Swear an oath of fealty to the lord.

• Provide military service when required.

• Act as the lord’s retainer.

• Attend the lord’s court

Vassals might also:

• Attend the lord’s local court.

• Act as advisers to the lord.

Importantly, the traditional feudal relationship was hereditary, meaning that families of vassals served the same lord across generations.

Decline of the Traditional Feudal System

During the 14th and 15th centuries, traditional feudalism began to break down.
Historians such as Charles Plummer and K. B. McFarlane described this shift as Bastard Feudalism.

However, McFarlane argued that the term wrongly suggested the change was entirely negative.

Problems with Traditional Feudalism

The older system created difficulties because:

• Land was divided through inheritance and marriage, leaving lords with less property to grant.

• Feudal landholdings were hereditary, meaning lords had little control over who served them.

The Rise of Retaining

As a result, lords increasingly moved away from land-based obligations and instead offered cash payments for service.

Retainers and Retinues

• Individuals serving a lord were called retainers.

• A group of retainers formed the lord’s retinue or affinity.

To identify their followers, lords often provided:

Livery

• A badge or distinctive clothing given to retainers.

• This showed their connection to the lord and advertised his power.

Indentures and Personal Loyalty

Unlike traditional feudalism:

• The relationship was not hereditary.

• Loyalty was based on a personal agreement.

These agreements were often formalised through indentures, written contracts binding lord and retainer together.

Characteristics of indentures:

• They usually lasted only for the lifetime of the individuals involved.

• They created a relationship of mutual dependence and loyalty.

Maintenance and advantages for lords

Historians often describe this system as maintenance.

This new system gave lords greater flexibility:

• They could stop paying disobedient retainers easily.

• They had more control over whom they served and employed.

However, loyalty could shift quickly, particularly during conflicts such as the Wars of the Roses.

Limits of the System

Despite its flexibility, retainers still needed a powerful protector, known as a “good lord.”

If a lord died:

• Members of his retinue usually transferred their loyalty to his heir or successor.

Role in the war of the roses

1. Retinues Were Necessary for Warfare

Kings relied on nobles to raise troops, especially during the Hundred Years’ War.

Without noble retinues, the king would struggle to assemble armies.

2. Large Followings Were Expected

Contemporaries believed powerful nobles should have large households and retinues, including:

• Household servants

• Retainers bound through indentures

Problems with Liverymen

These were men who:

• Received fees and livery from a lord.

• Had weak personal connections to that lord.

Because of this, they could:

• Cause disturbances to the peace.

• Intimidate rivals or officials.

• Sometimes serve multiple lords at once, making their loyalty unreliable.

Statutes against retaining: 1468 – under Edward IV

• Tried to ban retaining (private armies).

• Allowed only limited groups: servants, officials, legal advisers, and those in “lawful service.”

• Weak law because “lawful service” was vague → nobles ignored it.

Statutes against retaining -1504 under Henry VII

• Much stricter control on retaining.

• Nobles needed a royal licence to keep retainers and had to provide a list for his approval

• Heavy fines for breaking the law → more effective.