There is a line in the Norman list for 1066 - "regrade milites and best milites lacking horses as infantry, one third to two thirds". Do you apply that to milites and best milites separately(in which case you can only have six best milites because six have been regraded) or do you add up the two categories and then regrade some of them (in which case all the regrades could be milites and you could still have twelve best milites). I can see arguments both ways - the more legalistic strict interpretation versus the loose but maybe more historical view that it would be the richest and the best warriors who would get preference for getting their horses on the boats and that they would form the best milites. Thoughts?
All together. Historically the best troops would have been the ones who got horses.
Richard
Thanks Richard. I thought that made more sense but I could see a possible alternative reading
(and thanks for all the time you put into replying to these queries!)