The list notes for Generals is
'Internal allied contingents must be either Northern Welsh, Southern Welsh or Marcher. Northern Welsh contingents do not need to take archers and spearmen must outnumber
archers/skirmishing archers by 2:1. Southern Welsh contingents do not need to take spearmen or best spearmen and archers/skirmishing archers must outnumber spearmen/best spearmen
by 2:1.'
-is 'spearmen' intended to include 'Welsh Spearmen', 'Best Welsh Spearmen' and 'Cynan Spearmen' from the list?
- A North Welsh AG must have 'spearmen' outnumber archers/skirmishing archers by 2:1, if compared with the Southern AG wording of ' spearmen/best spearmen' does this mean only 'Welsh Spearmen' are valid for 2:1 in Northern AG commands or 'Welsh spearmen and 'Cynan spearmen'? or is it intended to cover all three types of spearmen?
basically what is the intend around the 'spearmen' wording use?
confused
Matt
Beat me to it.
The southern ally is more specific than the northern ally, is that intentional. Does the northern ally use of "spearmen" mean any spearmen whereas the southern ally specifies spearmen / best spearmen with no mention of the Cynan / Merioneth spearmen?
Both Cynan and Merioneth are "old" areas in North Wale. So it seems logical that be included in a North Wales allied contingent. On the other hand as they were the best troops in the North (outside the Teulu) there may have been a reluctance to send them as aid.
Forces from North Wales seem to have favoured the spear over the bow, while those from the South the opposite. The troops from Cynan and Merioneth were considered better that the rest of the troops from North Wales. Likewise in the South troops from Gwent were considered the best.
The list also seems to be missing any of the French aid that Owain Glyndŵr received from 1402-1405. There were small French contingents at Stalling Down (1403), and French Forces landed at Milford Haven (1405).
Wayne
The restriction of North Welsh contingents is intended to be any type of spearmen.
The restriction in South Welsh contingents is more specific because these two types have minimum numbers.
I will make this clearer.
The problem with Stalling Down is that the accounts of the battle were only written down in the 18th century and nothing is known about the "small" French contingent. The force that landed at Milford Haven doesn't justify the status of an allied contingent.
Richard