POLITICAL HISTORY was granted by great lords to many besides their servants in order to swell the number of their adherents, who were only too glad to avail themselves of the protection of the powerful at a time when the law was for the rich. If a man wore a lord's livery the lord would ' maintain ' his suit for him in the law courts, and liveries had also become the uniforms of factions. 169 Previous legislation having proved ineffective, a statute was passed in 1399 enacting that the lords might only give livery of cloth to their menial servants and officers, and ' them that be of their council,' 17 and it was clearly this statute m that Edmund Ferrers had broken. We also find Staffordshire petitioning against another grievance common enough then. The royal courts were, as we have seen, ubiquitous, and were preceded by a crowd of purveyors seizing provisions and demanding services, but paying little or nothing ; ' Every old woman trembled for her poultry, the archbishop trembled for his household and stud until the king went by.' 172 In 1362 173 Edward III had renounced the right of purveyance except on behalf of the king and queen, and promised to make payments in ready money, but the promises were not kept. In 1406 Staffordshire with other counties complained that the purveyors of the king had taken cattle, sheep, pigs, corn, litter, and hay without paying, and the poor commons of the county had applied day after day to the treasurer of the king's household for their money, but only received ' sticks and tallies and promises to pay,' 174 to their utter destruction and ruin, so that they had nothing to live on and were becoming beggars. The king graciously answered that he was always willing that payment should be made by his purveyors, and they would find no fault in him in that respect for the future, and all the statutes previously made were to be observed. At Agincourt the county was represented by many valiant soldiers, 175 the following barons and bannerets displaying banners : Edmund Lord Ferrers of Chartley, Hugh de Stafford Lord Bourchier, and Sir John Blount. In the king's retinue were Sir John Gresley, Sir Thomas Gresley, Sir John Bagot, Ralph de la Pole of Newborough, John Chetwynd. In the retinue of Lord Ferrers of Chartley were William Handsacre, William Draycote, W T alter Yonge, John Bromshelf, and John Walker. These are described as ' lances,' that is, esquires or men-at-arms, and there were with them nine mounted archers. In the retinue of Sir John Blount were Richard Stafford, Thomas Gifford of Chillington, Giles Gifford, Thomas Newport, and Robert Whit- more, men-at-arms. In the retinue of Hugh de Stafford, lord of Bourchier in right of his wife, were Richard Hampton, Roger Snede, Nicholas Pershale, John Acton, and John Bromley, men-at-arms. In the retinue of Lord Grey were John Cokayn, William Bromley, Thomas Fitz Herbert, and John Curson, men-at-arms. 169 Stubbs, Const. Hist. (ed. 2), ii, 531 et seq. 170 Livery of ' cloth ' was distinguished from livery of ' company,' which was an imitation of the order of the Garter, whereby lords wore each other's badges out of compliment. m I Hen. IV, cap. 7. 171 Stubbs, Const. Hist. (ed. 4), ii, 423. m Rot. Par!. (Rec. Com.), ii, 270. '" Ibid, iii, 592. 176 This list was compiled by Maj.-General the Hon. G. Wrottesley from the Sloane MSS. 6400, Miscellanea, Treasury of Receipt ^, and the French Roll of 3 Hen. V (Rec. Ser.). See also Sir Harris Nicolas, Hilt, of Battle of Agincourt, names of dukes, erles, barons, &c. I 241 31
