RESERVE WARD KIGHTS: The Other Half

-

 

I seem to be forever saying , 'these figures have been a long time coming' and so they have. I think I finished painting them several months ago but only finished the bases today. Of all the shots to cover this post with, I decided my top-down view would best shop my injured horse with that gorgeous smile.

For the visitors of this blog (as opposed to the followers), this posting is of the last half of my Reserve Ward knights of the rebel army at Lewes which I am also fielding as Simon de Montfort's bodyguard. Above is my depiction of William de Vescy charging in alongside Walter de Colville.


All of these figures as with the rest of the Bodyguard unit are Crusader Miniatures and Gripping Beast (pretty sure). I'm pretty well wedded now to my lances of thicker wire and home made grapers.

I have Humphrey de Bohun with an improvised red difference on his family blazon (arms) and thought to give him a brass finished helm.


In the centre is Robert de Ros and the leftmost in shot is Thomas de Clinton. As you can see and as promised last post, I remembered to have a couple of helmets painted this time.

When figuring out the caparisons, I look to represent as many design types as I can find and then match the least complex heraldry to the larger caparison - highly recommended. In imitating the different design types, it also breaks down the monotony of replicating these complex patterns and devices.

 

And so here are the boys all in a row. As you can see, I still haven't decided on who gets a pennon and who doesn't. Maybe nobody will.

Painting them dismounted really made this unit double sized in terms of effort but it's the only unit in my rebel army which needs to be. I imagine them unhorsed ad continuing the fight on foot in a desperate defence of their lord and commander de Montfort.

 

They mark a significant benchmark inasmuch as they are the last unit of knights for my rebel army. I have to admit to a genuine sense of satisfaction in their completion but one tempered in the knowledge I have a large unit of spear and another unit of archers before I'm done.

I studied a number of images in my various texts for the knight's garments. I also observe that it's curious how the manufacturer of these figures provided not a single broadsword or long-sword for the dismounted knights.

 

Here are all of them together on foot. As you can see, mixing my own khaki makes for divergent results ... but I can live with it.

It's taken more years than I could have imagined to get even this far but this represents the last of 40 individually researched and painted knights who I'm happy fought on the downs at Lewes. Next up, some archers methinks.
 



Comments

Aly Morrison said…
Lovely looking figures…
They are certainly well worth the time you have spent on them…

All the best. Aly
July 16, 2022 at 2:05 AM
Unlucky General said…
Thanks Aly. I suppose time is why we hobby so taking a little more for some units is never a problem.
July 16, 2022 at 2:16 PM
Ijon Tichy said…
What is the definition of a Ward in this context? I tried looking it up but hard to filter out the regular meaning of the word.
August 24, 2022 at 1:12 AM
Unlucky General said…
A ward is simply a division in it's most general sense - a divided part of an army. Ward is a term with the same meaning as 'battle' or division.
August 24, 2022 at 12:46 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reserve Ward: Crossbow

-
Image
  Any type of missile or bow armed fighting men are not recorded as having been present at Lewes in significant numbers or having made any significant impact. Nevertheless, they were sure to have been present if only to enabled harassment of an enemy force before the large bodies of spear and mounted soldiery came to grips with one another. There is every reason to assume that crossbow armed foot would have been included in the general call-to-arms on either side and so it is that I have elected to furnish my rebel reserve ward with a small unit. I love these sculpts from Crusader Miniatures (pack MCF031) which I ordered through Northstar Miniatures . They were no-fuss constructions - very little clean up needed and just glue in the crossbows. I chose of round off one of the more peaked helmets through filing just to add variety. I don't often get to build small units so this was a rapid treat for me. Next up ... some spear armed foot.  
Read more

William de Goldingham: Research & Modelling

-
Image
Ermine, three bars wavy, gules William de Goldingham was a knight of Essex (holding Chigwell Manor and seisin (freehold) of Burebache Wood) and may have come into the possession of family estates at Goldingham Hall (a manor in Bulmer parish, Yorkshire) and Ryshton, Yorkshire which was held earlier by Hugh de Goldingham. Nevertheless, the chief estate for the Goldinghams was Chigwell, formerly of William Brito and believed to have come into their possession as tenancy in demesne (or ownership) some time after 1254. The manor of Grange, which gave its name to Grange Hill, was originally part of Chigwell Hall and altogether the estates must have comprised significant land holdings and income as William de Goldingham and Aline (his wife) confirmed to Robert, Abbot of Tilty, gifts to the abbey of 3 messuages (house and land) and 234½ acres of land in Chigwell in 1258. Having said that, he is generally judged a knight of average means. The Goldingham family lineage through open sourc
Read more