SC - Myths -- Taillevent

[Decker, Terry D.]

One of the problems in dealing with households is determining the actual
rank of various members of the household, since able and trusted men were
often accorded positions of authority out of keeping with the circumstances
of their birth.  In the case of a Royal household, most of the senior
servants were of gentle birth and their staffs were divided between gentles
and yeomen.  The major exception is the marshallage, which was normally
comprised of of brawling commoners overseen by a knight or knights and
gentle or yeoman footmen.

For the specialists, cooks, bakers, brewers, smiths, masons, etc., the heads
of these departments were normally masters of their particular mysteries and
reported to a steward who reported to the Wardrobe (chief of inventory and
accounting).  Squire of the kitchen would probably equate to "steward of the
kitchen," whose duty it was to help set the daily menus and oversee the
expenditures of the kitchen.  The position was normally held by a nobleman
as was the "steward of the house," whose duty it was to oversee the smooth
function of all household divisions and ensure the safety of the household.
The steward of the house was often a knight with combat command experience.

Considering that Guillaume Tirel served the House of Valois in the 14th
Century, first under Phillipe, then under Charles V and Charles VI, during
the end of the Hundred Years War, his use of arms, and his appointments as
"Sergeant at Arms" (essentially a Captain of the Guard) and "squire of the
house" may not have been ceremonial.  France was very unsettled, when
Charles V became regent for his father John II in 1356 and the Dauphin's
palace was actually invaded by traitors and the Marshals of Champagne and
Brittany were murdered in his presence (1358).  Much of these problems
continued until after the Treaty of Bruges in 1375.  Since Tirel's major
service was with Charles V and his positions were granted primarily during
that time, it suggests that Tirel was highly skilled, loyal and trusted
servant.  The positions suggest that he was ennobled for his services and
that he served in knightly capacities in perilous times.

When Charles VI came to the throne in 1380, he was 12 years old and would
suffer bouts of insanity for his remaining 42 years, allowing his 4 uncles a
great deal of control.  Charles and his uncles would probably use household
positions to reward their favorites and Tirel's positions would become those
of a sinecure to a loyal household retainer.

BTW, a "cupbearer" was an individual who was granted a cup as part of his
fee to carry in the service of his master.  In the English Royal household,
cupbearers were often Dukes, major clerics or major landholders.

You could probably tell a great deal more from the household accounts, but
the available records are mostly from the 15th Century or later, when title
inflation and grandiose ceremony were becoming more common.

Bear

> Thorvald here:
> 
> Speaking of myths that may need repeated debunking, a month ago 
> there were some posts to this list suggesting that Taillevent was 
> knighted.  I did not see any debunking post to follow.
<clipped>
> Thorvald Grimsson / James Prescott <prescotj at telusplanet.net> 
> (PGP user)