Total fees paid to knights in medieval England 1166-1364

In the middle ages, one of the most prestigious and well-paying professions was that of the knight. In medieval Europe, many families would put their sons (usually at the age of seven) into the service of local knights, where they would act as a page, and later a squire, who served the knights in their daily tasks, and in return the knight would facilitate the child's training in the areas of combat and chivalry. Young men could progress from the role of a squire to a knight (usually at the age of 21) by either proving their worth in battle, or through hard work and loyalty in the service of other knights. Potential knights came from wealthy or noble families, as men from the average family could not afford the costs involved in obtaining and maintaining this equipment. In order to maintain these costs, knights charged sizeable fees for their services during this time.

Costs of hiring knights

In select years between the mid-twelfth and mid-14th centuries, a total of 5,300 pounds to 6,500 pounds was spent on knights' services throughout England. When we convert some of these figures into 2018 valued pounds, we can see that they are equivalent to somewhere between 7.8 million and 10.8 million pounds. Some records indicate that knights were paid two shillings per day for their services (in 1316), and when this is converted into 2018 valued pounds, this translates roughly to 6,800 pounds per day.

What did a knight do?

In the High Middle Ages, knights acted as warriors (usually on horseback), who could be hired by British royalty and nobility as soldiers, bodyguards or mercenaries. They could be hired to take part in battle (including foreign wars and crusades), or for smaller tasks, such as settling local disputes, providing protection, or simply giving counsel. It was not until the introduction of new technologies (such as gunpowder) and changing methods of warfare (naval warfare became more prevalent during this time) in the Late Middle Ages, that the role of knights became more outdated and obsolete. Today, the term 'knight' in the United Kingdom is an honorary title, and is used to distinguish men who have made contributions to British culture and society (the modern female equivalent is the title 'Dame').