Court of Arraye
Encyclopedia
A Court of Arraye was a method of ascertaining numbers of men capable of fighting in towns and cities before England
had a standing army
.
A statute of Henry II of England
(1134-1159) ordered that all men capable of bearing arms should be inspected by the magistrates of each major town and city of England. Since there was no standing army, this was a way to find out how many men could fight in a war.
The Court of Arraye was confirmed with the Statute of Winchester in 1285 which commanded that "every man between 15 years of age and 60 years shall be assessed and sworn to armour" according to their wealth and means.
The statutes of Arraye were repealed in the reign of James I
(1566-1625). After the English Civil War
, when England had acquired a standing army, courts of Arraye were no longer necessary, and about the year 1680 they were abolished.
The tradition of a Court of Arraye has continued in carnival form at Lichfield bower
in Staffordshire
, which has evolved from the procession that the men took after being inspected.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
had a standing army
Standing army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...
.
A statute of Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
(1134-1159) ordered that all men capable of bearing arms should be inspected by the magistrates of each major town and city of England. Since there was no standing army, this was a way to find out how many men could fight in a war.
The Court of Arraye was confirmed with the Statute of Winchester in 1285 which commanded that "every man between 15 years of age and 60 years shall be assessed and sworn to armour" according to their wealth and means.
The statutes of Arraye were repealed in the reign of James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
(1566-1625). After the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, when England had acquired a standing army, courts of Arraye were no longer necessary, and about the year 1680 they were abolished.
The tradition of a Court of Arraye has continued in carnival form at Lichfield bower
Lichfield bower
The Bower is well known in Lichfield, England and nearby areas. It is a festival held each spring on a bank holiday. It is about 800 years old. A statute of Henry II of England ordered that all men capable of bearing arms should be inspected by the magistrates. Since there was no standing army,...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, which has evolved from the procession that the men took after being inspected.