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Re: 1066 website



I was also wondering about those 8 or so St. Clairs that were along on the invasion.  I suppose some of them are not recognizable to us because they might be now called something else like William's 1/2 brother Odo has the French spelling of Eveque de Bayeaux Eude.
 
A little Trivia from "Massacre at Montsegur" by Zoe´ Oldenbourg. pg 104: The vagueness which most chroniclers of the period (1109) display with regard to the effective strangth of this (this was a full-fledged Crusade against the Cathars in southern France) or any army is due to the fact that for the most part they calculated an army's size from the number of knights it contained.  But a knight was somewhat unpredictable as a unit of military strength:  the retinue which followed him might be anything between four men and thirty.  Every knight was accompanied by a small troop of foot-soldiers and cavalry, generally drawn from among his friends and relations, and always vassals whose loyalty was tried and certain.  These men fought at their lord's side in battle, squires and sergeants alike; and though in the 12th century notions of military discipline were somewhat rudimentary, there was a military camaraderie between a knight and his followers which still preserved an almost mystical quality about it.  Many men who remained totally indifferent to the cause which they were defending accomplished prodigies of bravery simply to maintain the reputation of that particular seigneur (liege lord) they happed to be liegemen to.  The knights, then, formed a military "corps d'elite" in every army; and for this reason an army's strength was judged by the number no less than the mettle of its knights."
 
Does this remind us of what was said in the second part of the PBS Bagpipe show that told about the Scottish units being made up of related clan members that fought so bravely together following their piper into anything.  The knight was sort of the bagpiper of that era. HA  How's that for stretching things?
Laurel
Portland, OR
 
 
l Message-----
From: Donald Sinclair <dmsin@mpx.com.au>
To: Sinclair Mailing List <sinclair@zilker.net>
Date: Monday, January 18, 1999 12:03 AM
Subject: 1066 website

Hello a h-uile duine
 
Thanks Gary for the website on the companions of William the Conqueror.
 
I found a Richard de St Clair but no mention of Walderne de St Clair and the 9 other St Clairs that were suppose to have been with William.
 
Any ideas where I can find that information.
 
Donald Sinclair