Squire

Lore & Background

The term is a shortened version of 'esquire', from the Anglo-French 'esquier' ('shield bearer'). Other terms include 'scutifer' and the Latin 'armiger' ('arms bearer'). Use of the term evolved over time: initially a squire could be a knight's servant who fought with his lord, or a sub-knightly man-at-arms used interchangeably with 'valet'. Later it referred to a broad social class just below the rank of knight, and eventually a lord of the manor might be known as a 'squire'.

In Their Own Story

The pub was quiet for exactly as long as it takes a badger to finish a pint and decide the world needs rearranging. Squire was minding his own business near the bar, tail tucked neatly, when the floorboards started to groan. He looked up. Conker was mid-swing with a stool, and the trajectory was, with uncomfortable mathematical certainty, Squire's. He dodged. Barely. The stool embedded itself in the wall with a satisfying thud. Squire straightened his ears, took one more sip of his drink, and tried very hard to pretend he hadn't just been the target of a projectile. The pub went back to being quiet. For a while.

Reader's Guide

A squire was typically a young boy training to become a knight. A boy became a page at age 7, then a squire at age 14. Squires were responsible for taking care of the knight's horse and arms, maintaining and cleaning armor, helping the knight put on armor, grooming and saddling horses, and accompanying the knight into battle. Outside battle, a squire served his lord by making his bed, waiting on him during meals, and carving his meat. A lord with multiple squires gave each a specific role such as 'squire of the chamber'. Many squires were hired servants with no known pedigree, but it was a high-status job and training for future knights. Some squires were of too low a rank to become knights but still owned a manor; some capable of becoming knights remained squires, resulting in two classes of landholding squires. A third class were squires based on employment, their lord providing military equipment. All three classes were officially recognized by the tax law of 1379.

Did You Know?

• The word 'squire' is a shortened version of 'esquire', from Anglo-French 'esquier' meaning 'shield bearer'.
• A boy became a page at age 7, then a squire at age 14.
• Squires were responsible for grooming and saddling the knight's horses, and for maintaining and cleaning the knight's armor.
• Some squires were of too low a rank to become knights but still owned a manor.