79:
31:
41:
56:
67:
391:
216:
897:), but he vastly increased the number of that select group, as he enlarged the rest of the royal household as set down in the Statutes of Eltham. The position was highly regarded, for the value of its close access to the king. At least two notable late-medieval gentlemen are recorded contemporaneously as refusing knighthood, declaring that to be an "
970:
were entitled only to the style "Mr".) In earlier years in the U.S., the title squire was given to a justice of the peace, for example Squire Jones. It was also used to mean justice of the peace as in the example, "He was taken before the squire." The connection to attorneys appears to have evolved
860:
for the "Governance and
Regulation of the Royal Household" – the king had only four "Esquires for the Bodie"; these were the most senior servants in the royal household, with total access to the royal person at all hours. They were the senior staff of the privy chamber, and the closest of the king's
657:
The position of squire was traditionally associated with occupation of the manor house, which would often itself confer the dignity of squire. It is unclear how widely the village squire may still be said to survive today, but where it does, the role is likely more dependent upon a recognition of
861:"Affinity" (i.e., his most intimate daily companions), and were the only servants in the household who were required – not just allowed – to bear arms in the king's presence, as one of their duties was to act as bodyguards "of last resort" in the event of an immediate threat to the royal person.
1212:
Patent
Warrants of Appointment, and Warrants to the Exchequer for the payments of their annual Salaries are comprehensively-listed in "Materials for a History of King Henry VII" ed W. Campbell, Pub. by the Treasury for the Master of the Rolls (vol. i, 1873; vol. ii,
868:
and acted as his valet, and stood guard while he was shaved, washed or bathed. One stood behind his chair when he dined. Squires accompanied him at play, including wagering with him on the results of games (see wagers lost and won recorded in the account books of
916:. In the modern world, the term has correspondingly often been extended (albeit only in very formal writing) to all men without any higher title. It is used post-nominally, usually in abbreviated form: "John Smith, Esq.", for example.
888:
on 22 August 1485, and an extra five esquires by the end of his reign in 1509. His son Henry VIII retained his father's esquires of the body while dismissing others of his father's senior officers and even executing some (for example,
197:
refers to the Middle Ages. A squire was typically a young boy, training to become a knight. A boy became a page at the age of 7 then a squire at age 14. Squires were the second step to becoming a knight, after having served as a
1113:
Our
Deportment – Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined Society — Including Forms for Letters, Invitations, Etc., Etc. – Also Valuable Suggestions on Home Culture and Training – Compiled from the Latest Reliable
202:. Boys served a knight as an attendant, doing simple but important tasks such as saddling a horse or caring for the knight's weapons and armour. The squire would sometimes carry the knight's flag into battle with his master.
937:), its modern usage is often ironic with friendly humorous intent due to it being something of an anachronism. The original usage in conversations between people of different social classes crops up frequently in
627:. These roles were often filled by a younger son of the squire or of another family of local gentry. Some squires also became parish incumbents themselves and were known as squarsons; a
573:, owning much of the land and living in the largest house, often referred to by people lower down the social scale as the "big house". The head of this family was often the
737:
as a lecherous, ill-educated, badly mannered relic of an earlier age. However, he clearly shows their control of the life of the parish. Others include Squire Hamley in
646:
Such was the power of the squires at this time that modern historians have created the term 'squirearchy'. Politically, during the 19th century, squires tended to be
685:, in place of squire, is more common. Moreover, in Scotland, lairds append their territorial designation to their names as was traditionally done on the mainland of
864:
In times of war when their royal master was "under arms" himself, they would also fight at his side. They oversaw his pages and the other lesser servants of the
662:
and long family association rather than land, which, while relevant, is nowadays likely to be considerably smaller than in former years due to high post-war
933:
and its environs, by men when addressing another man. Although historically used to a man perceived as being of higher social class (similar to
874:
643:. The squire would also have performed a number of important local duties, in particular that of Justice of the Peace or Member of Parliament.
753:
1137:
A manual of dignities, privilege, and precedence: including lists of the great public functionaries, from the revolution to the present time
884:
only appointed four esquires each. Henry VII appointed four of his closest "companions of Our late Exile" within days of his victory at the
837:
The "Royal
Esquires" of the late-medieval English Court were not young men studying for knighthood. Far more frequently, and certainly from
776:
1117:. Detroit, Mich., Harrisburgh, Pa., and Chicago, Ill.: F.B. Dickerson & Co., Pennsylvania Publishing House, and Union Publishing House
1223:
1183:
482:
307:
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504:
1004:
553:, the protagonist William serves as the squire of Sir Simon, a knight from the Middle Ages who got transported to the present.
416:
241:
78:
1265:
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463:
401:
288:
226:
117:
Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a
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40:
885:
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55:
24:
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1184:"Adventure 9: "The Greek Interpreter" - The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Lit2Go ETC"
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might come to be known as a "squire", and still later, the term was applied to members of the
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83:
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87:
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In the post-medieval world, the title of esquire came to belong to all men of the higher
780:, where the squire uses his authority to abuse the postal and judicial services. In the
600:, comprising the village, with the villagers being his tenants. If the squire owned the
996:
890:
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818:' ancestors are mentioned to be country squires in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.
810:
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122:
48:
788:, Jack Aubrey's father, General Aubrey and later Jack himself, are typical squires.
456:
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The figures are "a touching early tenthteenth-century visual representation of the
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with his immediate following ... a knight is shown accompanied by his squire,
967:
766:
693:, Donald Cameron of Lochiel). The territorial designation fell into disuse in
157:
142:
1086:
761:, who was himself a squire and magistrate. There is also a notable squire in
963:
909:
162:
1063:"How did a boy get to be a knight? What was the training for becoming one?"
615:— and he often did — he would choose the incumbent, designated as either a
1203:
see
Calendar of Patent Rolls, H7, Sept/Oct 1485, National Archives at Kew
674:
601:
846:
827:
694:
589:
578:
562:
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82:
A squire holds the warhorse of his knight, detail from monument to Sir
569:
until the early 20th century, there was often one principal family of
992:
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677:, whilst esquire and gentleman are technically correctly used at the
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from a time when squires meeting to negotiate a duel would instead
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348:
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176:
77:
65:
54:
39:
29:
125:. In contemporary American usage, "squire" is the title given to
1224:"squire - definition of squire in English - Oxford Dictionaries"
145:
384:
209:
1001:
Armies and
Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience
577:
and called "the squire". Lords of the manor held the rank of
666:
and the prohibitive costs associated with maintaining large
543:
serves as squire of the deluded Don. In the children's book
529:
is a squire who is the son of the knight that he serves. In
709:
The later form of squire as a gentleman appears in much of
814:, published in 1858, is Squire Francis Newbold Gresham.
877:) and delivered confidential messages of all kinds.
962:, borrowing from the English tradition whereby all
798:, includes Squire Cass as a character in her novel
845:, they tended to be men of a similar age to the
650:, whereas the greatest landlords tended to be
8:
945:, such as: "What can I do for you, squire?".
151:
592:. The squire usually lived at the village
419:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
244:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
180:
160:
1139:, London: Whittaker & Co., pp.248,251
507:that appears in literary works, including
503:'s squire in the traditional tale of the
483:Learn how and when to remove this message
308:Learn how and when to remove this message
984:
619:, or if the parish had a lay rector or
584:Squires were gentlemen, usually with a
320:The typical jobs of a squire included:
623:, who was often the squire himself, a
908:; an esquire ranked socially above a
7:
417:adding citations to reliable sources
242:adding citations to reliable sources
16:Shield- or armour-bearer of a knight
929:is sometimes used, particularly in
856:– a set of ordinances composed for
135:is a shortened version of the word
958:, this style is most common among
338:Maintaining the knight's equipment
167:("shield bearer"), in medieval or
70:A squire helping his knight, in a
14:
1172:– via The Free Dictionary.
999:and horse".(Prestwich, Michael,
873:, each page signed by the king,
804:. One of the main characters of
389:
214:
747:and Squire Allworthy (based on
521:One of the pilgrim-storytellers
347:Replacing an injured or killed
193:The most common definition of
129:or similar local dignitaries.
1:
849:; having his complete trust.
713:, for example in the form of
363:Dressing the knight in armour
901:" was a far-greater honour.
777:It is Never Too Late to Mend
588:, and were often related to
854:Black Book of the Household
729:William Makepeace Thackeray
356:Accompanying the knight to
344:Taking care of the horse(s)
156:), itself derived from the
1292:
1087:"page | rank | Britannica"
825:
366:Carrying the knight's flag
18:
966:were styled "esquires". (
1135:Dodd, Charles R. (1843)
886:Battle of Bosworth Field
875:National Archives at Kew
516:The Once and Future King
25:Squires (disambiguation)
1110:Young, John H. (1843).
546:The Castle in the Attic
376:of the knight if killed
372:Ensuring an honourable
146:
35:A knight and his squire
21:Squire (disambiguation)
1017:"Definition of Squire"
719:Robert Louis Stevenson
679:Court of the Lord Lyon
324:Carrying the knight's
181:
161:
152:
91:
75:
72:historical reenactment
63:
52:
45:Wolfram von Eschenbach
37:
1003:, London, 1996, p.49
782:Aubrey-Maturin series
731:depicted a squire in
604:or living (i.e. "was
565:countryside from the
369:Protecting the knight
127:justices of the peace
81:
69:
58:
43:
33:
1266:Gendered occupations
852:In the 15th-century
526:The Canterbury Tales
413:improve this section
238:improve this section
19:For other uses, see
1042:Medieval Chronicles
973:resolve the dispute
920:As an informal term
899:Esquire of the Body
822:National variations
744:Wives and Daughters
697:early on, save for
531:Miguel de Cervantes
360:and the battlefield
189:Knights in training
1230:on August 28, 2012
1091:www.britannica.com
711:English literature
699:peers of the realm
551:Elizabeth Winthrop
505:Sword in the Stone
353:Guarding prisoners
92:
76:
64:
59:A squire cleaning
53:
38:
1276:Medieval children
1038:"Medieval Squire"
763:Cormac McCarthy's
739:Elizabeth Gaskell
581:by prescription.
575:lord of the manor
510:Le Morte d'Arthur
493:
492:
485:
467:
318:
317:
310:
292:
185:("arms bearer").
119:lord of the manor
84:Richard Stapledon
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715:Squire Trelawney
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939:comedy sketches
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816:Sherlock Holmes
786:Patrick O'Brian
751:) in the novel
724:Treasure Island
707:
559:
539:, the babbling
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179:equivalent was
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51:, 14th century)
36:
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880:Edward IV and
834:
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826:Main article:
823:
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792:Mary Ann Evans
774:'s 1856 novel
759:Henry Fielding
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895:Edmund Dudley
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811:Doctor Thorne
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784:of novels by
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772:Charles Reade
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705:In literature
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633:of the words
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434: –
433:
429:
428:Find sources:
422:
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403:
398:This section
396:
392:
387:
386:
381:In literature
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262:
259: –
258:
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253:Find sources:
247:
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223:This section
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110:-bearer of a
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85:
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73:
68:
62:
57:
50:
49:Codex Manesse
46:
42:
32:
26:
22:
1232:. Retrieved
1228:the original
1218:
1208:
1199:
1187:. Retrieved
1178:
1166:. Retrieved
1157:
1146:
1136:
1131:
1119:. Retrieved
1112:
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1094:. Retrieved
1090:
1081:
1070:. Retrieved
1066:
1057:
1046:. Retrieved
1044:. 2015-09-20
1041:
1032:
1020:. Retrieved
1011:
1000:
987:
953:
943:Monty Python
934:
926:
912:but below a
903:
879:
863:
853:
851:
836:
809:
801:Silas Marner
799:
796:George Eliot
790:
775:
765:
752:
742:
732:
722:
708:
690:
681:, the title
672:
664:death duties
656:
645:
638:
634:
628:
621:impropriator
586:coat of arms
583:
560:
544:
541:Sancho Panza
534:
524:
514:
508:
494:
479:
470:
460:
453:
446:
439:
427:
411:Please help
399:
319:
304:
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278:
271:
264:
252:
236:Please help
224:
194:
192:
172:
141:, from the
136:
132:
131:
116:
99:
93:
1234:12 December
1189:12 December
1168:12 December
1114:Authorities
1022:12 December
882:Richard III
749:Ralph Allen
734:Vanity Fair
630:portmanteau
594:manor house
567:Middle Ages
536:Don Quixote
497:King Arthur
358:tournaments
298:August 2021
169:Old English
96:Middle Ages
1250:Categories
1096:2022-12-13
1072:2022-12-13
1048:2022-12-13
979:References
968:Solicitors
964:barristers
843:Henry VIII
839:Edward III
767:Outer Dark
608:") of the
499:served as
495:The young
443:newspapers
268:newspapers
158:Late Latin
143:Old French
86:(d.1326),
925:The term
910:gentleman
871:Henry VII
858:Edward IV
754:Tom Jones
473:July 2023
400:does not
225:does not
163:scutarius
1151:Squarson
1121:30 April
794:, alias
675:Scotland
602:advowson
432:"Squire"
257:"Squire"
173:scutifer
102:was the
1271:Knights
960:lawyers
954:In the
847:monarch
833:England
828:Esquire
695:England
660:lineage
579:esquire
563:English
561:In the
501:Sir Kay
457:scholar
421:removed
406:sources
282:scholar
246:removed
231:sources
182:armiger
147:escuier
138:esquire
94:In the
74:in 2009
1261:Gentry
1256:Titles
993:knight
935:guvnor
931:London
927:squire
914:knight
687:Europe
648:Tories
640:parson
635:squire
617:rector
613:church
610:parish
606:patron
598:estate
459:
452:
445:
438:
430:
374:burial
330:shield
326:armour
284:
277:
270:
263:
255:
195:squire
153:écuyer
133:Squire
112:knight
108:armour
104:shield
100:squire
61:armour
1213:1877)
683:laird
652:Whigs
625:vicar
590:peers
464:JSTOR
450:books
349:horse
334:sword
289:JSTOR
275:books
177:Latin
106:- or
1236:2016
1191:2016
1170:2016
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