A Tale of Medieval Arms & Armour

The Society of Antiquaries of London has in its care a very rare document. Dating from the reign of Edward III, this scrap of parchment contains a wealth of detail as to the arms and armour used in the court of a king obsessed with war, jousting and tournaments. The details of its content can be unpicked and its vocabulary explained. Using objects and artworks from Glasgow Museums’ fantastic collections for illustrative purposes, this short talk will provide some insight into the glittering (but sometimes greasy) world of medieval arms and armour. There will also be a solution to the riddle of Wee Willie and the royal silver trousers!

The speaker is currently working on primary sources of this kind as part of a wider project leading to a major publication: a sourcebook for the study of medieval arms and armour. Presenting research to a variety of audience-types (scholarly and general) is greatly beneficial to the speaker as an author. Through this, a better understanding is gained of how best to engage people with the subject as a whole.