Armies of the Sixteenth Century_1487-1609.pdf

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Armies of the Sixteenth Century
The Annies of England, Scotland. Ireland,
the United Provinces, and the Spanish Netherlands
1487-1609
Organisation, tactics, dress and weapons
123
figures, 105 flags
by
Ian Heath
A Foundry Books Publication
INTRODUCTION
Perched as it was at the cross-roads between mediaeval and modem history, the 16th century was inevitably
a period of experiment, exploration and rapid change, and the volume of material consequently available
for a book like this can only be described as astonishing. Faced, therefore, with the problem of fitting
several gallons into a pint pot, it became apparent at an early stage of my research that it would make
more sense to deal with the subject as several detailed instalments rather than as a single. less informative
tomc. Unsurprisingly this has presented various problems of its own, rcgarding historically how and
geographically where the project should be broken down, and my eventual solution - as is so often the
case in such situations - is something of a compromise, but one which I trust will prove acceptable to
most peoplc.
A side-effect of the subject maller's complex nature has been the need to depend more heavily on
cross-referencing and notes than in my earlier books (the notes occur at the end of each section). And
inevitably there is no way that the resultant books could be, or arc intended to be, military histories of the
16th century; as the titles clearly state, they are about the
armies
of the period, not their commanders,
their campaigns, or the politics that motivated them.
For my figure drawings I have avoided reconstructions wherever possible (which, alas. it hasn't
always been), preferring to depcnd instead largely on pictures of soldiers drawn as contemporary artists
saw them rather than assembling assorted individual details, Frankenstein-like, into some sort of composite,
potentially inaccurate monster. Where this has not been possible, I have relied on surviving artcfacts and
the written accounts of eye-witnesses, and not my imagination. Equipment and costume in this pcriod
came in such a varity of forms, however, that it has provcd impossible to depict more than a fraction of
the theoretical combinations in which they occurred. Note that the majority of pikes and lances have
been 'cut' well short of thcir full length as a further concession to saving spacc.
For reasons too numerous to mention, but entirely beyond my control, this book has been excessively
long in its gestation. I can only hope that it lives up to the expectations of anyone who has been patiently
awaiting it since its existence was first intimated in my
Armies afthe Middle Ages,
way back in 1984.
Finally, readers with an interest in 16th century military history who are not already members of
the Pike & Shot Society are recommended to join at the earliest opportunity. At the time of writing the
Membership Secretary is: lan Wilson, 66 Westbury Road, Coundon, Coventry, CV5 8HY.
lan Heath
December 1996
CONTENTS
A Note on Firearms
Major Battles of the Period
England 1487-1603
Scotland 1500-1603
Ireland 1487-1603
The United Provinces 1566-1609
The Spanish Netherlands 1556-1609
Appendix: Sixteenth Century Artillery
Bibliography
9
13
29
67
81
103
125
149
155
16th century military firearms were invariably
smoothbores firing bullets either oflead or, in the earlier
part of the century, lead-covered iron; the few rifled pieces
around required a mallet to drive the bullet home in the
barrel, and were consequently not practical for battlefield
use. A bewildering array of names was used to describe
the various types of firearm that were in use, the following
brief glossary being designed principally to explain the
most common of these.
Arquebus or harquebus: The name by which the
'haekbut' was known in France and Italy, and,
subsequently, throughout Western Europe. Its curved butt
was braced against the chest when firing (see figure 107),
this being described as shooting in the 'French manner'.
It measured about 4:y.
ft
overall, had a barrel length varying
from 'less than a yard' to about 3Y2 ft, weighed 10-12 Ibs,
and fired a bullet of about two-thirds of an ounce. Well-
handled it had a rate of fire of 40 rounds per hour, though
in the hands of inexperienced men this could drop as low
as ten rounds.
It
had a maximum range of 300 yds and an
effective range of200-240 yds. However, veterans are said
to have favoured holding their fire ti 11 the range was down
to just 50 yds.
Arquebus
a
croc or double-hake: A very heavy arquebus
or wall-gun, crewed by two or threc men and fired from a
rest or a light carriage. It had a 6-8
ft
barrel, could weigh
over 80 Ibs, and fired a hcfty bullet of from 2 up to 8
OlS.
It could reputedly fire a maximum of25 rounds per hour.
Caliver: In about 1530 the French were the first to
standardise thc calibre of their arquebuses, at least within
each regiment. This was measured by the number of bullets
that could be obtained from a pound of lead. The term
'caliver', a variation of 'calibre' ,was subsequently applied
to a category of firearm that fell halfway between the
arquebus and the musket, weighing a minimum of 12 Ibs,
having a 3
Yz
ft
barrel, and firing a somewhat heavier bullet
than an arquebus. The caliver is described in 1574 as
having a range of 360-400 yds, and in 1594 as being
effective in volley fire at 160-240 yds.
It
steadily displaced
the arquebus during thc 1580s and I 590s.
Carbine or carabin: A horseman's arquebus, ofthe same
g~neral
dimensions as, but a smaller bore and weight than,
a caliver. First recorded in 1559, in France. Mounted
arquebusiers were frequently referred to thereafter as
'carbines' or 'carabineers'.
Currier or currion: Recorded during the middle decades
of the century, this was a long-barrelled arqucbus that
could shoot to a superior range.
It
must have been very
similar to the caliver. since in 1570 an English caliver-
maker was converting curriers into calivers. Styward
(1581) actually gives 'corrier' as an alternative name for
the caliver, and calivermen can be found referred to as
'curriers' .
Dagg: A type of long, matchlock pistol, with a hook-
shaped butt, intended for use on horseback. 'A case of
daggs' was often attached to the saddle-bow.
Faustrohr: This was the
Reiter's
pistol or 'fist-gun',
weighing about 5 Ibs and having a barrel of 12-18 ins.
It
fired shot of 20 to the pound. A smaller version was the
faustling
or
fusterling.
Hackbut or hakebut: The name by which the arquebus
was at first known in England. It derives rTom the German
term
Hakenbiichse,
meaning 'hook-butt', on account of
the distinctively curved shape of its stock. Smallcr versions
firing bullets of 20 to the pound were called demi-hakes,
which became pistols.
Matchlock: The most common firing mechanism used
during this period. involving first a push-button and sub-
sequently a trigger to release a jaw holding a smouldering
match, which ignited the powder. The match, made of
hemp or cotton soaked in nitre and twisted into a thick
cord which burnt at 9 ins an hour, was sometimes kept lit
at both ends in action, so that one end could be relit rrom
the other at need. Nevcrtheless, a heavy downpour of rain
during a battle could, and frequently did, extinguish the
match, sometimes with dire consequences. The match had
to be removed during reloading.
Musket: The musket - effectively a heavy. large-calibre
arquebus fired from a rest - had appeared in Italy by
1530 and was introduced into North-West Europe by the
Duke of Alva in 1567. The average musket was s:y.
ft
overall, had a 4Y2 ft barrel, and weighed up to 20 lbs. Its
bullets varied between 8 and 12 to the pound, becoming
lighter as the century progressed. It was twice as expensive
as an arquebus, used two to three times as much powder
as and took roughly twice as long to load and fire as a
caliver, but had a much greater nmge (600 yds, though it
was only guarantecd to kill at 300). Its fire was said to bc
capable of 'breaking and dismembering' units at a range
of 400-480 yds. Very little armour was proof against its
heavy bullets at under 240 yds, and none at all at 100.
Because of its powerful recoil it had a straight stock so
that it could be tired braced against the shoulder rathcr
than the chest. this being referred to as the 'Spanish
manner' of shooting. By the end orthe century there wcre
also lighter 'bastard-muskets' which had a 4 ft barrel and
required no rest.
Petronel: Sometimes called a 'horseman's piece', this was
a cavalry weapon halfway in size between a pistol and an
arquebus, being described in 1600 as 'a short arquebus
with a snaphaunce'.
It
tired bullets or 16 to the pound.
The term 'petronels' was often used to describe firearm-
equipped cavalry.
Piece: A general term used in England for any firearm
(including even artillery) after about 1550.
Pistol: Invented early in the century and introduced into
England by 1521. Sevcral different origins are claimed
for the name, but it seems to derive ultimately from the
Czech
pistala,
meaning a tube. pipe or whistle. Pistol
barrels were 18 to 24 ins long, firing shot of 20 or 24 to
the pound. Most were wheellocks, but a rew were
match locks. They had a very limitcd range, being claimed
in one source not to have been effectivc beyond three
paces!
Snaphaunce: This was the English name (derived from
the German
Schnapphahn,
or 'snapcock') ror a flintlock
1I

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