"Medieval Mercenaries and Condottieri - Liveries, or no?" Topic

So, I'm putting together a mercenary force for use in an imagi-nation medieval (and maybe high fantasy) setting and I have 2 questions about their historical counterparts:

1. Did the medieval mercenary companies tend to issue liveries or even relatively similar clothing to their troops. I understand the White Company was so-called because they polished their armour to a high sheen and were distinguishable from other troops around them, but I have no idea whether similar 'unit identification schemes' were used by others.

I can see it being useful for a commander (mercenary or otherwise) having his troops readily identifiable – he can see where they are and what they're doing – but it also makes it easier for employers to see where he is and what he's doing (and that could be a liability in some situations, such as hanging back from engaging).

2. If free companies did use readily identifiable colour schemes – would a warrior who already had a recognized coat of arms/heraldic pattern but was serving with a free company continue to carry his individual arms? Or would he adopt the unit's insignia?

I suspect that if the guy had his own arms he would want to carry that in battle, and might insist on it, but might make some allowances to the company by wearing a tabard or horse barding in the unit colours.

Is there any information available about the actual practices during that period?

Liveries were uncommon. Even when used, they tended to be distributed to immediate retainers, bodyguards and such. It's up to you if you want your troops wearing any uniforms. Either way will be correct.

Quite often in Italy, Condotierres were paid in cash and cloth, so their troops could be uniformed or partially uniformed.

If it's an imagination you can do as you like right..

I just painted up a fictional lord and his retinue in Aston Villa colours.

would a warrior who already had a recognized coat of arms/heraldic pattern but was serving with a free company continue to carry his individual arms?

It would be very unlikely that a man who had a right to armorial bearings would be fighting as a mercenary.

Plenty of younger sons with no prospect of an inheritance (beyond their heraldic arms) and no desire to play second fiddle to an elder brother did hire out their services to a more powerful lord.

It is debatable whether you would call them 'mercenaries' as they tended to stick in the entourage of one lord or sometimes formed their own company. Calling them 'regular' or 'professional' soldiers may be stretching a point but they may be more appropriate terms.

In continental armies it was fairly common practice as there were often many unemployed soldiers around between wars and the 'free companies' could keep them gainfully employed and out of trouble – at least in theory.

In peacetime these were the leaders of lord's bodyguards, castle guards, frontier guards and escorts for merchant trains – a useful and reasonably respectable profession.

GildasFacit's point regarding younger sons of nobility is exactly the recruitment pool I had in mind for men with coats of arms serving in free companies.

It sounds like there's a lot of room for interpretation.

Thanks for the replies.

Upon consideration, I think what I'll do is have the infantry units outfitted with cloth provided by the free company leader, but give the cavalry individual colour patterns and shield devices. The cavalry units will each have a large banner flying the company's insignia (big banners seem to have been the primary means of identification/organization at the time anyway). That will have the advantage that all of the cavalry figs aside from the standard bearers can be used in other forces as needed. May or may not be exactly historically accurate, but it's within the realm of plausibility, which is what I'm aiming for.

>Quite often in Italy, Condotierres were paid in cash and cloth

Also true for northern Germany – there is at least one case where the "Grote Gard" got clothes in black and white – perhaps thats why there are also called the "Black Guard".

Anyway, afaik there is no report of a unit that systematically organized uniform clothing – unlike eg. Charles the Bold for his ordonnance troops (though notable not his mercenary units). When Cesare Borgia issued his guards with yellow and black it was noted in contemporary sources, so we have to assume this was not common – though in his case the quality and splendor may have caused the comments.