"% fully armored men at arms" Topic

I'm busy constructing my WOTR army. The estimates for proportion of basic troop types in major battles I've found say 4/5 archers, 4 Billhooks and 1 dismounted unit men at arms. I understand these estimates leave out levy, pikemen, handgunners and crossbowmen. But in general can we estimate the proportion of men at arms as @10% of the force?

In an English army probably less than 10%, in a French army probably a lot more.

Take a look at this, which I have posted before:

TMP link

Be aware that mention of men-at-arms and archers/bowmen in some records may be blanket titles for pay grades. Where records survive they are often accounts of money paid. So a man paid at the higher rate for a man-at-arms might be a knight, well equipped professional soldier, a surgeon or a master gunner. While a man paid as an archer may actually be armed with a bill, handgonne, crossbow or be working as a miner/labourer.

Barry Slemmings
author of Bills, Bows and Bloodshed 2.2

As a rule of thumb, I usually go with 10% MAA in full harness. However, as Barry says it's all a bit conjectural.

BTW, there is little if any evidence for the use of crossbowmen on the WOTR battlefield, though you might possibly find some defending a castle.

@MajorB:
TMP link

My link (above) does mention all references to crossbows or crossbowmen which I can find. As you say, most references ARE defensive and relate to garrisons or siege equipment.

eg:
1461 – William Grey, the Bishop of Ely, recruited 35 Burgundian CROSSBOWMEN and gunners to help defend the Isle of Ely and Wisbech Castle against the Lancastrians. He also called in men from his estates in Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to assist.

or

1468: The Paston family were minor Norfolk gentry who owned Caister Castle. The Duke of Norfolk thought the castle should belong to him and the Pastons felt they needed to hire troops to defend it. John Paston II wrote to John Paston III that he had hired FOUR men (William Penny, Peryn Sale, John Chapman and Robert Jackson). "They be proved men and cunning in the war and in feats of arms and they can well shoot both guns and CROSSBOWS and amend and string them and devise bulwarks and any things that should be a strength to the place…".

Barry

Thanks to you both very much.

@barcah2001:
You are very welcome.
I am a firm believer in the old saying: "There is no such thing as bad questions but there are some very bad answers!"

Barry