| Adameaston.info | Home | Useful Links |
| Email adameaston.info |
Mercenaries
As Adam wandered across Italy in semi captivity the Pope employed a French priest to keep careful watch of his every movement and to spy on him when he was away from the papal presence. However Adam was not completely alone and he soon found that he was travelling with a number of his fellow countrymen. By 1386 Urban was running out of friends and he relied on mercenaries to protect him and to fight his wars for him. There had been large bands of English soldiers based in Italy since the lull in hostilities between England and France and increasingly men like John Beltoft and John Hawkwood and their English followers provided the backbone of the papal army. Inevitably, the only problem with mercenaries is that they would only fight if they had been paid and they were prone to changing sides if someone offered them a better deal. In his desperation to find ever more innovative and perverse ways of rewarding his troops, Urban started granting church appointments to the mercenaries.
Genoa 4 Kalends December 1386: To John de Beltoft donsel of the diocese of Lincoln, rectori of the Duchy of Spoleto for the pope and the Roman Church. Appointing him to that office before beginning the exercise of which he is to take the oath of fealty in the customary form to marinus cardinal deacon of new St mary's the pope's chamberlain.
Lucca 3 Kalends August 1387: To John de Beltoft captain of men at arms in the pay of the pope. Mandate for the good direction in future of the popes miltary exercises and war camps in the provine of Tuscany and surrounding parts for the recovery of the lands of the Roman Church and the extermination and oppression of enemies and rebels, to provide and ordain as often as such expeditions are made and camps pitched or struck, and he to be present that such expeditions and camps be so arranged that scandals may not arise and that they help more the pope's party and hurt more his enemies and rebels. Faculty is given him for the execution of the above mentioned before proceeding to which he is to take an oath of fealty in the customary form to Marinus, cardinal deacon of New St Mary's the pope's chamberlain.
Perugia 18 Kalends December 1387: To John Beltoft donsel of the diocese of Lincoln. Assigning to him 300 marks a year for life from the fruits due to the camera in Englad with faculty to receive the same from the collectors thereof for the time being and to give them aquittance.
Perugia 4 Ides July 1388: Mandate to allow free passage and to provide with victuals in exchange for their money, John Beltoft and Guy de Guydis of Siena, knights, and Gerard de Aldegariis donsel, captains of men at arms in the pay of the pope and the Roman Church, when required by Tellus de Rossano donsel, of the diocese of Perugia who is leading them by the Pope's command.
Perugia 17 Kalends October 1388: To Rayner de Ugolinuccio of Baschia knight, of the diocese of Soana. Appointing his captain of men at arms fighting for the Pope and the Roman Church under John Beltoft and Guy de Asciano, knights and Gerard de Aldigeris, donsel of Parma, their captains, who as well as their men and all counts, barons, nobles, cities, castles, lands etc subject to the Pope and the Roman Churchare hereby ordered to obey him for the purpose of wasting or otherwise.
St Peters Rome 8 Kalends November 1388: To the collector of dues to the camera in England. Mandate to pay without delay to John Beltoft, knight of the diocese of Lincoln, 300 marks for life in tqo equal portions at easter and Michaelmas at London; no mention having been made (as the said John's petition recently contained) in the late assignment of the times and place in which the payment was to be made.
St Peters Rome 12 Kalends March 1389: To James Dardini canon of Tropea collector of dues to the camera in England. Mandate to assign from the moneys collected by him within two months from the date of these presents to Richard Northampton, layman, of the diocese of London who has hereby faculty to give aquitance 1,000 gold florins of the camera received from him by the officers thereof as a loan for the payent of men at arms of the realm of England fighting in Italy in the pay of the Peope and the Roman Church. The collector to make the usual two public instruments.
Papal Letters relating to