A 'Bastard Feudal' Affinity in the Making? The Followings of William and Guy Beauchamp, Earls of Warwick, 1268–1315

Abstract

This essay examines the followings of Earls William and Guy Beauchamp and asks to what extent these can be described as 'bastard feudal' affinities in the light of a historiography which has increasingly located the origins of 'bastard feudalism' in the thirteenth century and earlier. It argues that, although the following of Earl William was based to a significant degree on long-standing tenurial ties, that of his son was similar to late medieval 'bastard feudal' affinities in construction. It asks why this change took place, suggesting that Guy Beauchamp may have had entirely personal reasons for wishing to create such an affinity and increased control over local government, or that this may have reflected a general move by earls in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, a conclusion supported by evidence from some other recent studies. In the latter case, it suggests that this may have been prompted by the prolonged absence of nobles at war in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, and a desire to find ways of protecting landed interests while they were away. Whatever the reasons for this change, Guy Beauchamp's enhanced control over local government in Warwickshire had a stabilising effect in the county.