1. The Crown's Role in Financing the Campaign
Military campaigns in medieval England were primarily financed by the Crown, through taxation, borrowing, and revenues from royal estates.
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Taxation: To fund the 1415 campaign, Henry V secured subsidies from Parliament, which provided funds raised from taxes on land, goods, and incomes.
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Loans and Bonds: The Crown borrowed money from wealthy merchants, financiers, and nobility, sometimes pledging royal revenues as security.
The Crown was responsible for procuring and distributing essential military supplies, including arrows. As such, the bulk of the arrows used at Agincourt were likely paid for by the royal treasury.
2. Nobles and Lords Contributing to Their Retinues
English nobles raised retinues of men for the campaign, which they equipped partly at their own expense. This included paying for weapons, armor, and provisions.
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Some lords provided archers who brought their own equipment, possibly funded by the lords themselves.
- However, given the scale of the campaign and the Crown’s central role, nobles would often receive funds or equipment from royal stores or be reimbursed shutdown123
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