In 1415, William de Handsacre marched to France with Henry V’s army and stood among the English men-at-arms at the Battle of Agincourt. This article follows his journey from the siege of Harfleur to one of England’s greatest military victories, before tracing the final chapter of the medieval family whose name has survived for centuries in the village of Handsacre.
Category: Miscellaneous
Sir William de Handsacre and the battle of Crécy.
Sir William de Handsacre fought in some of the most famous campaigns of the early Hundred Years’ War, serving under Ralph, Earl of Stafford, in Gascony before taking part in Edward III’s invasion of France. From the victories at Bergerac and Auberoche to the decisive Battle of Crécy and the long siege of Calais, his military career placed a Staffordshire knight at the heart of events that reshaped medieval Europe.
William de Handsacre: Rebel Against the King
William de Handsacre chose the wrong side in one of medieval England’s greatest civil wars. After supporting Simon de Montfort against King Henry III, he lost his lands, fled to the rebel stronghold on the Isle of Axholme and became one of the “Disinherited”. Yet through royal reconciliation he eventually regained his estates and returned to public life, revealing how national events transformed the fortunes of the Lords of Handsacre.
The Feast of Swans: How William de Handsacre Became a Knight
In 1306, William de Handsacre travelled from his Staffordshire manor to Westminster to take part in one of the most spectacular ceremonies of medieval England. Knighted alongside more than 260 young squires at the famous Feast of Swans, he witnessed a royal oath, magnificent pageantry and the beginning of Edward I’s final campaign against Scotland—a remarkable connection between a small village and a defining moment in English history.
Surviving Hard Times
Behind the Poor Law records are real people whose lives were shaped by hardship, resilience and community support. This collection follows the experiences of villagers from Armitage and Handsacre while explaining the systems of parish relief, settlement, apprenticeship, charity and the workhouse that governed everyday life for more than two centuries.
The Rev. Edward Samson’s Almshouses
Before the welfare state, almshouses offered elderly people something that neither parish relief nor the workhouse could provide: a secure home of their own. Built in 1906 through the generosity of the Rev. Edward Samson, Armitage’s almshouses continue a tradition of compassionate care that has served the village for more than a century.
Village Charities: Helping Those in Need
Parish relief was only one way that people in Armitage and Handsacre helped those in need. For more than two centuries, local benefactors provided bread, coal and financial assistance to struggling families. Their gifts reveal a long tradition of neighbourly support that stood alongside, and sometimes softened, the realities of the Poor Law.
Friendly Societies: Looking After Each Other
Behind the banners, brass bands and annual processions lay a practical purpose. Friendly Societies helped working families protect themselves against illness, injury and death without relying on the workhouse. Their story shows how mutual support became one of the most important forms of welfare in Victorian Armitage and Handsacre.
From Parish Relief to the Workhouse
The New Poor Law of 1834 transformed the way poverty was managed, replacing local parish relief with the workhouse. Yet the change was neither immediate nor complete. Using records from Armitage and the Lichfield Workhouse, this article explores how familiar village families experienced one of the most significant changes in nineteenth-century social welfare.
Earning a Living Repairing the Roads
Poor relief was not always a handout. Parish records show men and women earning wages repairing the roads, allowing them to support themselves while improving the community. Following the fortunes of Samuel Mills and others, this article reveals how work, hardship and parish responsibility were often closely connected.