The Feast of Swans: How William de Handsacre Became a Knight
For most medieval knights, the moment they received their spurs passed unrecorded. For William de Handsacre, however, fortune placed him at one of the greatest royal ceremonies ever held in medieval England.
In May 1306, William travelled from his family’s manor at Handsacre to Westminster to be knighted alongside more than 260 other young squires. The ceremony became known as the Feast of Swans, an event remembered not only for its splendour but also because it marked the beginning of King Edward I’s final campaign against Scotland.
A Young Squire from Handsacre
William was the son of a knight and, like many boys of noble birth, was destined for a military life. Although no records survive of his early years, he would almost certainly have followed the normal path of medieval training. As a page, he would have learned courtly manners, horsemanship and the customs of a noble household before progressing to become a squire, serving an experienced knight in preparation for one day earning knighthood himself.
By 1306, William had reached that moment.
A Kingdom on the Brink of War
The immediate cause of the ceremony lay hundreds of miles away in Scotland.
On 10 February 1306, Robert the Bruce murdered his rival, John Comyn, inside Greyfriars Church at Dumfries. The killing shocked contemporaries not only because Comyn was a powerful nobleman but because the murder took place within a church. To King Edward I, already determined to maintain English authority over Scotland, it was both rebellion and sacrilege.
Edward responded by preparing a new military campaign. At the same time, he announced an extraordinary mass knighting ceremony to strengthen his army and reinforce the bonds of loyalty between the Crown and the next generation of England’s military elite.
On 6 April 1306, sheriffs throughout England were instructed to proclaim that all eligible squires wishing to become knights should travel to London before Whitsuntide. Among those who answered the summons was William de Handsacre.
Westminster Prepares
The arrival of more than 260 young squires, together with their families, servants and retainers, created an enormous logistical challenge.
More than fifty carpenters were employed to construct temporary accommodation around Westminster. New kitchens were equipped, huge quantities of food were assembled, and additional buildings were erected to house the visitors. Most of the squires were lodged at the Temple Church, headquarters of the Knights Templar in England. So many people gathered that sections of the churchyard wall had to be removed to make room for tents and temporary structures.
For several days Westminster became the centre of England’s military and political life.
The Night Vigil
On the eve of Whitsunday, William joined the other squires in the traditional vigil at the Temple Church.
According to custom, the candidates were expected to spend the night in prayer and quiet reflection, their swords laid upon the altar as they prepared for the responsibilities of knighthood.
Reality proved rather different.
More than 260 excited young men packed into a single church made solemn contemplation difficult. Contemporary accounts describe the silence giving way to conversation, laughter and even the sound of trumpets echoing through the building as anticipation replaced meditation.
The following morning would change their lives forever.
The Feast of Swans
On Whitsunday, 22 May 1306, King Edward first knighted his own son, the future Edward II, in the chapel of Westminster Palace.
The royal procession then made its way to Westminster Abbey, where William and the other squires waited.
The streets were so crowded with spectators that progress became almost impossible. Eventually, mounted men-at-arms forced a path through the crowds so that the procession could reach the Abbey.
Inside, before the high altar, Prince Edward performed the ceremony for each of the waiting squires. William knelt before him as the sword touched his shoulder in the traditional accolade. A sword belt and golden spurs completed the ceremony.
William de Handsacre had become Sir William de Handsacre.
Two Swans and a Royal Oath
The day’s celebrations continued with a magnificent banquet in Westminster Hall.
It was here that the ceremony acquired the name by which it is remembered.
During the feast, two white swans adorned with golden chains were brought before the King. Swans symbolised purity, loyalty and noble ideals, making them fitting emblems for the occasion. Placing his hands upon them, Edward I swore a solemn oath to pursue Robert the Bruce and avenge the murder of John Comyn.
Prince Edward followed with his own dramatic vow, declaring that he would not sleep twice in the same place until he reached Scotland.
The newly created knights, including Sir William de Handsacre, likewise pledged their loyalty to the King and committed themselves to the coming campaign.
The Feast of Swans had become both a magnificent display of royal authority and a public declaration of England’s determination to continue the war.
A New Chapter
For William, the ceremony represented the fulfilment of years of preparation. He returned to Staffordshire no longer a squire but a knight of the realm, owing military service directly to the Crown.
His career did not end there. Over the following decades Sir William fought in France during the campaigns of the Hundred Years’ War, including the famous victories at Crécy and the siege of Calais, fulfilling the obligations he had accepted before the King at Westminster.
Although more than seven centuries have passed, William’s presence at the Feast of Swans provides one of the most remarkable links between the small manor of Handsacre and the great events of medieval England. While kings, princes and earls dominate the histories of the period, among the hundreds of young men who gathered beneath the vaults of Westminster Abbey stood one whose home lay on the banks of the River Trent in what is now the parish of Armitage-with-Handsacre.