The White Company
Encyclopedia
The White Company is a historical adventure by Arthur Conan Doyle
set during the Hundred Years' War
. The story is set in England
, France
, and Spain
, in the years 1366 and 1367, against the background of the campaign of Edward, the Black Prince
to restore Peter of Castile to the throne of the Kingdom of Castile
. The climax of the book occurs before the Battle of Nájera. Doyle became inspired to write the novel after attending a lecture on medieval times in 1889. After extensive research, The White Company was published in serialized form in 1891 in Cornhill Magazine
.
The novel is relatively unknown today, though it was very popular up through the Second World War. In fact, Doyle himself regarded this and his other historical novels more highly than the Sherlock Holmes
adventures for which he is mainly remembered.
The "White Company" of the title is a free company of archers, led by one of the main characters. The name is taken from a real-life 14th-Century Italian
mercenary
company, led by John Hawkwood
.
where he has been raised and goes out to see the world, in accordance with the terms of his father's will. He falls in with the rough but good-hearted Sam Aylward, a veteran archer, who has returned to England from France in order to recruit for the White Company of mercenaries, and to bring a letter to Sir Nigel Loring of Christchurch
, asking him to take command of the company. Edricson and Aylward make friends with Hordle John, a hugely strong man lately expelled from the abbey for worldly behavior. Aylward and John continue to Christchurch, while Edricson detours to visit his older brother, the socman of Minstead
, whom he has not seen since infancy.
However, Edricson's brother is a hateful man, and he sets his dogs on Edricson to drive him away. Edricson heads for Christchurch intending to join Aylward and John and proceed to France to join the White Company. At Christchurch he meets Sir Nigel Loring, who takes a liking to him and takes him as a squire
. Edricson also tutors Sir Nigel's daughter, Maude, and they fall in love. Sir Nigel decides to accept the leadership of the White Company, and the group sails for Gascony, after destroying a pirate band, where they report to the court of the Prince of Wales. (By having things explained to young Alleyne, we readers are introduced to medieval life.)
After various adventures, Sir Nigel and his followers meet with the White Company and lead it to join the army of the Prince of Wales. They are used as a vanguard and inflame the Spanish and French army, which attack the White Company in a narrow ravine. In this battle both Sir Nigel and Edricson display great courage and valor, as the White Company makes a stand and is destroyed almost to the last man. Hordle John and Edricson survive, though he is badly wounded, but Sir Nigel and Sam Aylward are among the missing and presumed dead. The English go on to win the Battle of Nájera, fulfilling the mission. Edricson is knighted in his bed by the Prince of Wales and returns to England to marry Maude, taking John as his squire. After the wedding they set out again for the continent, hoping to find news of their friends, but before they reach the coast they meet Sir Nigel and Aylward, returning to England after escaping from captivity. All return home to Christchurch and the novel ends happily for everyone.
There was a real knight named Sir Nigel Loring at the time the novel is set, but the historical record supplied few details and his role in the book is largely Doyle's invention. He is known to have been an original member of the Order of the Garter, and to have been in the Black Prince's bodyguard, particularly at the Battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356. He was also, as a member of the Prince's war council, and his chamberlain, part of the delegation that negotiated a truce at Bordeaux, following that battle. As a reward for his role in that battle, he was granted 83 Pounds per annum by the Prince.
's This Side of Paradise
reads The White Company early in the book. Several of the characters in S. M. Stirling
's Emberverse
novels share names with characters from this book and are apparently descendants and/or reincarnations of the characters, and Stirling has acknowledged its influence on his own writing.
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
set during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
. The story is set in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in the years 1366 and 1367, against the background of the campaign of Edward, the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
to restore Peter of Castile to the throne of the Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
. The climax of the book occurs before the Battle of Nájera. Doyle became inspired to write the novel after attending a lecture on medieval times in 1889. After extensive research, The White Company was published in serialized form in 1891 in Cornhill Magazine
Cornhill Magazine
The Cornhill Magazine was a Victorian magazine and literary journal named after Cornhill Street in London.Cornhill was founded by George Murray Smith in 1860 and was published until 1975. It was a literary journal with a selection of articles on diverse subjects and serialisations of new novels...
.
The novel is relatively unknown today, though it was very popular up through the Second World War. In fact, Doyle himself regarded this and his other historical novels more highly than the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
adventures for which he is mainly remembered.
The "White Company" of the title is a free company of archers, led by one of the main characters. The name is taken from a real-life 14th-Century Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
company, led by John Hawkwood
John Hawkwood
Sir John Hawkwood was an English mercenary or condottiero who was active in 14th century Italy. The French chronicler Jean Froissart knew him as Jean Haccoude and Italians as Giovanni Acuto...
.
Plot
At the age of twenty, the young Alleyne Edricson, intelligent, skilled, and well-liked, though sheltered and naive, leaves the Catholic abbeyAbbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
where he has been raised and goes out to see the world, in accordance with the terms of his father's will. He falls in with the rough but good-hearted Sam Aylward, a veteran archer, who has returned to England from France in order to recruit for the White Company of mercenaries, and to bring a letter to Sir Nigel Loring of Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, asking him to take command of the company. Edricson and Aylward make friends with Hordle John, a hugely strong man lately expelled from the abbey for worldly behavior. Aylward and John continue to Christchurch, while Edricson detours to visit his older brother, the socman of Minstead
Minstead
Minstead is a small village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire, about north of Lyndhurst. There is a shop and a pub, the Trusty Servant. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's grave is under a large tree at the back of the 13th century All Saints' church.-Overview:Minstead is a small village and...
, whom he has not seen since infancy.
However, Edricson's brother is a hateful man, and he sets his dogs on Edricson to drive him away. Edricson heads for Christchurch intending to join Aylward and John and proceed to France to join the White Company. At Christchurch he meets Sir Nigel Loring, who takes a liking to him and takes him as a squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
. Edricson also tutors Sir Nigel's daughter, Maude, and they fall in love. Sir Nigel decides to accept the leadership of the White Company, and the group sails for Gascony, after destroying a pirate band, where they report to the court of the Prince of Wales. (By having things explained to young Alleyne, we readers are introduced to medieval life.)
After various adventures, Sir Nigel and his followers meet with the White Company and lead it to join the army of the Prince of Wales. They are used as a vanguard and inflame the Spanish and French army, which attack the White Company in a narrow ravine. In this battle both Sir Nigel and Edricson display great courage and valor, as the White Company makes a stand and is destroyed almost to the last man. Hordle John and Edricson survive, though he is badly wounded, but Sir Nigel and Sam Aylward are among the missing and presumed dead. The English go on to win the Battle of Nájera, fulfilling the mission. Edricson is knighted in his bed by the Prince of Wales and returns to England to marry Maude, taking John as his squire. After the wedding they set out again for the continent, hoping to find news of their friends, but before they reach the coast they meet Sir Nigel and Aylward, returning to England after escaping from captivity. All return home to Christchurch and the novel ends happily for everyone.
Main characters
- Alleyne Edricson - through the wishes of his father, he has been raised by monks. Upon reaching the age of twenty he leaves the Abbey and goes into the world. During the next two years, Alleyne becomes a squire to Sir Nigel Loring, and travels to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to join the White Company, a band of archers. When Alleyne performs a great feat of valour, he himself becomes a knight. Upon returning to EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as one of the sole survivors of the White Company, he weds Sir Nigel's daughter. - Sir Nigel Loring - a valiant but baldheaded little knight, known and admired by every lord and soldier on both sides of the English Channel. He constantly hopes to engage in jousts and swordfights for honor and glory. He is famed for his deeds at several battles including those of Crecy and Poictiers. He is the Constable of Twynham Castle.
- Samkin Aylward - An elite archer who has spent most of his life as a soldier. His excellent shooting skills, hardy constitution, sense of humour, and good luck have seen him through many battles, allowing him to pursue his chief pastime - wooing and flirting with women. His valour saves Sir Nigel's life on numerous occasions.
- John of Hordle, or Hordle John - A short-term monk who was kicked out of the monastery for his unfitting behavior. A huge man of great strength and also a sarcastic wit.
Other characters
- Abbot Berghersh
- Sir Oliver Buttesthorn
- Simon Edricson, Socman of Minstead
- Walter Ford, esquire
- Goodwin Hawtayne
- Sir Claude Latour
- Lady Mary Loring
- Maude Loring
- Black Simon of Norwich
- Peter Terlake, esquire
- John Tranter
Historical figures who appear as characters in the novel
- James AudleyJames AudleySir James Audley KG was one of the original knights, or founders, of the Order of the Garter. He was the eldest son of Sir James Audley of Stratton Audley in Oxfordshire.-Biography:...
- Bernard Brocas
- Hugh CalveleyHugh CalveleySir Hugh Calveley was an English soldier and commander, who took part in the Hundred Years' War, gaining fame during the War of the Breton Succession and the Castilian Civil War...
- Henry II of Castile
- Peter of Castile
- John ChandosJohn ChandosSir John Chandos, Viscount of Saint-Sauveur in the Cotentin, Constable of Aquitaine, Seneschal of Poitou, KG was a medieval English knight who hailed from Radbourne Hall, Derbyshire. Chandos was a close friend of Edward, the Black Prince and a founding member and 19th Knight of the Order of the...
- Olivier de ClissonOlivier de ClissonOlivier de Clisson , nicknamed "The Butcher", was a Breton soldier, the son of the Olivier de Clisson who was put to death in 1343 on the suspicion of having wished to give up Nantes to the English.- Biography :...
- Edward III of EnglandEdward III of EnglandEdward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
- Edward, the Black PrinceEdward, the Black PrinceEdward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
- Thomas Felton
- William Felton
- John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
- Jean III de Grailly, captal de BuchJean III de Grailly, captal de BuchSir Jean III de Grailly, Captal de Buch KG , son of Jean II de Grailly, Captal de Buch, Vicomte de Benauges, and Blanch de Foix...
- Bertrand du GuesclinBertrand du GuesclinBertrand du Guesclin , known as the Eagle of Brittany or the Black Dog of Brocéliande, was a Breton knight and French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was Constable of France from 1370 to his death...
- Robert KnollesRobert KnollesSir Robert Knolles was an important English soldier of the Hundred Years' War, who, operating with the tacit support of the Crown, succeeded in taking the only two major French cities, other than Calais and Poitiers, to fall to Edward III...
- James IV of MajorcaJames IV of MajorcaJames IV of Majorca was King of Majorca from 1349 until his death.James was the son of James III of Majorca and Constance of Aragon...
- Charles II of NavarreCharles II of NavarreCharles II , called "Charles the Bad", was King of Navarre 1349-1387 and Count of Évreux 1343-1387....
- Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of WorcesterThomas Percy, 1st Earl of WorcesterThomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester, KG was an English medieval nobleman best known for taking part in the rebellion with his nephew Henry Percy, known as 'Harry Hotspur', and brother Northumberland .-Lineage:...
- Sir Simon de BurleySimon de BurleySir Simon de Burley, KG was holder of the offices of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle between 1384-88, and was a Knight of the Garter....
There was a real knight named Sir Nigel Loring at the time the novel is set, but the historical record supplied few details and his role in the book is largely Doyle's invention. He is known to have been an original member of the Order of the Garter, and to have been in the Black Prince's bodyguard, particularly at the Battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356. He was also, as a member of the Prince's war council, and his chamberlain, part of the delegation that negotiated a truce at Bordeaux, following that battle. As a reward for his role in that battle, he was granted 83 Pounds per annum by the Prince.
Influence
Amory Blaine, the protagonist in F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
's This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive Princeton University...
reads The White Company early in the book. Several of the characters in S. M. Stirling
S. M. Stirling
Stephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. Stirling is probably best known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent time travel/alternate history Nantucket series and Emberverse series.-Personal:Stirling was born on...
's Emberverse
The Emberverse series
Emberverse, or Change World, is a series of post-apocalyptic alternate history novels written by S. M. Stirling. The novels depict the events following "The Change", which caused electricity, guns, explosives, internal combustion engines, and steam power to stop working...
novels share names with characters from this book and are apparently descendants and/or reincarnations of the characters, and Stirling has acknowledged its influence on his own writing.