Richard ABNEY

     Richard ABNEY was born circa 1398 in Eyam Parish, Derbyshire, England, son of William ABBENEY.¹ He was a yeoman farmer in Hope Parish, Derbyshire. The farm was known as Abney Grange.
     Richard ABNEY was granted land 14 April 1409 in Hope, Derbyshire by William ABBENEY, his father, including all his lands and tenements in Hope and elsewhere in the county. Others included in the grant were Ralph de Staueley [Stanley?], knight, Richard de Sudberry, rector of Crofton (county York), and Richard Pygot of Hokelowe. Witnesses: William Woderove of Hope, Robert Eyre, forester, John Kyrkeyard, and Richard de Baggeschawe.²
     According to the Agincourt Roll Richard Abney was among the soldiers from Eyam and Hope parishes of Derbyshire who sailed with King Henry V to Normandy on 11 Aug 1415 and fought in the Battle of Agincourt October 25th (St. Crispin's Day): Peter Leche (of Chatsworth), Ralph Leche, George de la Pole, Roger Barlee (Barlow). These were lancers. The archers were, amongst others; John de Grendon, Robert de Lee, Roger Halgethorpe, William Halgethorpe, Adam Wylughby (Willoughby), Roger Thornhill, Richard Cobb, Wilford de Lee, John de Marpole (Marple), Roger Clough, Richard Abney, Hugh Bagshawe, John Staveley, John Halley, Thomas Ward, Thomas Wybbersley, Thurston Halley, John Hide, Richard Botham, John Calton, Thomas Mellar, Richard Tailoure, Roger Tailoure, Robert Wright, Oliver Bradshawe, Thurstan Godbehere, Dionisius Rylee, John Gretrakes, James Redyman, John Harper, John Halley, Fulke de Sutton, John Daukyn, Edmund Tailour, John de Hethecote, William de Glossop, Richard Heyre (Eyre), William de Hallows and Nicholas de Walton.
     The name of Richard Abney is listed as an archer below that of Peter Leche of Chatsworth, a lancer, who was probably lord of the manor where Abney lived.
     The archers who left England for France in 1415 were people who had been contracted by the king (mercenaries) and who fought for pay, booty and glory. Between the ages of 15 and 25, an archer had to have great strength to pull an English longbow. They gained this strength through compulsory daily practice; there was a law that every adult male had to practice archery on a Sunday, so serious was medieval archery. Most medieval men were soldiers at some point or other, because of their obligations to their lord or because they were the lord of the manor. The fact that Richard Abney was an archer indicates his postion in society. Neither Lord nor peasant, he was of the new "middle class" of farmers or Yeomen, who were called upon to provide military service for the King. The total strength of this contengent was 18 knights and 43 archers. This out of a total of 2,000 knights and 8,000 archers in Henry's army.
     The battle of Agincourt became famous for the rout of a much larger French army of about 30,000 by a much smaller, lightly clad, English force, whose archers were the battle winners. On the French side the slaughter was enormous with an estimated 1,500 knights and 5,000 men-at-arms, killed, whilst the losses of the English army have been set at 300. We know that it was Henry's archers that were the main reason for this massive defeat of the French army. The long bow used by the English archers had won the day. It is said that the two fingered salute (the 'V sign') originated at this time. English bowman, captured by the French, would have the two fingers, used to draw the bow, cut off. The 'V sign' was said to have been given by the English to the French at Agincourt to show that they still had two fingers to draw their bows.
     Henry returned to England on 16th November 1415.³
     Richard ABNEY died before 1468 in Eyam Parish, Derbyshire, England.¹