Robert Fastolf
Man-at-Arms (1377 – 1416)
Basic Information
Full Name: Robert Fastolf
Birth Year: 1377
Birthplace: Near Nottingham, England
Current Year (Persona): 1416
Current Age: 39
Social Standing: Veteran Man-at-Arms
Affiliations: Fowey Gallants (former); Retinues and garrisons in England and France; English Army at Agincourt
Notable: Continues to wear his late father's armour and shield as a mark of respect.
Timeline
1377 – c. 1395 (Origins & Early Training)
Born near Nottingham, son of a man-at-arms who later fought at the Battle of Margate (1387). Trained rigorously in swordsmanship and the practical skills of a fighting man under his father's instruction.
c. 1395 – c. 1403 (The Fowey Gallants)
Joined the Fowey Gallants at about eighteen. Lived as a privateer and sometime pirate based out of Fowey, fighting shipboard skirmishes and raids during the Hundred Years' War.
c. 1403 – 1404 (Man-at-Arms & Blackpool Sands)
Entered formal service as a man-at-arms alongside his father. Fought at the Battle of Blackpool (Slapton) Sands in May 1404, where his father was killed in action. Robert took up his father's armour and shield thereafter.
1405 – 1414 (Service Between Campaigns)
Likely served in various garrisons or retinues, as was typical for experienced soldiers in quieter years.
1415 (The Agincourt Campaign)
Joined King Henry V's expedition to France. Served dismounted as a man-at-arms at the Battle of Agincourt (25 October), enduring the march and the harsh fighting in the English victory.
1416 (Present Day)
Thirty-nine-year-old veteran, his character forged by long service. Continues to wear his father's armour in honour of his memory and the family's martial legacy.
Detailed Narrative
Origins & Early Training (1377 – c. 1395)
Born in 1377 near Nottingham, Robert Fastolf was the son of a man-at-arms. His early life was shaped by the martial environment of his family and the ongoing conflicts of the era. His father, a soldier who later fought at the Battle of Margate in 1387, provided Robert with rigorous training in swordsmanship and the practical skills of a fighting man from a young age. This paternal tutelage laid the foundation for Robert's future as a soldier.
The Fowey Gallants (c. 1395 – c. 1403)
At about eighteen, Robert sought his own path and joined the notorious Fowey Gallants. Operating from the Cornish port of Fowey, they engaged in privateering and at times outright piracy, targeting French shipping and other vessels amid the Hundred Years' War. For roughly eight years Robert lived the dangerous and unpredictable life of a sea‑rover, honing his combat skills in shipboard skirmishes and learning the harsh realities of maritime conflict.
Man-at-Arms & The Battle of Blackpool Sands (c. 1403 – 1404)
Around 1403, Robert transitioned to formal service as a man-at-arms, joining his father. This period culminated tragically at the Battle of Blackpool (Slapton) Sands in Devon in May 1404, where English forces repelled a French amphibious raid. Robert's father was killed in action. Deeply affected, Robert took up his father's armour and shield, wearing them henceforth as a mark of respect and a continuation of his family's martial legacy.
The Agincourt Campaign & Beyond (1405 – 1416)
Following his father's death, Robert continued his career as a man-at-arms. While specifics between 1405 and 1414 are not detailed, experienced soldiers commonly found employment in garrisons or retinues during lulls in major campaigning. In 1415, aged thirty‑eight, he joined King Henry V's expedition to France and served dismounted at the Battle of Agincourt on October 25th. Enduring the arduous march and brutal fighting, he stood among the English who achieved a famous victory against a larger French army.
As of 1416, Robert Fastolf is a thirty‑nine‑year‑old veteran, his character and skills forged by years of conflict. He continues to wear his father's armour, a testament to his past and enduring commitment to the life of a soldier.