Henry VII and Retaining Retaining involved magnates taking men into their service, generally involving the payment of fees and sometimes the granting of a distinctive badge or uniform (livery). This practice served the king, in that it allowed him to recruit armies more easily, by making contracts with leading magnates who then provided their retinues for service with the king's army for a specified time. However, it did allow magnates to retain what were, in …
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…Henry VII, e.g.: 1491 - Sir Nicholas Vaux prosecuted for illegally retaining 5 men 1504 - the earl of Northumberland was indicted for illegal retaining (the case was dismissed) There were also some high profile cases later in the reign, e.g. involving the prosecution of Henry's ally, the earl of Oxford and Lord Burgavenny, who was heavily fined in 1507 for keeping an illegal retinue in Kent (Burgavenny had a long history of violent disorder in Kent).