I’m doing a research project on the modernization of individualism and social mobility during the Hundred Years’ War. Is there any primary source contract or indenture calling for troops for either the English or the French detailing pay/compensation and service length?
Thanks!
Well, as for the English soldiers, you can check the standard database called The Soldiers in Later Medieval England.
Their introduction on the battle of Agincourt includes some basic information on raising armies in England during the hundred years war, together with the reference to the original indenture document. You can also refer to its French counterpart.
What you have to do is essentially to "decipher" abbreviated reference into the actual holding archive and their reference number, I suppose.
To give an example, note 1 of this article (in p. 24) provides the convention of the abbreviated reference mentioned in the notes: Craig Lambert (2017) Henry V and the crossing to France: reconstructing naval operations for the Agincourt campaign, 1415, Journal of Medieval History, 43:1, 24-39, DOI: 10.1080/03044181.2016.1236503
The notes will show that "TNA" (or "PRO" in older publication) is the abbreviation of UK's National Archive. Then, make use of the reference no. or other relevant information found in the note or database to find the actual original document in question.