Q: Did people really go around armed?

According to the Hollywood trope, everyone walked around with a sword on their hip (or on their back) during the Middle Ages. The question arises if there is any historical basis for it. The Statute of Northampton (Edward III) prohibited all persons from going about armed, unless it was for the purpose of keeping the peace or performing their sworn duty to the king. Penalties ranged from confiscation to imprisonment. As the law was re-enacted at least 3 times by the year 1400, it would seem that it was not very well heeded.

On 20 Feb 1450, the sheriffs of London and Middlesex, and Surrey and Sussex were ordered to proclaim that no one bear arms or armour within those counties henceforth. A lord, knight, or “notable squire” (notabilis armiger) might have a single sword carried behind him by a servant, but was not to wear it on their person in public.

Coventry ordained in 1452 that no one was to wear the custrel (heavy dagger) or the long hanger (single-handed sword) except when riding in or out of the city. Ordinances enacted in Leicester in 1467 prohibited anyone from wearing arms or armour within the town unless it was in support of the mayor. As proclaimed in other areas, knights and squires could have their swords carried behind them. Country folk entering the town armed were to leave their weapons at their inns.

Conversely, the other Hollywood trope seen in many films is that only rich nobles could afford a sword, which meant that virtually no one who was not a knight could hope to own one. Sir John Fortesque (died in 1467) wrote in his treatise The Governance of England:

National security depends on the armed commoner. One of the first principles of state is that even men of humble birth should be rich enough to buy bows, arrows, and other military equipment. It is common for the king to have the commons mustered once a year. The English commons were strong, healthy, tough, and well able to buy arms, unlike the French peasant who could not afford them and was too sickly to use them.

[Sources: Statutes of the Realm, ed. J. Caley, W. Elliott, et alii. 12 vols. (London: Record Commission, 1810-1828), 1: 258; 2: 10, 35, and 92-93. T. Rymer (ed.), Foeders, conventions, litterae, et cuiusque generis acta publica. 10 vols. (3rd ed.; The Hague: J. Neaulme, 1739-1745), 5,2: 22. M.D. Harris (ed.), The Coventry Leet Book. 4 parts (London: Early English Text Society, 1907-1913), 2: 272 M. Bateson et alii (edd.), Records of the Borough of Leicester. 4 vols. (London: Clay, 1899-1923), 2: 287. Fortescue, Sir John, The Governance of England, ed. C. Plummer (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1885), pp. 137-138.]