What is a Squire exactly?
The English word squire comes from the Old French escuier (modern French écuyer), itself derived from the Late Latin scutarius (“shield bearer”). The Classical Latin equivalent was armiger, ‘arms bearer’. A squire was originally a young man who aspired to the rank of knighthood and who, as part of his development to that end, served an existing knight as his attendant or shield carrier (hence the name). However, during the middle ages the rank of esquire came to be recognized in its own right and, once knighthood ceased to be conferred by any but the monarch, it was no longer to be assumed that any esquire would in due course progress to be a knight. The connection between a squire and any particular knight also ceased to exist, as did any shield carrying duties. An Esquire or Squire then became nothing more than the holder of a certain social rank or status.
