Maire-Knight
A Maire-Knight (female: Mairesse-Knight) is a dubbed Knight who also holds the civic office of mayor over a chartered settlement in the Kingdom of Akerlan. Appointed by a Baron, Count, or Margrave—and confirmed by the ducal chancery—the Maire-Knight serves as both military captain and civil magistrate for a town or large village. The post is non-hereditary and usually tenured for life or at the pleasure of the appointing lord. In precedence, a Maire-Knight stands above ordinary untitled knights but below hereditary Lord-Knights and baronets.
By merging the chivalric obligations of a Knight with the administrative responsibilities of a mayor, the Maire-Knight or Mairesse-Knight provides Akerlan’s towns with disciplined leadership, swift justice, and an immediate military backbone—ensuring that even beyond the castle walls, the King’s peace is guarded by trained steel.
By merging the chivalric obligations of a Knight with the administrative responsibilities of a mayor, the Maire-Knight or Mairesse-Knight provides Akerlan’s towns with disciplined leadership, swift justice, and an immediate military backbone—ensuring that even beyond the castle walls, the King’s peace is guarded by trained steel.
Duties
Urban Governance – Chairs the Council of Burgesses, issues bylaws, licences markets, and oversees guild regulation.
Law & Order – Commands the town watch, sits as chief judge in the Court of Burgesses, and may sentence up to a one-year gaol term or levy fines not exceeding twenty silver crowns. Capital cases are forwarded to the comital assize.
Military Readiness – Maintains an armoury, drills the militia, and provides a contingent of 40–80 infantry plus 5–10 cavalry when the liege lord calls the levy.
Tax Collection – Assesses hearth tax and craft dues, forwarding stipulated shares to the county exchequer while retaining the municipal portion for works and salaries.
Infrastructure & Welfare – Oversees upkeep of walls, gates, wells, bridges, and the town granary; organises relief during fire, flood, or siege.
Representation – Acts as the settlement’s voice at the baronial court, sues or defends in the town’s name, and hosts travelling officials and dignitaries.
Law & Order – Commands the town watch, sits as chief judge in the Court of Burgesses, and may sentence up to a one-year gaol term or levy fines not exceeding twenty silver crowns. Capital cases are forwarded to the comital assize.
Military Readiness – Maintains an armoury, drills the militia, and provides a contingent of 40–80 infantry plus 5–10 cavalry when the liege lord calls the levy.
Tax Collection – Assesses hearth tax and craft dues, forwarding stipulated shares to the county exchequer while retaining the municipal portion for works and salaries.
Infrastructure & Welfare – Oversees upkeep of walls, gates, wells, bridges, and the town granary; organises relief during fire, flood, or siege.
Representation – Acts as the settlement’s voice at the baronial court, sues or defends in the town’s name, and hosts travelling officials and dignitaries.
Benefits
Mayoral Stipend – 120–180 silver crowns paid quarterly from municipal revenues.
Residency & Holdings – Occupies the Maison du Maire, a fortified townhouse with attached stables and a two-acre kitchen garden; exempt from rent and hearth tax.
Judicial Immunity – Immune from arrest by town bailiffs; may appeal directly to the Count’s court.
Toll & Market Rights – Collects a personal tenth of gate tolls on livestock brought in for weekly markets.
Heraldic Augmentation – Permitted to impale (combine side-by-side) personal arms with the town’s, separated by a golden key symbolising civic authority.
Professional Advancement – After ten years of satisfactory service a Maire-Knight may petition for elevation to baronetcy or for a life lease on adjacent lands.
Residency & Holdings – Occupies the Maison du Maire, a fortified townhouse with attached stables and a two-acre kitchen garden; exempt from rent and hearth tax.
Judicial Immunity – Immune from arrest by town bailiffs; may appeal directly to the Count’s court.
Toll & Market Rights – Collects a personal tenth of gate tolls on livestock brought in for weekly markets.
Heraldic Augmentation – Permitted to impale (combine side-by-side) personal arms with the town’s, separated by a golden key symbolising civic authority.
Professional Advancement – After ten years of satisfactory service a Maire-Knight may petition for elevation to baronetcy or for a life lease on adjacent lands.
Accoutrements & Equipment
Chain of Office – Heavy bronze chain set with enamelled shields of the town’s device, bearing at its centre a golden key suspended over crossed swords. Worn at courts, parades, and executions.
Maireal Baton – Ebony rod tipped with iron ferrules, carved with the motto Custos et Dux (“Guardian and Leader” used to open council sessions and to muster the watch.
Tabard of Office – Sleeveless surcoat in the town’s colours quartered by the Knight’s personal arms; double-lined so the wearer can reverse it for campaign duty.
Field Harness – Standard knightly mail or half-plate with a painted rondel on the left shoulder displaying the golden key. Helm crests are limited to a single plume in the town’s dominant tincture.
Town Guard Livery – The watch wears kettle-helms, padded jacks dyed in municipal colours, and arm-badges featuring the Maire-Knight’s key-and-sword badge.
Seal-Matrix – Circular brass seal (5 cm) showing town walls surmounted by a key; required to validate bylaws, tax receipts, and militia orders.
War-Pennon – Triangular flag (0.8 m) bearing the town arms enfessed with a silver key; flown on the Maire-Knight’s lance or from the gatehouse during alarms.
Maireal Baton – Ebony rod tipped with iron ferrules, carved with the motto Custos et Dux (“Guardian and Leader” used to open council sessions and to muster the watch.
Tabard of Office – Sleeveless surcoat in the town’s colours quartered by the Knight’s personal arms; double-lined so the wearer can reverse it for campaign duty.
Field Harness – Standard knightly mail or half-plate with a painted rondel on the left shoulder displaying the golden key. Helm crests are limited to a single plume in the town’s dominant tincture.
Town Guard Livery – The watch wears kettle-helms, padded jacks dyed in municipal colours, and arm-badges featuring the Maire-Knight’s key-and-sword badge.
Seal-Matrix – Circular brass seal (5 cm) showing town walls surmounted by a key; required to validate bylaws, tax receipts, and militia orders.
War-Pennon – Triangular flag (0.8 m) bearing the town arms enfessed with a silver key; flown on the Maire-Knight’s lance or from the gatehouse during alarms.
Type
Civic, Military, Commissioned
Form of Address
Direct: “Sir/Dame Maire [Surname]” or “Sir/Dame [Given Name]”
Written: Sir/Dame N. N., Maire-Knight/Mairesse-Knight of [Village]
Third person: “The Knight-Mayor of [Village]”
Written: Sir/Dame N. N., Maire-Knight/Mairesse-Knight of [Village]
Third person: “The Knight-Mayor of [Village]”
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