What does squire mean during medieval Europe?
A squire is a knight in training. This training had three
stages. At around the age of seven the son of a noble who was
headed for a military life would have become a page. A page was the
servant of a knight, and was assigned simple duties such as
carrying messages, running errands, cleaning and polishing the
knight's gear and armor, etc. At the same time the page would be
receiving a basic education, including areas such as manners,
heraldry, basic horsemanship, and perhaps the very rudiments of
weapons and combat.
At around the age of 14 a page became a squire. He was still in
the service of a knght, but his duties became much more overtly
military. The squire cared for his master's horses, armor, and
weapons. He accompanied the knight to tournaments, or in the case
of war to the battlefield. The squire was, at least in theory,
obligated to rescue or ransom the knight if captured, and see to
his honorable burial if killed. It was very possible for squires to
be engaging in actual combat, and their training focused on
practical military arts.
At the age of 21 a squire might become a knight, but this was
not automatic. No all sons of the aristocracy were suited to a
military life, and over time it become increasingly acceptable for
a noble to "buy out" his obligated military service with a cash
payment. Some squires remained squires for life, living off the
proceeds of their lands and paying cash fees to avoid active
military service.