What was a squires duties?

Answer 1

A squire is essentially an apprentice knight (although people of the period would not use the term apprentice). The squire would care for his knight's weapons, armor, and horses. He would help the knight don weapons and armor. In real war the squire could end up fighting on the battlefield with the knight, or performing duties like holding prisoners taken in battle. The squire was charged with rescuing (or ransoming) the knight if captured, and to see he received proper burial if killed.

In peace time or tournaments they had duties such as carrying the knights banner, providing additional weapons or horses to the knight if they were damaged/injured in the tournament, and running errands as needed.

Squired would also receive formal training in military arts, as they would be preparing for knighthood themselves, typically around age 21.

Later in the medieval period, a growing number of squires never made the transition for squire to knight. As the practice of scutage, which is paying cash to a feudal lord in place of military service, became more common, it was recognized that not all aristocrats had the talents or temperament for life as a warrior. As a result the lord of a particular village was sometimes simply a squire rather than a full knight, and over time the title squire came to refer simply to a gentleman, or in post-medieval times a member of the landed gentry, or a local official such as justice of the peace.