C 16th Musters &
C 17th Protestations

The single most formidable weapon of medieval England was the simple longbow, with the archer that wielded it. These were 6’ feet long, made of English yew, and all males from the age of about 8 or 9 were required practice every Sunday, at the village butts . This training was under the tutorledge of an expert archer, often a soldier too old to go to war but able to pass on his skills.

By the time they reached adulthood the ordinary men of England had received many years of training and could let fly arrows at a rate of about one every 7 seconds.

Before a battle each archer would be given 60 or 70 arrows. They could sustain this rate of fire for only about 6 minutes, before their hand and arm muscles were too tired to continue. But the rain of arrows they created caused serious casualties to the enemy and their expertise made the English army a considerable opponent.

Muster for Cornwall 1569

Men between the ages of 16 and 60 were recorded however only the hundreds of Powder, Pydar , West and East limited themselves to able men.
The other hundreds included unable men.
There are 4 missing parishes thought to be combined as follows:
Temple with Blisland, Tremaine with Egloskerry, Trewen with South Petherwin and Callington with South Hill.

A man with wages over £5 a certain amount of weaponry/armour had to be provided.
For a man with goods over £10 the same applied bow arrows and bill being the lowest contribution.
A man at the higher end of society with goods over £400 or an income of over 100 marks anyone with an estate / park , was expected to supply his own horse.

In 1569 the Privy Council issued a directive to the counties to hold a general muster of all men between 16 and 60. In each parish sworn presenters (usually chosen from the more important parishioners), were responsible for recording all horses, armour and weapons kept by individuals, and for the listing of all able men and their likely military occupation. With just 25 parishes missing, this Devon Muster Roll contains 17,778 names, and is one of the best preserved county rolls of that period.

For wages over £5 a certain amount of weaponry/armour had to be provided. For goods over £10 the same applied bow arrows and bill being the lowest contribution rising to furnishing horses at the higher end with goods over £400 or an income of over 100 marks anyone with a park was expected to supply horse.

= = = = = = = =

Key:

G6 - £20 to £40 – 2 almain rivets, 1 bow, 1 sheaf of arrows, 1 steel cap, 1 bill
G7 - £10 to £20 – 1 almain rivet, 2 bows, 2 sheafs of arrows, 2 steel cap, 1 bill
L10 - £5 to £10 – 1 almain rivet, 1 bow, 1 sheaf of arrows, 1 steel cap, 1 bill

Abilties

a or ar = archer, b = billman, h (or g) = harquebusier p = pikeman additional “a” such as “a ar” is better than able

Common abbreviations include: harq = harquebut, pr = pair, sh.arr = sheaf of arrows, alm.rivet = almayne armour, fur = furnished

source OPC Cornwall

Muster for Cornwall 1569

Parish Forename Surname

Austell, St. Thomas POMERYE More info

Cardinham Wm POMERYE More info

Kenwyn Thomas PENAYRE More info

Keverne, St. John PENNARE More info

Michaelstow Elysaunder POMERYE More info

Michaelstow John POMERYE More info

Neot, St. Pasco POMERYE More info

Pillaton John POMEROY More info

Saltash, Thomas POMERY More info

1569 Hundred: East Parish:
Saltash, Thomas POMERY Ability: a b Weaponry: bill

Stithians John Penmener More info

Stithians Phelip Penmener More info

Tywardreath John Pomery More info

Hundred: Powder Parish: Tywardreath Muster Location: Trewardrethe

Name: John Pomery Ability: a b Weaponry: maryner )mariner)

1567 Muster

Thomas Pomerye - Abbotsham - 2 miles from Bideford in North Devon, quite close to Landcross

Thomas Pomeroy Landcross, Bideford

Thomas Pomery - Halberton, Tiverton East Devon

William Pomerye - Merton, Okehampton

Robert & John Pomery - Topsham (East Devon on Exe estuary and a significant port)

Richard (?)urary - Stokeinteignhead, Newton Abbot

Henry Pomerey & Hercules Pomery - Berry Pomeroy, Totnes - men of means recorded as G7

John Pomerey - Yealmpton: ( Close to Plymouth)

John Pomerey G7- Ashwater ( Mid Devon) G7 indicates a man of means

Ralph Pomerye - Whitchurch, Tavistock

Thomas Pomerye G6 Also John Pomerye and Christopher Pomery - Honiton East Devon

Thomas Pomery - Holbeton (near Plympton St Mary west of the Erme estuary, & Newton Ferrers 4 miles S.W. by W. from Modbury)

Andrew Pomerey gent. & Andrew ( his grandson )- Newton Ferrers, Nr Plymouth - Collaton Manor

Henry Pomeroy of Totnes death & Probate 1575 PCC Will

Muster Roll for Northam (1569) GENUKI Muster Rools 1569 Transcribed by David Carter 202

Source: The Devon Muster Roll for 1569. Edited by T. L. Stoate and A. J. Howard (1977).

Transcribers notes:
Mustering in this period, meant little more than a display and inspection of men and equipment, since it was the obligation of every man to bear arms on home defence.

During Queen Elizabeth’s reign there was often the threat of a Spanish invasion, and in 1567 a strong Spanish army established in the Netherlands constituted a real threat to England.

In 1569 the Privy Council issued a directive to the counties to hold a general muster of all men between 16 and 60. In each parish sworn presenters (usually chosen from the more important parishioners), were responsible for recording all horses, armour and weapons kept by individuals, and for the listing of all able men and their likely military occupation. With just 25 parishes missing, this Devon Muster Roll contains 17,778 names, and is one of the best preserved county rolls of that period.

For wages over £5 a certain amount of weaponry/armour had to be provided. For goods over £10 the same applied bow arrows and bill being the lowest contribution rising to furnishing horses at the higher end with goods over £400 or an income of over 100 marks anyone with a park was expected to supply horse.

= = = = = = = =

Key:

G6 - £20 to £40 – 2 almain rivets, 1 bow, 1 sheaf of arrows, 1 steel cap, 1 bill
 G7 - £10 to £20 – 1 almain rivet, 2 bows, 2 sheafs of arrows, 2 steel cap, 1 bill L10 - £5 to £10 – 1 almain rivet, 1 bow, 1 sheaf of arrows, 1 steel cap, 1 bill Harqu –
Harquebuts Cors – steel Corslet ; Almain rivet – flexible plate armour

Transcript: Presenters Sworn: Christopher Burye William Leighe Richard Westcombe Thomas Frenche
John Borough – G7 + 1 cors ;
William Lighe – G6 + 2 harqu, 1 cors; 
William Vallet – G6 + 3 harqu, 1 cors ;
William Wolrudge – L 10 ;
John Titherley – L10 + 1 harqu; 
Richard Westcombe – L10 + 2 harqu ;
John Whiston – L10 ;
Richard Braunton – L10 ;
Christopher Burye – G7 ;
John Dodacot – G7 ;
John Willet – G7 ;
Francis Yeo – G7 ;
Roger Beryman – G7 ;
William Heymon – G7 ;
Thomas Frenche – G7; 
Peter Boroughe – G7 + 1 harqu ;
John Bonde – G7

The inhabitants not specially charged by the saide Statute of Armor are accessed by the said Comissioners to fynde and maynteyne at theire Comune charge 2 corslets, 2 pikes, 2 cavaliers, 2 murrions.

 The names of all thabell menne mustered within the saide marishe of Northam.

Archers: 
Richard Bennet ;John Blackmor ;William Blackmor ;Walter Boroughe junr ;Thomas Cade ;John Clatforde; 
Peter Collomor ;Thomas Collomor J;ohn Edwards; John Garland ;Thomas Hanger; John Harries ;David Heard ;
John Hernaman ;John Hiphey junr; William Kente ;John Molle ;Humphrey Sampson ;George Strange ;John Thorne ;
John Titherligh junr; John Tracye ;Thomas Upcott ;William Vallet junr ;Thomas Westcot junr; John Whiston

Harquebusiers: Thomas Beryman ;Walter Beryman; Giles Bremrudge ;Peter Boroughe; Mark Daracotte; John Forde ;
John Guyon; Robert Hanford ;William Hearde ;John Kinge junr ;Roger Prance; Bartholomew Redler;

Pikemen: Walter Bennet ;John Bickner ;James Corner ;Thomas Garlonde ;Richard

Billmen: Miles Crascombe ;Adam Edwards ;James Gibbe ;Nicholas Lowe; Henry Slowman ;William Stevens;
Thomas Whiston

C 16th Musters & C 17th Protestations

C 16th Musters &
C 17th Protestations