Collated by Mary Mason.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, attention was
given to `national defence`.
The Constables of each Hundred were supposed to
take the most robust men, twice a year for training, in order to defend the
realm `in the hour of need`. These men were in addition to the regular soldiers
and became known as the `Militia`.
Steps were taken to promote the forging of
armour at home and supplies were also obtained from abroad. Attention was given
to the supply of horses that should be maintained and kept in readiness for
muster and enquiries were made as to the number of parks in the county with the
capacity for horse breeding and rearing.
In 1569 during the 11th year of
Elizabeth I, a list of Musters was drawn up. The Somerset Count was taken by
Hugh Paulet, Maurice Berkeley, Raffe Hopton and John Horner.
The Musters lists contain the names of the
Militia men in the parish and the weapons that they carried. They also listed
all the parks, and the names of all the gentleman with the armour and horses
provided by or due from them.
Hundred of Portbury.
Tithing of Wraxall.
Ablemen.
John Louse.. pikeman
Thos Allen..pikeman
Fernando Nayler.. gunner
William Lett ..archer
John Rede (Reed)..billman
William Bonell..pikeman
Robert Tinte..archer
John Porter..billman
Simon Waterman..archer
Richard Arthur..billman
Richard Weatherley..archer
Edward Mayes..billman
Henry Powell..pikeman
John Herne..pikeman
Thomas Mayes..billman
Thomas Rychard..pikeman
John Coxe..billman
John May.. archer
Richard Cred..pikeman
John Wilmote..billman
John Somers..archer
Richard Dickenson..billman
John Wilmotte..archer
Thomas More..billman
Robert Bryant.. pikeman
John Parsons..archer
Robert Swatte..billman
Henry Paine..archer
Thomas Maundrell..pikeman
Roger Freman..gunner
John Wittinge..archer
John Horssington..billman.
Edmonde Williams..archer
Edmunde Capull..pekeman
William Potterell..billman
Roger Bawll..archer
William Sharpe..billman
Jas Chester..archer
Edmonde Wilmote..pikeman
William Willinge..billman
George Whitinge..archer
Thomas Parsons..billman
Robert Aprice..archer
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one pair of
almaine rivets, one bow and one sheaf of arrows.
George Percyvall, gent, one corslet furnished,
one paire of almaine rivets, one harquebutt, one bow and one sheaf of arrows
furnished.
Robert James, a paire of almaine rivets, one
bow and one sheaf of arrows.
Tithing of Tickenham.
Ableman.
William Hedges..pikeman
William Davis..gunner
Thomas Phillips..billman
John Phillips..archer
John Russell..billman
Thomas Nethway..pikeman
John Baillie..archer
Raffe Marrett..billman
John Feyry..pikeman
Roger George..archer
John Saunders..billman
Edward Morgan..archer
John Thoms..billman
Richard Yevans..archer
Edward Pope..billman
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets, a bow and a sheaf of arrows.
Tithing of Clevedon
Ableman
John Preston..pikeman
Thomas Yonge..gunner
John Dorock..archer
Thomas Gillinge..billman
John Sporewik..archer
Richard Hayward..billman
Robert Diggingses..archer
John Villowse..pikeman
Richard Mascall..billman
John Dier..archer
John Younge..billman
Thomas Lyne..archer
John Parson..billman
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets, a bow and a sheaf of arrows.
Tithing of Easton
Ableman
Robert Longe..light horseman
Thomas Spore..archer
John Lullett..gunner
William George..billman
William Stephens..pikeman
Robert Davis..archer
Olyver Potterell..billman
Thomas Meredith..pikeman
Thomas Helye..archer
Edward Aprice..billman
Richard Wade..archer
John Robins..billman
Robert Williams..archer
John Gregory..billman
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets furnished.
Francis Stradlinge, gent, a light geldinge
furnished, one corslet, and one harquebut furnished.
Richard Morgan, gent, one corslet, one paire of
almaine rivets, and one harquebut furnished.
Tithing of Portbury.
Ablemen
Richard Hardinge..pikeman
William Dymock..gunner
Robert Graiell..archer
Nicholas Simes..billman
Robert Androes..archer
John Walker..gunner
John Bynye..pikeman
Thomas Pascall..billman
Thomas Geynard..archer
Lewes Gainerd..billman
William Symmes..archer
John Welshe..gunner
John Frier..billman
John Ward..pikeman
William Knight..archer
John Robyns..billman
James Williams..archer
Thomas Porter..billman
Henry Mathewe..pikeman
William Parker..archer
Marten Jones..billman
John Saunders..archer
Thomas Hobbes..billman
Armour.
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets furnished, a bow and sheaf of arrows.
Tithing of Porteshead and Weston.
Richard Scalpard..pikeman
Thomas Wilkins..archer
Heugh Jones..billman
Thomas Jones..archer
Morgan Hiscoxe..billman
William Porter..archer
Richard Morris..billman
John Chappell..archer
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets furnished.
John Percivall, gent, one corslet, one
harquebutt, one bow and one sheaf of arrows.
Tithing of Clapton
Robert Jenkins..pikeman
John Mylles..billman
John Cotterell..gunner
John Hippisley..archer
William Kinge..billman
John Broke..archer
William Atley..billman
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets furnished, a bow and sheaf of arrows.
Thomas Arthur, gent, a corslet, and a paire of
almaine rivets furnished.
Tithing of Walton
Ableman
Robert Gillinge..pikeman
Thomas Allen..archer
John Nethway..billman
John Offer..archer
John Geyner..billman
Jenkin Benam..archer
Armour.
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets furnished.
Tithing of Lighe. (Abbots Leigh)
Ablemen
Thomas Coxe..light horseman
Robert Longe..light horseman
John Roche..gunner
Nicholas Caffe..gunner
Thomas Saunders..pikeman
Thomas Roche..billman
John Silvester..archer
William Roche..billman
John Phelps..archer
Armour
One tethinge corslet furnished, one paire of
almaine rivets furnished.
George Newton, knight, one great horse with a
demilance, two light geldings furnished, eight corslets, three paire of almaine
rivets, two harquebutts, three bows and three sheafs of arrows furnished.
Over and besides the armour aforesaid there is
in readiness within the said Hundred.
iij corslets and v calivers.
Sum total of the ableman within the saide
Hundred. cxxxix
Whereof
Light horseman….iij
Pikeman…………xxv
Archers………….I
Billman………….I
Gunners…….….xj
Sum of the armor within the saide Hundred.
Light geldings… iij
Corsletts………..xxv
Almaine rivets….xvj
Calivers…………xj
Parks.
Wraxall in the keeping of …..Gorge, esquire,
being in compass two myles….ij mares.
Tithing of Winford
Ablemen
Jeffery Baly..pikeman
John Horte..billman
Thomas Lighte..billman
Richard Rooe..billman
Laverens Hannam..billman
John Hannam..archer
Robert Kinge..archer
Richard Hering..archer
John Kinge..billman
John Allen..billman
William Peres..pikeman
Thomas Crossman..billman
Thomas Whythed..billman
Robert Tovye..billman
John Smethe..billman
Armour
One tithing corslet, a pair of almain rivets
furnished.
In the same tithing, a coat of plate, iij bills
with swords, daggers.
Tything of Ayston
Ablemen
Thomas Cable..archer
William Phelpes..archer
Thomas Phelpes..billman
Robert Preston..billman
John Thacher..billman
William Newlan..billman
Richard Large..pikeman
Robert Spore..pikeman
Thomas Astridge..lighthorseman
John Dedmed..gunner
Henry Mede..lighhorseman
Henry Jenynges..gunner
Richard Harrys..billman
John Martin..billman
John Dagge..archer
Thomas Wigott..archer
William Smethe..pikeman
Armour
One tithing corslet, ij pair of almain rivets
furnished.
Heughe Smethe, esquire, one great horse with
demi-lance, ij corslets, ij one paire of almain rivets furnished, ij geldings
for light horsemen furnished, ij harquebuts.
Hughe Browke, ij corslets, one gelding for a
light horseman furnished, i harquebut.
Tristram Dillington, gent, a corslet.
Tithing of Bedminster
Ablemen
Henry Grainfelde..pikeman
Thomas Symons..billman
John Prince..billman
Thomas Bryant..billman
John Locke..billman
Edward Bye..billman
Arthur Jones..archer
William Smethe..archer
William Worry..archer
John Norman..archer
William Strange..archer
John Harbard..billman
Samson Parker..pikeman
John Broke..pikeman
Armour
One tithing corslet, one paire of almain rivets
furnished.
Henry Sampford, a corslet
Roger Kemis, gent, a paire of almain rivets
furnished.
In the same tithing ij bills.
Tithing of Barrow
Ablemen.
William Hort..pikeman
John Hort..archer
William Stephens..billman
John Consell..billman
Nicholas Browke..billman
Walter Stephens..billman
John Hyndlad..archer
Richard Thomas..archer
William Gevens..archer
John Rewe..archer
Thomas Nicholas..billman
Hugh Mower..billman
Armour
One tithing corslet, a paire of almain rivets
furnished, a coat of plate furnished.
Thomas Harrys, a bow with arrows.
Tithing of Backwell
Ablemen.
John Mower..pikeman
Arthur Pekepursse..billman
Roger Miller..pikeman
John Hilssey..pikeman
John Coke..billman
Richard Witcott..billman
Lewse Jones..billman
John Parsons..billman
John Edson..billman
William Smethe..archer
Armour.
One tithing corslet, a paire of almain rivets
furnished.
Richard Dibdon, a corslet.
In the same tithing, one paire of almain
rivets.
Tithing of Butcombe.
Ablemen.
John Vowles..archer
Thomas Thaher..billman
Edmond Villet..billman
Thomas Wallys..billman
John Austyn..archer
John Hypeslye..archer
William Hyperlye..pikeman
Andrew Frye..gunner
Armour
One tithing corslet, a paire of almain rivets
furnished.
Thomas Baker & Thomas Willyt: ijbows ij
sheafs of arrows, with swords.
Over and besides the armour aforesaid, there is
in readiness in the said Hundred: v calivers & iiij corslets.
Sum of the ablemen in the said Hundred and
Liberty with the Burgh of Axbridge: xcix.
Whereof
Gunners…..viij
Pikeman..…xx
Archers…..xxxj
Billman..…xviij
Light horseman..iij
Sum of the armour in the said Hundred.
Calivers…..viij
Corslets…..xx
Almain rivets…..xiij
Geldings for light horsemen…..iij.
…………………………