Copy 1, Volume 1

A topographical history of Surrey / By Edward Wedlake Brayley, assisted by John Britton, and E. W. Brayley, jun. The geological section by Gideon Mantell. The illustrative department under the superintendence of Thomas Allom.

  • Edward William Brayley
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A topographical history of Surrey / By Edward Wedlake Brayley, assisted by John Britton, and E. W. Brayley, jun. The geological section by Gideon Mantell. The illustrative department under the superintendence of Thomas Allom. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    relating to levies of men, and other military arrangements made in Surrey on this momentous occasion. “ The Instructions from the Council to the Deputy-Lieutenant, and others, relative to the Musters in Surrey, prescribed that Horsemen should especially be supplied for the defence of the realm. Every man appointed to keep horses for demi-lances, was to have in readiness for every demi- lance a sufficient horse, or a very large gelding, with a strong leather harness, and a steel or strong-bolstered saddle; the arms for the rider were a demi-lance, staff, sword, and dagger. The light horsemen to be armed with a case of pistols. A return was made from each Hundred of the name of every person capable of bearing arms; and they were classed under the different weapon which they could use.”9 The number of infantry required for Surrey was at first, four thousand; this propor- tion was afterwards reduced to two thousand, viz.—shot, four hundred; bows, four hundred; bills, four hundred; and corselets, with pikes, four hundred. Of the shot, the strongest and squarest men were to exercise musquets, and the least and most nimble, harquebuses. “ The Bands in the county of Surrey reserved for the defence of her Highness’s own person, were to consist of such persons as would themselves, or by the aid of their families and friends, bear the charges of training; except that powder was to be supplied them at the expense of the government.” A letter, under the signet of the queen, dated Greenwich, June 18, 1588, was sent to the Lord High-Admiral, Lieutenant of Surrey, announcing the intelligence of the Spanish army [armada] having put to sea, with “ the intenc’on not onlie of invadinge but of making a conquest also of this o’ realme.n Orders are therefore added for calling together “ the best sorte of gent’ under the lieutenance,” to warn them of the approaching danger, and of the necessity of making immediate preparations for defence.10 This letter was followed by a mandate from the Council to the Deputy-Lieutenants of Surrey, from the court at Richmond, July 23, 1588. It states that the Spanish fleet had been of late discovered again on the seas, and it was doubtful what course the Spaniards might take, or in what place they might attempt to land: wherefore it was ordered, that the forces of the county under the lieutenancy of the Lord-Admiral should be kept in readiness, “ upon the fyeringe of the 0 Thus, in the return for the parish of Wonersh, in the hundred of Blackheath and Wotton, were enumerated, pikemen selected six names, billmen selected eight, billmen of the best sort twenty, billmen of the second sort forty-two; archers selected ten, archers of the best sort three, archers of the second sort five; gunners eleven.—Loseley Manu- scripts, p. 295. 10 Id. p. 298. VOL. I. II
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