Notes from a Peakland Parish (Hope), Derbyshire, The Spanish Armada

Notes from a Peakland Parish

An Account of the Church and Parish of Hope in the County of Derby,
by William Smith Porter (1923)

Chapter X.

THE SPANISH ARMADA & LOCAL LEVIES.

From papers relating to Derbyshire musters in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, made in expectation of the Spanish invasion. Original documents preserved at Belvoir Castle, in the possession of the Duke of Rutland; first published in the Journal of the Derbyshire Archaeological Society, January 1895.

[Ed: Entries for 1585 are in the left column; those for 1587 are on the right.]

“Derby 1585. The names of all such persons as are appointed to be in readiness in the Heighe Peake by John Manners & Robte Eyre esquirs at a muster taken at Backewell the viiiith Daye of November in the xxviiith yeare of the raigne of Or. Soveraigne Ladie Queene Elizabethe. And a particular note wth. all of such armo^r. & weapons as every Township hath in readiness for the ffurnishinge and settinge forthe of the same”. (Extracts referring to the Hope district only)		From “A muster Booke of all the selected men appointed for trayned soldiers made the seconde of November in the xxixth yeare of the raigne of Or. Soveraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth 1587.” (Note at the foot of the page: “all trayned in May 1588.”) Hundred of the Heighe Peake.
Hope: Thomas Slake (Slack); Ralphe Glover; Richard Slake; Edward Halle; Thurston Hall; Renolde Purslove; Richard Needhame; Robte Arnefeelde; Gilbarte Marshall; Robte Marshall of Thornell. iii Calliv' (Caliver^[1] a firearm) iii ar' (arquebus a firearm) ii corselets, ii bills (a staff weapon, with a head like a bill-hook, furnished with spikes at the top and back.)		Hopetowneshippe: Robte Halle; Victor Morten; George Needham; call' (Caliver); Willm Morten, ar' (arquebus); Thomas Hall, musk, (muskett); Gilbarte Marshall, ar'; Reignolde Purslove; Charles Hatfield, cor' (corslet); Willm Stevenson; Robte ffurness, cor.;

Hathersiche: Robte Barker; Nicholas Whittley; James Bradwall; Robte Carne ii Calliv; i corslet; i bill		Hathersedgetowneship: Robte Hawkesworth; Thomas Shershawe, calliv'; Henry Swyndell, cor'; Thomas Morten, cor'.

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Baslowe: George Hinman; William Norman; Robin Lees; James Gregory; Henry Peniston; Simon Spooner.
iii call'; i ar' i cor'; i bill.

Baslowe: George Hynman; James Ellyott; ffrancis Rippon, calliv'; Robte Lees, ar'; James Gregory, cor' ; Willm Norman, cor'; James Ragg (name erased.)

Eyam: Thomas Townsende; Edmunde Willson; Christopher Merill; Nycholas Redfferne.
i call'; i corslet; i ar'; i bill.

Eyam: Christopher Merrell, calliv'; George Bagshawe, cor'; George Hallam, musk'; Willm Chapman, cor'.

Tydswall: Martyn Willson; Willia' Owtram; John Healde, Willi' Symson; Will' Benitte; Thomas Smithe,
ii cal'; ii ar'; i corslett; i bill“.
”Md. that every of the foresaide persons beside the [?]furniture of theyre (...) have swoordes and daggers.

Tyddeswall: John Healde; James Robinson, calliv'; Thomas Smythe; Willm Symson, ar'; Willm Bennytt, cor'; Anthony Otefelde, cor'.

(There is no mention in either of these lists of any levy of men from Castleton and Edale; though “Robert Eyre of Edall” was one of the two leaders appointed to make the levy, and he is recorded as contributing xxs towards providing horses, and as furnishing one petronell.
Bradwell of course would be included in Hope, and Bamford in Hathersage.)

(the following entry occurs at the end of the list)

“firste of May 1588”

Received towards the charge of the trayning of 200 men 3 dayes at Bakewell, vizt for every man 5s.

Disbursed as followeth:

Solders paye for 3 dayes having 12d. a day	30^li
ffor 145^li of powder at 16d. the pounde	lx^li	14s
ffor 12^li of matche at 6d the pounde		6s
to the Leuetennant		40s
to 4 Serjants	4^li
Clarks		40s
2 Corporalls		20s
2 Auncyents (ancients or or ensigns)		15s
2 Drumers		15d
Sum 50^li.

Accompanying the Derbyshire Muster Rolls are copies of several letters from the Queen to the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, as well as other corrsepondence. Following the levies of 1585 and 1587, Queen Elizabeth makes an urgent appeal to the gentry of the county, in view of the

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imminent danger of the invasion of England by the forces of the King of Spain, then on the seas.

'Copy. Addressed “To the erle of Shrewsbury”. (1588. June 18) “Right trustie and right wellbeloved Cousin and Councello^r. wee greet youe well. Whereas heretofore upon the the advertisements from tyme to tyme and from sondrie places, of the greate preparacons of forren forces, with a full intention to invade this our Relme and our other Dominions, wee gave our directions unto youe for the preparinge of our Subjects within your Lieutenancie to be in a readines and defence against anie attempt that might be made against us and O^r. Realme: which our directions wee finde so well performed as wee cannot but receave great contentmente thereby, both in respecte of your carefull proceedinge therein; and also of the greate willingnes of our people in generall to the accomplishment of that whereunto they were required; shewinge thereby their great love and loyaltie towardes us; w^ch as its wee accepte most thanckfullye at their hands, acknowledging ourselves infinitely bounde to Almightie God in that it hath pleased him to blesse us with so lovinge and dutifull subjects, so wee woulde have youe make it knowne unto them: fforasmuche as wee finde the same Intention not onlye of invadinge but of making a Conqueste alsoe of this our Realme, nowe constantly more & more detected & confirmed, as a matter fullye resolved on, an armie alreadie being put to the Seas for that purpose, althoughe we doubt not but by Gods goodness the same shall prove frustrate; wee have therefore thought meet to will and require yo^u. forthwith with as muche convenient speed as you may, to call together at som convenient place or places, the beste sorte of gentlemen under yo^r. Lieutenancie, and to declare unto them, that, considering those great preparacions and threatnings nowe burst out in

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accon upon the Seas, tendinge to a purposed Conquest, wherein everie manes particular estate is in the highest degree to be touched in respecte of Contrie, Libertie, Wife, Children, Lands, Lyfe, and that w^ch. is specially to be regarded for the profession of the true & sincere Religion of Christ, wee doe looke that the most partie of them should have, upon this instante extraordinarie occasion, a larger proportion of furniture both for horsemen and footmen (but specially horsemen) than hath been certified; thereby to be in their beste strengthe againste any attempte whatsoever, & to be employed both about our owne person and otherwise as they shall have knowledge given them. The nomber of whiche larger proportion, as soone as yo^u. shall knowe, wee require you to signafie to the rest of our privie Councell. And hereunto as its wee doubt not by yo^r. good endevo^r. they wilbe the rather conformable; so also wee assure O^r.self, that Almightie God will so blesse those their loyall harts borne towards us their lovinge Soveraigne, & their natural Contrie; that all the attempts of anie enemies whatsoever shall be made void and frustrate to their confusion, yo^r. comforts & God's high glorie.

Given under O^r. Signet” etc, etc'

Another letter from the Queen to the Earl of Shrewsbury, of May 5th 1593, in this correspondence, is of special interest in view of recent history, as shewing that Ireland was then as now a source of danger to this country.

“Forasmuche as wee have cause to doubte of some troubles to be stirred in our Realme of Ireland by the intention of some Spanish Shipping w^th. men of warre to be sent into Scotland, and by the way to touche in some ports of the north parts of our said Realme, w^th. some nombers of men of warre to be there also landed, to stirre upp our Subjects to some

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rebellion; for w^thstanding whereof wee thinke it necessarye to increase our forces wh^ch. presentlie wee have in that land.”

After giving directions as to the number of men to be raised in the County of Derby, and for their being “conducted into Ireland at our ports of Chester or Lyrpoole”, the letter proceeds:

“And to cause them to be to he armed in this sorte following, that is In the nomber of one hundred and eight and thirtie, to have fortie pikes w^th. corsletts, threescore Culyvers, ten musketts, eighteene Bowes, and ten Halberdes; And also to cause Coates to be provided for them of some one Coulo^r. for the w^ch. there shall be allowance made after the rate of fower shillings a Coate. And these our lres (letters) shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge in their behalf.

Given under O^r. Signet” etc, etc.

Details as to the cost of equipment of a soldier are given in a letter, dated March 21st 1594-5, from John Harpur to John Manners of Haddon, as follows:

“The Corslett & Pike	xxix^s	viii^d
for his Apparell & in his purse	xx^s
for his Cassock	xiiii^s
Sword dagger & girdle	xiiii^s	iiii^d
His Conduccon money (conduct money)	iii^s
To the Captaine for ev'ry Soldier.
And for the Musketts & Callyvers Ratablie as yesterday was agreed upon.
The Rates Agreed yesterdaie I have here subscribed, and have by the Captaine's consent agreed for our Cassocks for the Soldiers of blew cloth to be lyned for xiiii^s a peece.”

The Cassock was probably an overcoat.

Notes on Chapter X

[1]	Ed: A caliver was a scaled-down version of the musket, commensurately lighter, and loading smaller bullets (17 to the pound, by weight). Unlike the musket, it did not normally require the support of a rest when being fired.

OCR/Transcription by Rosemary Lockie in January 2000.

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Hope

Notes
from a Peakland Parish

BY

SHEFFIELD:
PRINTED BY J.W. NORTHEND LTD.,
WEST STREET.

1923.