Catalogue description The ARMY.

This record is held by Lambeth Palace Library

Details of
Title: The ARMY.
Description:

Ordinances by her Majesty for reforming Disorders in the Musters and Payment of her Army in Ireland, 39 Eliz., 1597.

 

"Every captain of 100 footmen shall receive weekly upon every Saturday for the week following his full entertainment of 28s. for the week; and so in like case the lieutenant 14s., the ensigns 7s., and the sergeant drummer, surgeon, and phyfe 5s. apiece, by way of imprest; and every common soldier of the company shall likewise receive by way of imprest 3s. ster....... The residue, which is for every of the said four last officers 2s., to make up his full pay, and for every common soldier to make up his full pay 20d. by the week, shall be answered to the full value thereof in good apparel of several kinds, part to serve them for the winter, and part for summer, which shall be of good quality and stuff for the prices, and delivered at the two seasons for the winter and summer, whereof true patterns shall be sent to the Lord Deputy, to be there compared with the apparel that shall be sent thither for the soldier, which shall be of these sorts and prices hereafter following, viz.:

 

"For the four officers of every band.--For the winter:--a cassock of broad cloth with silk buttons and lace, 22s. 7d.; a doublet of good canvas, 14s; a hat and band, 5s, 5d.; two shirts and two bands, 9s. 6d.; three pair of shoes, 7s.; three pair of stockings, 8s.; a pair of Venesions with silk lace, 15s. 4d.; [total,] 4l. 2s. 3d. (sic). For the summer:--two shirts and two bands, 9s. 6d.; two pair of shoes, 4s. 8d.; one pair of stockings, 2s. 8d.; a hat and band, 5s. 5d.; [total.] 22s. 6d. (sic).

 

"Common soldier.--For the winter:--a cassock of broad cloth, 17s, 6d.; a doublet of canvas, 12s, 6d.; a hat cap, 3s.; two shirts, two bands, 8s.; three pair of shoes, 7s.; three pair of stockings, 8s.; a pair of cloth Venesions, 13s. 4d.; [total,] 3l. 9s. 4d. For the summer:--two shirts and two falling bands of Hollon, 7s.; two pair of shoes, 4s. 8d.; one pair of stockings, 2s. 8d.; a hat cap, 3s.; [total,] 17s. 4d.

 

"And because it will seldom happen that any band of 100 more or less will be found so complete as it should be needful to deliver weekly the whole sum payable to such a company with the full pay of the entertainment of the captain and officers, the six dead pays therein allowed, the checks for absence and deficiency also defaulked; it is therefore ordered that the Treasurer at Wars shall pay and deliver weekly for the imprest of every such company the sum of 18l. 19s., agreeable to the form above expressed. The captains and soldiers thus paid shall not, to the offence of our subjects, as heretofore, be cessed upon the country."

 

A commissary for the musters to be established in every province, and to have 6s. 8d. per diem. Musters to be taken every month, "allowing no more of the nation of Ireland or of any other nation but of England, where the band is ruled by an English captain." The commissaries to send the muster rolls to the Lord Deputy, and to be changed every year. The surveyor of the muster rolls to examine the books and certify any disorders to the Lord Deputy and Council, and the offenders to be punished for corruption. The surveyor to send copies of his books every half year to the Lord Deputy and Council in Ireland and to the Council in England. The Lord Deputy to inquire how many pretend to be free from checks. The books of musters to be kept in the Castle of Dublin as records.

 

"It were to be wished that the pay of every soldier might come to his own hand immediately from the Treasurer or his officer;" yet it shall be sufficient that the Treasurer or his officer deliver to the captain or his lieutenant the whole weekly imprest for his company, in the presence and with the knowledge of eight at least of the soldiers. Any captain who detains any soldier's wages is to be publicly punished, removed from his charge, and compelled to pay double the money detained.

 

As some persons have odd numbers of horse that are not so serviceable as they might be, if they were in bands under good leaders, "no horseman shall be allowed in any pay but such as shall serve in bands of 50 at the least, saving such as are allowed to attend upon officers by their patents or by the establishment." No company of footmen to be of less number than 94 able persons, unless it be in wards.

 

This order is not to extend to the retinue of the Lord Deputy, who is to have allowance for his retinue as heretofore.

 

Whereas the chief officer of the musters in that realm has, by prescription and without lawful warrant, "taken to his own use the benefit of one pay out of every company," her Majesty commands that no officer of musters shall take any such pay in any company, in order that no more than six dead pays shall be allowed in one band of 100. "And to the intent these ordinances may be kept and have a beginning as soon as may be, her Majesty hath presently sent as much money as may duly serve for these lendings (imprests) to all manner of footmen that are esteemed to be there in service, that are allowed 8d. by the day for 14 weeks, and for the Lord Deputy and all his retinue, and all horsemen and others serving as martial men, sufficient to pay their whole wages for three months, as by a schedule signed by her Majesty's Council and sent to the Lord Deputy shall appear."

 

Greenwich, 1st July 1597.

 

Copy.

Date: 1 July 1597
Held by: Lambeth Palace Library, not available at The National Archives
Former reference in its original department: MS 601, p. 142a
Language: English
Physical description: 6 Pages.
Unpublished finding aids:

Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. III, document 273.

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research