SURREY MUSTERS.*

By an excellent piece of good fortune it has fallen to the Surrey Record Society to publish as their second number one of the most thrilling and timely publications given to the world since the war began. The volume is entitled Surrey Musters. The " musters " in question show us as in a glass, but not darkly, how our forefathers acted when they were called upon to do what we are doing—suddenly to raise a large number of men for the defence of the nation. Especially moving are the lists of names of the men in the various Surrey villages to one who, like the present writer, now spends a considerable part of every week in going into those villages and asking men to come forward and join Lord Kitchener's Army. The men who come forward, as their names so often show, are the lineal descendants of the men who answered to the call in 1588 and in previous and later musters. For example, the present writer's letters are delivered by a postman with a very striking and original surname, one which, if not unique, is certainly very little known. He turns to the village lists for the Armada muster and finds the name, if not in the same parish, in a neighbouring parish on the other side of the hill. Again, in his own parish, he finds the name of the butcher classed, as it would be now, under the heading "Billmen of the beste sorte." What is more, this descendant of a " Billman of the beste sorte " proved only last Tuesday at a parish meet- ing that he was of "the beste sorte," for he was the first to step forward and answer the call for recruits for the muster of Lord Kitchener's new Army.

In the county town, again, the roll of names is strangely like the roll of honour of men serving with the colours published only last Saturday in the local newspaper—the names of good men and true thoroughly Anglo.Saxon in their looks and sound, or, as our forefathers would have said, "right English." They ring true, these Freelands, Hammond; Chapmans, Reffolds, Franklins, Bulls, Steers, Abbott; Smallpieces, and Billinghursts. Every now and then one comes across people who had not achieved a surname even by 1583. For example, in one rather out-of-the-way parish we find " John by the Wood" and " Tom by the Wood." Another name that thrills one now in the muster roll is John French. There is something delightfully English about the way in which the men are sorted out. Generally each parish begins with the heading " Pikemen selected " ; then, after the fashion of the different eggs in the old story, we have "Billmen selected " ; "Billmen of the beste sorte" ; "Bill. men of the second sort "—people, we must presume, who were

• Surrey Musters. Part I. (taken from the Loceley MSS.). The Surrey Record Society (Secretary, H. Jenkinson, Esq., P.S.A., 2$ Cheyno Row, Chelsea, S.W.).

not very good in handling their bills or halberds. Then come "Archers selected" ; "Archers of the beste sorts"; "Archers of the second sorte " ; "Gunners," or occasionally " Gunmen." Sometimes in the later musters we get the headings "Smythes," " Laborers and Pyoners," and also " Wheelewryghtes" and "Carpenters." We give an example of the muster of a parish:— The book before us is, we confess, easier to read than to review, but before we leave it we must give a very interesting set of instructions addressed apparently by Commissioners of Array to themselves :—

"Fyrst a v[iewe is to be m]ade of the state of the [men] and of the armour and furniture, to th' ende that the num[ber] of hable men may be had complete ; and the armour and weapon service- able, the defects supplied, and som increase had of such severall kynds, as uppon good consideration is thowght fytte to be added and increased, to the quantities contayned in the Cedule inclosed. friday the hundrede of Woking in Guilford parke Saterdaye at Farneh[am] monday at Chobham for Godley / twesday at Godal- ming J Wednesday at Shore for Blackheth and Wutton / Every of vs as we ar vsually employed in our severall devisions must cause a present views to be made of hable men withowt any publeq or generall assembl[y ma]d[e] of the men to be browght or sent for farre owt of the parishe [of] their residens

We ar to make a perfect rolle of their names and dwelling places, and in the viewe and choise of the said hable men, to have regarde as well to their habilitie in substans, as aptnes of body to serve ; and rather of such as have their abode settled in the said places, then wandrers from countrey to countrey we ar also in the views to see and considre the qualitie and sufficiency of th' armour and weapon provided for the said numbers, wherein we must vse th' advise and skill of such men within the County and every parte thereof, as by their service in the warres have knowlege to judge of the goodnes thereof ; by whom we may be advised for the sorte...of th' armour and weapons to the men, as they shalbe severally fitte for their stature and aptnes to vse the[m] I Vppon the sight of th' arm[our] and weapon, yf we shall finde any parte thereof defective and vnserviceable, We must presently take ordre that by th' inhabitants of the places where the fawlt shalbe fownde the same be immediatly supplied with good and sufficient of the same kyndes or money provided to buy as much either armour or weapon as shall supply the wants and the same money with speedo sot) imploied I. After the view [ ] men and the state of th' armour [and] furniture, we must assemble our sells together to advise howe the supplies may be speedilie made / We ar also to considre howe many men be residing within the County that have experiens to leade men, as well such as be fette to be captaynes, as to be lieutenants, peticaptaines and sergeants of bands, and to certefie their names and residens /

We ar also with all convenient speeds to certefie the Rolles of the men, th' armour and weapon of the whole County as yt is devid[ed] and howe much is serviceable, and of the rest howe much is vnserviceable, wherewith we must have regarde that with all expedicon a collection be made of money indifferently, and withowt change of the [sic] to supple as well that parte that shalbe fownde vnserviceable, for th' increase nowt) at this tyme allotted in the Cedule / so as yt be provided by the last of Aprill next

of onr proceedings herein we ar to retorne certificate by the myddest of [Fe]bruary next I."

It should be noted from the last paragraph but two that then, as now, one of the chief difficulties was to get competent

" ALDBUItYll.

Iohn Tycknor Rycharde Gatton. Rycharde Stone. Roberte Gatton. Rycharde Davye. Thomas Chenill. Lavrence Hampsheire. Roberte Graffam. Rycharde Graffam. Edwarde Browne.

Archers selected George Gatton. Iohn Chenell.

Roger Whitemore.

Archers of the beste sorts Edwarde Ryforde.

Archers of the second sorts William Otwaye. William Shurlocke. Thomas Strete.

Gunners William Watford. Thomas Savnders. Iohn Chittye.

Henrie Bowdocke. Henrie Risbridger. Iohn Whitemore. Peter Daborne."

Pikemen selected George Steroid. Edward Rysbriger. Thomas Lucocke.

Billmen selected Rychard Strete. William Davye. Thomas Robenson.

Billmen of the beste sorts Rycharde Ramon. Iohn Marche. Thomas Farley. Iohn Mathews. Ihon Sparke. Iohn Lanawaye. Rychard Baker. Iohn Mylles.

Billmen of the second sorts William Tycknor Rycharde Otwaye. Roberto Iure. William White. Henrye White Thomas Rydford. Thomas Mathewe. Iohn Gyles.

John Wilson. Edmonde Lavrence. Iohn Arrowe.

and experienced officers. Another Commission of Array in 1588 before the Armada is very interesting because it contains the special clause :-

"Also that care be had of watchinge the Beacons and performiuge the former order for defence of the Realme."

Finally, there is in this Commission an anticipation of the Press Bureau:— " Also that a provost marshall be appointed for the punyshinge of Roges vacabondes and spreders of newos and to be assisted by the Justices of peace and ther officers."

One feels how delighted Shakespeare would have been with

the pompous gravity of the Commissioners. They breathe the authentic spirit of Dogberry and his colleagues.