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Men and Armour of Gloucestershire - 1608

In September 1608 by the direction of the Right Honorable Henry Lord Berkeley, Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, a survey was carried out by John Smyth of North Nibley.

The purpose of this survey was to form a Muster Roll of able bodied men who could be called upon for service, and the weapons and armour they held.

Armour Front view Armour Back view

The pictures above depicts armour that was current from 1550-1600 a full suit (full Harness) was rare it was not even common to have parts of the armour the best a commoner could expect was leather and a quilted coat stuffed with wool which worked very well against sword blows the following is a description of some armour found in the following pages :-

HARNESS - A full suit of armour if for man and horse then horse is also armoured (equivalent value today a top of range car a man would need it modified probably 3 times in his lifetime)

CORSLET - An upper body armour consists of breast and back plate and armlets with gauntlets or any part of.

PIKE or PYKE - Long pole 3-4 meters in length

SPLINTS - Lower arm protection, often two metal plates bound around the arm

CALYVER - A calyver or caliver is a light kind of harquebus fired without a rest or a soldier armed with a caliver it looks like a small short barrell on a rod.

MUSKET - Match lock gun fired by a lighted cord.

The codes contained on the lists are as follows:
  • 1 - A man of approx age 20+
  • 2 - A man of approx age 40+
  • 3 - A man of approx age 50-60
  • P - Tallest stature recommended for use of Pike
  • M - Medium stature recommended for use of Musket
  • Ca - Short stature, recommended for use of Calyver
  • Py - Very short stature, recommended for use as Pyoner
  • Tr - Shows that the man has or may have trained as a soldier
  • Sub - Shows the man to be a subsidy man

The following pages are for Charfield, Horton, Hawkesbury inc Hillesley,

Alderley, Boxwell, Lieghterton and Acton Ilger (Iron Acton)



Hawkesbry Family History

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