Faversham's Role in the Armada and Counter-Armada

FA VERSHAM' S ROLE IN THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON In June/July 1596 a large, well equipped Anglo-Dutch fleet numbering over 120 vessels sailed for Cadiz carrying 6,000 soldiers. It was led by the Earl of Essex and Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham, who had been Admiral of the Fleet which had defeated the Armada in 1588. The Dutch contingent was under the orders of Jonkheer Jan van Duijvenvoorde, Lord Warmond and Admiral of Holland; but the English Lord High Admiral was naval commander-in-chief, and for the first time a Dutch fleet obeyed an English flag-officer. 1 After a three-week voyage and one day's action by sea and by land, the harbour and the town of Cadiz was captured and set on fire. The allies stayed there a fortnight and then sailed for home laden with spoi Is. 2 The expedition had been a success, but there had been a lack of a simple, coherent plan, and men had been 'squandered with a lavish incompetence that almost baffles description' .3 The queen was at first delighted, but her mood changed when she heard that her share was to be far less than she had anticipated. There was the nagging possibility others had profited more from this adventure. Cecil was at great pains to show that Essex had misappropriated guns and other treasure that should have reached the sovereign. This article describes the humble part played by Faversham in this expedition and in the Armada engagement eight years previously. The town was a limb of the Cinque Ports under the head port of Dover and was therefore liable to ship service from time to time. In 1587, for example, the Ports were expected to pay a cess of £400 to provide a ship of 50 tons for service against the troublesome Dunkirk pirates. Faversham's Armada experience During the preparations to face the Armada, Faversham's representatives at the Guestling (Cinque Ports assembly) met 'some uncurteous 183 PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON speaches and harde dealyngs of the townes men of Dovour'. Faversham decided to act alone and provide a ship of 40 tons, or thereabouts, out of the 100 tons imposed upon the Cinque Port of Dover. With the mediation of Richard Barrye, Lieutenant of Dover castle, matters were sorted out. An assessment of £200 was to be made upon the inhabitants of Faversham to hire The Hazarde from two townsmen, Abraham Snoode and Edward Buddle, and refit the same for active service.4 However, the original records suggest that on 16 April 1588 it was agreed that a cess of £221 was to be made to furnish a 38 ton ship. Later, on 21 June, a further £110 was raised for powder and shot for the ship.5 Scammell describes the problems that lay behind the manning of such ships.6 We are particularly fortunate that an account has survived drawn up by the captain, Nicholas Turner, and the purser, Robert Colwell giving details of the wages paid to the seamen over a two months period. There were 30 men in all, a number of them known to be natives of Faversham.7 For example, the purser, Robert Colwell, and the bosun, John Rockens, both lived in Court Street and were the owners and masters of other ships.8 The accompt of Nicholas Turner Capytayne of the same shypp and of Robert Coll well purser of the same shyppe9 Fyrste they are chard yd wythe the somme of xLix£ xjS iiijd receyvyd 49£ 115 4d of the foreseid collectours Robert Allen Wylliam Rockerye and Edmunde Cobbe appearythe bye in their accompt aforegoing Summa Whereof theye demaunde to be allowyd as follow the lnprimis payed the same re-the capytayne fer demaundythe to be allowyd of viij5 iiij5 Item payed the Master Edward Buddle Master of the same shyppe Item payed to Rychard Nellson the masters mate Item payed to Thomas Bedle Master Gunner in the same shypp Item to Christopher Warrener the Gunners mate Item to the Gunners 􀂻 man Item to Robert Coll well purser Item to John Rockens booteson Item to Wylliam Meddowes hys mate Item to James Frylkyn quarter master Item to Edward Freman hys mate Item to Robert Parson Quarters Master Item to Wylliam Hedman hys mate Item to Fowler Derelove stewerde Item to James Bacon coocke Item to John Garnett chyrurgyon Item to Fraunces Manneryng corporall 184 g£ 4s 4£ 4£ 3£ 325 205 325 325 24 5 325 245 325 245 245 245 445 26s gd FAVERSHAM'S ROLE IN THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA Item to Edward Byllton shyppewryght Item to Roger Walton saylour [fol. 17] Item to Thomas Smythe saylour Item to Rychard Toddye saylour Item to Robert Johnson saylour Item to Robert Bonham saylour Item to John Clarckeson garson 10 in the same shypp Item to Wylliam Creame garson Item to Thomas Bratte souldyer in the same shypp Item to Samuell Rygden souldyer in the same shypp Item to John Bull souldyer Item to Wylliam Cosen souldyer Item payed to Thomas Hewes trumpeter Summa Sttn1me of all their allowa1 allo,.a nees xLix£ -¾--􀀞--,4-9£-15s Memorandum -whe1eof there ys to be deductyd oute of the same somme of xLix£ vj5 the summe of iij! rlzjS-vi payed to the foreseid Edward Buddle master of the same shypp bye the foreseid collectours Robert Allen William Rockerye and Edmunde Cobbe as appearythe bye their foreseid accompte 205 205 205 20s l05 105 205 205 20s 205 JOS 49£ 6s And the somme of xvij5 vijd payed to Samuel Rygden bye the same collectours as appearythe bye the same their accompte ff-i5d And of the somme of xxxijS vjd payed to John Garnett the surgeon bye the same collectours as appearythe bye the foote of the same accompt And of the somme of xxxijS payed to !?-bew Edward Byllton the shyppwryght bye the towne So there ys payed by the foreseid captayne and purser but the somme of for wages 42£ -8-􀂄 14s And so there the foreseid accomptantes doe owe the towne the somme of 6£ 17s 4d On 30 August 1589 an entry in the wardmote book shows that Abraham Snoode and Edward Buddle were the owners of The Hazarde, which had been used in the Armada. Presumably it was the same ship that they had made available in 1587 for service against the Dunkirkers (see above). 11 By 1589 it was lying in the creek at the quay. The mayor, jurats and commonalty decided that Snoode and Buddle could have the ship back with 'all the munytion furniture and ablementes of warre and thynges thereunto belongyng fyrste taken ou te' .12 In the years immediately following the Armada, resources continued to be drained by wars with France, Ireland and the Low Countries and many loans and subsidies were raised in order to fund these activities. In 1589 an expedition to Portugal by Norreys and Drake failed to place the Portuguese claimant, Don Antonio, upon the 185 PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON throne. On 29 February 1592, £12,100, was still unpaid for tonnage and wages of I 00 ships engaged for seven months in the 1589 Portugal voyage. 13 Faversham would appear to have played its part judging by the following entry in the wardmote records for 23 December 1592: .. to Mr John Castelocke juratte the somme of xxx£ of lawfull monye of Inglande oute of the chamber of the towne towardes the payment of the batallyng and vytellyng of the souldyers in the towne by the inhabytantes of the same towne when the Portugall voyage was, and so everye audyte hereafter the somme of xx£ of lawfull monye of Ingland untyll the foreseid inhabytantes be payed for the same battellyng and vyttelling etc. 14 In the early 1590s Kent, and the country at large, faced very considerable economic problems. The plague raged in 1592, and there were crop failures between 1592 and 1596, apparently caused by exceptionally wet weather. In 1593 parliament granted six fifteenths and tenths and three subsidies (to be made in four unequal payments) the final payments being made in November 1596. 15 There is 'a sense of the monotonous, relentless regularity of the demands imposed on the county' . 16 The 1596 ship cess was thus collected against this bleak background. The Cess for the Counter Armada On 21 December 1595, the Privy Council ordered the Cinque Ports to provide four ships, not under 160 tons, ready for service by 31 March 1596 with munitions and victuals for 5 months.'7 The order was recorded in the wardmote records of Faversham common council on 15 January 1596. It reported a Guestling held at Dover on 7 January at which it was decided that Faversham should find 40 tons of a shipping out of the 160 tons imposed on Dover and its members. The meeting then agreed to levy a cess of £300 and appointed men to arrange it. [At a) Common council held there [Faversham] on Thursday that is to say fifteenth day of January in the thirty eighth year of the reign of our sovereign lady Elizabeth {1596] by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen defender of the faith etc. by Henry Saker mayor of the town aforesaid Robert Lamme, John Castelocke, John Hallett, Thomas Pelham and Robert Allen jurats of the same town, Thomas Waterman, William Cadman, John Elfrythe, Thomas Rye, William Chatbourne, John Swayton, Edmunde Cobbe, Anthony Bodle, William Wayman, John Reve, William Saxten, Thomas 186 FA VERSHAM'S ROLE 1N THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA Fynche, Daniel Gyeles, Richard Pyerce and John Lawrence commoners of the same town. 18 [Margin: A sesse of CCC£ for the charge of shippinge] Whereas there ys requyred bye the Quenes Majestie and her majesties moste honorable councel bye letters of the same her majesties councell of the fyve portes and their members the servyce of fower servyceable shyppes none of them to be under the burden of CLx tonnes presentlye to be put in a readynes and furnyshed for fyve monythes with vyctuall maryners munytion and other necessarye provysyon and furnyture bye the fyrste of Apryll nexte to joyne with her majesties navye one the seas or to be otherwysse imployed accordinge to dyrection to be resceyved from her majesties councell or from the nowe Jorde admyrall; and whereas the foreseide fyve portes twoe auncyent townes and their members At a gestlinge holden at Dovour one Weddonsdaye beinge the vijlh of Januarye dyd agrea bye persons commyssyonate there appearinge That Dovour and hys members shall fynde one shyppe of a CLx tonnes with the helpe of Hide for twentye tonnes and tenne poundes of lawfull monye of Inglande, And whereas Master Nycholas Upton and John Castelocke jurattes persons commyssyonated bye the foreseid towne of Faversham at the same Gestelinge have uppon conference with Dovour hed porte to thys towne agreayd that the towne of Faversham shall fynde xr1ic tonne of the CLx tonnes imposed uppon Dovour and hys members. As aforeseide, for the furnyshinge and fullfy!linge of the same servyce yt ys graunted and agreyd and ordered bye the foreseide maior jurattes and comynaltie here assemblyd and gathered together. That there shalbe a cesse made aswell uppon the inhabytantes of the same townne of their landes tenementes goodes and chattelles as uppon the landes and tenementes lyinge and beinge within the libertie of the same towne of the somme of three hundred poundes of lawfull money of Inglande and for the making and cessinge of the same cesse there are chosen John Upton, John Hallett and Robert Allen three of the jurattes of the same towne and John Elffrythe Edrnunde Cobbe Anthony Bodell and Rychard Pyerce fower of the commoners or of the common councell of the same towne, And that the same cessours shalbe afterwardes cessyd bye the maior and fyve other of the jurattes of the same towne. And further yt ys agreayd by the aforeseide maior jurattes and commyna\ tie here assemblyd that after the cessinge of the same, That the one halfe of the same cesse shalbe with all convenyent speede that maye be gathered and levyed upon the same severall inhabytantes resyantes owners and inherytours by Thomas Waterman, Danyelle Gyeles and George Cruttoll and the other halffe to be gathered as the expedycion of the servyce shall requyer. 19 However, as happened in 1588, 'nearly all the shipping towns, except London, protested that they were assessed beyond their capacity, and this time the Cinque Ports joined in the cry' .20 The Privy Council then 187 PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON reduced the levy for the Cinque Ports to two ships and two hoys and resolved that Sandwich, Dover and Hythe should provide two ships of 160 tons each, and that the whole of Romney should be annexed to the Sussex section to help with the hoys.21 On 18 January 1596 the Privy Council also issued an important instruction about the cess that is reflected in the format of the assessment for Faversham. It said that some people occupied lands within the liberty of the Ports, but lived outside them and others lived inside the Ports, but also held lands in other Ports. It was decided that both categories of people were to contribute to this assessment. 22 Another meeting of the common council on 5 March reported progress and ordered the cess to be collected 'with all convenient speed'. Powers of distraint were laid down, and, if all else failed, those who failed to pay were to be sent to prison. The common council held there on Friday, that is to say the fifth day of March in the thirty eighth year of our sovereign lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen, defender of the faith etc. by Henry Saker mayor of the town aforesaid, Christopher Fynche, Nicholas Upton, Robert Lamme, John Upton, Robert Banes, and Thomas Pelham jurates of the same town, Humphrey Kybbett, Thomas Waterman, William Cadman, Edmund Cobbe, Anthony Bodell, Nicholas Bull, Thomas Rye, George Cruttoll, John Lawrence, William Wayman, William Tomlyn and John Swayton commoners or of the common council of the town aforesaid. 23 [Margin: The sesse before made for shippinge to be gathered] Pot the bette1 Whereas by aucthoryetye of a wardemouthe holden at Faversham aforesaide the x vth daye of Januarye laste paste there ys a cesse made bye John Upton John Hallett and Robert Allen three of the jurattes of the same towne and bye John Elfrythe Edmunde Cobbe Anthon ye Bodell and Rycharde Pyerce fower of the commoners of the same towne of the somme of three hundred poundes or thereaboutes as well uppon the severall inhabytantes of the same towne of their landes tenementes goodes and chattelles s uppon the landes and tenementes lyinge and beinge within the libertye of the same towne whereof the owners and inberytours are dwellinge without the same libertye for the furnyshinge of the servyce mencioned in the same wardmothe; for the better levyinge of the aforeseide cesse and for the better and more spedyer preparinge and furnyshinge of the same servyce as yt becometh subiectes in all loyalltye fayethe and obedyence to their prince and duetye to theire contrye, and that the good and faythfull servyce of the same portes, twoe auncyente townes and theire members maye be (as heretofore) done and contynued to their contynuall and everlastinge praysse fame and comendacion, yt ys agreayd and enactyd bye the foreseide maior jurattes and commynaltye here assemblyd and gathered together, That the same cesse shalbe with all convenyent speede 188 FAVERSHAM'S ROLE IN THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA that maye be gathered and levyed uppon the same severall inhabytaunces rescyantes owners and inherytours. The copy of this assessment is now deposited in the Centre for Kentish Studies. It consists of four membranes of parchment stitched together at the foot, having the Faversham corporation seal appended. Much of it appeared in Archaeologia Cantiana in 1917,24 after the death of the article's editor F. F. Giraud. As the transcript contains several mistakes, probably due to its posthumous publication, and as rotulet 3 is not included, it seemed appropriate to provide a revised edition of this fascinating document. 25 It appears to be the only surviving example of an assessment for ship service for the Cinque Ports at this date. The assessment was laid out street by street, as set out below, like other lists drawn up in the town in the 1590s (lists of inhabitants in 1594 and 1599; the churchwardens' rate to pay the clerk's wages in 1594; the overseers' list for the poor for the house of correction c. 1600; and the general muster rolls).26 It is therefore possible to trace individual householders over the decade. Abbey Street and Court Street West Street Preston Street Tanner Street Freemen not inhabitants Bachelors Foreigners [Total] Abbey Street & Court Street Preston Street West Street £ 109-00-4 £ 57-01-0 £ 60-14-0 £ 32-07-8 £ 5- I 5-0 £ 12-15-8 £ 11-16-4 £ 8- I 0-0 £ 6-13-0 £304-13-0 Dover, and Faversham, now had to set about finding a suitable ship. Lord Admiral Howard wrote on 8 March 1596 from Deptford, to Lord Cobham, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.27 Those sent to me from Dover and Sandwich were desirous that I should assign them a ship in this river, which they may hire for the service. I chose a ship called The Vineyard, drove the agreement between them and her owners for her hire, and thought all things touching the putting of her in good order for the service had been done. But now, seeing that most of the ships appointed for this service are ready, and that The Vineyard is yet untouched, I send your Lordship word, that you may ascertain the reason, and require more speedy despatch. The bearer, Captain Franklin, a Sandwich man, who is appointed to go as captain in her, will attend your pleasure. 189 PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON The Vineyard is given as 160 tons and was originally hired by the navy for the Armada campaign. Under Captain Benjamin Cooke and a complement of 60 men the merchant ship served under the Lord High Admiral for 8 weeks. 28 A ship from London of the same name said to be 210 tons had received the royal bounty in 1594. This date would indicate when the ship had been constructed, not when building started. It had long been the practice for the Crown to reward builders of ships fit for service as naval auxiliaries. The bounty was usually reserved for times of war or threats of war, was normally discretionary and took the form of a customs rebate.29 This may well have been the same ship, even though it was given a different weight. The first figure would be the capacity or burden and the latter the tonnage or dead-weight.30 The Vineyard is mentioned by name as a merchant ship in the Earl of Essex's squadron in a later listing compiled by Captain (later Sir William) Slingsby ofKnaresborough, Yorkshire.31 Nothing is known specifically about the exploits of the ship. Oppenheim says that the Cinque Port vessels, like other merchantmen were only used as transports, and many independent privateers or traders accompanied the fleet on the chance of plunder or freight from Cadiz.32 The sacking of Cadiz goaded the Spanish king into revenge in October 1596. Although the Spanish fleet never got further north than Finisterre, the preparations in England for this retaliation were enormous. At Faversham the musters in 1596 detail both the select and general band together with their equipment and the gunpowder, match and bullets. 33 The audited accounts also give a detailed inventory of the town's arsenal and an explanation as to why some of the items are not in the store. 34 And whereas the foreseid accomptantes had in the last yere delyvereyd over unto theym the townes stoore, that is to say, eyghtee barrelles and a lyttle remnante conteyning in wayghte eyghte hundred and fyftye fowre poundes of gunpowder, one quarter and seaven poundes of matche, threeskoore and syxeteene poundes of leaden bullettes, one hundryd one quarter and one and twentie poundes of leade one peace of sheate leade waying halfe one hundryd and three poundes, fowre plates of leade, fower muskettes, and that there shoolde be tenne, but syxe of theym was sent to Dovour 1596 and not yet returnyd as appearythe bye the foote of the accompte of the chamberleyns in the audyte aforegoing, three bandelyers and there shoolde be tenne, whereof vij were sente to Dovour and yet not redelyveryd as aforeseid appearythe, fyve calyvers, fowre flaskes a􀁠d tucheboxes, syxe swordes, syxe daggers, fyve muskett staves, twent1e muskett arrowes, three payer. 190 FA VERSHAM'S ROLE IN THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA After 1600 The Vineyard came into the hands of a great Welsh merchant Sir Thomas Myddleton who became Lord Mayor of London in 1613. He engaged in privateering and fitted it out for trade in the West Indies. It made a successful trip and four merchants realised a thirty per cent profit. It may also have been engaged in the contraband trade during 1603. 35 And what happened to the accounts for provisioning The Vineyard and to the collection of the cess? The four collectors presented the first part of the account 'for the charges of our part in setting forth of a ship called The Vineyard'. They had paid wages of I 0 shillings each to 8 men for unspecified work. They had also paid 1 shilling each for 45 soldiers and 11 marines pressed into service to go to Dover. Sailors were sometimes included in the muster rolls at Faversham. A more detailed list in 1602 said; 'Give them (the sailors) twelve pence for imprest money and after the rate of a half-penny the myle for their conduct .. '. 36 There were profits to be made for local merchants. Beer, salt, bread, 'sailor apparel' and powder all had to be provided. One of the merchants who provided powder was Nicholas Turner, who may have been the same man who lived in Preston Street, had been the captain of The Hazarde and was a captain of a ship being pursued by a merchant in the Court of Admiralty.37 Master Garrett of Dover was paid £100 in all for his trip to London to arrange for the hire of The Vineyard. 38 On Friday 7 October 1597 Faversham common council authorised two of their number to settle the account between themselves and their head port of Dover: It is agreayd bye the aforesaid maior jurattes and comminaltye here assembled and gathered togeather that the aforesaid John Castelocke and Thomas Pelham shalbe suffycyentlye aucthorised under the common seale of the same towne to appeare at Devor and to take an accompte betwene Dovor and us for the shippinge sente the laste yere together with other her majesties forces to Cales and to discharge and take all suche somme and sommes of monye as shalbe due from us to Dovor or from Dover to us and to take for us an acquitance and discharge for the same. 39 Finally, on the last day of October 1597 it was agreed that 6 falcons and 2 fowlers, which had presumably been used on the voyage should be sold and the money used for provision of corn for the poor. The falcon was a cannon weighing 8001b, calibre 2.5in., weight of shot 2.51b; diameter of shot 2.25in., weight of charge 2.51b. This cannon had a point blank range of 300yd and an extreme range of l ,SOOyd.40 191 PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON Fowlers were a light cannon mounted on the ship 'of greatest importance after a ship is boarded' .41 It is agread bye the maior jurattes and comminaltye here assembled and gathered togeather that the syxe falcons and the twoe fowlers with their chambers and stockes and the iron shott and barres provided for the same falcons with all other furniture to them belongeinge shalbe so Ide bye William Wyaman and Daniell Gyeles for the best price that they can And that the monye commeinge of the same sale shalbe bye them imployed in stocke for buyinge of come for the provysyon of the poorer sorte of people within the libertye of the same towne and from tyeme to tyeme to be delivered and solde unto them at suche reasonable prices as shalbe appoyncted and thoughte good bye the maior and jurattes of the same towne Yf lycence maye be gotten from admirall for the sale of the same or otherwyesse etc. And alsoe that the viij£ x vjs ixd remaineinge in the handes of Master John Castelocke and Thomas Pelham jurattes of the monye gathered and remaineinge of the cesse of the shippe all reckoninges and chardges payed and discharged to the maior jurattes and comminaltye of Dovor shalbe likewyesse imployed for provysyon of come as aforesaid bye the said William Wayman and Daniell Gyeles And is at this warmoote payed over to the saide William Wayman and Daniell Gyeles to be imployed as aforesaide. 42 However, strong arm tactics had been required to make the inhabitants pay up. On 20 May 1597 the common council took action: following an agreement already made with him, anyone who refused to pay the cess to Master John Spencer, vicar of Faversham, would be sent to prison by the mayor until the debt was paid.43 At first sight this seems a very odd arrangement and the conclusion is that he [Spencer] was able to provide instant cash or credit for the undertaking which was to be paid back to him relatively quickly .44 Common council held there on Friday that is to say xxth day of May in the thirty ninth year of the reign of our sovereign lady Elizabeth [ 1597] by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen defender of the faith etc. by John Hallett mayor of the towne aforesaid Christopher Fynche John Castelocke Robert Lamme John Upton Robert Barnes Henry Saker Thomas Pelham and Robert Allen jurats of the same town William Chattbourne John Ellfrythe Nicholas Bull Thomas Waterman Richard Pyerce Richard Phillpott William Tomlyn George Cruttoll John Laurence John Reve William Cademan William Sexten Thomas Rye Daniel Gyeles William Wayman and John Swayton commoners to the same town Margin: Suche as refuse to paye theire cesse to Master Spencer to be comytted to prison 192 FA VERSHAM'S ROLE IN THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA Yt ys agreayd bye the foresaid maior jurattes and comynaltie heere assemblyd and gatheryd together That yf anye person or persons nowe or hereafter shall refusse to paye sooche somme or sommes of monye that he or theye or anye one of theym now are or at anye tyeme heereafter sett or cesse at towardes the paymente of sooche somme and sommes of monye as are to be payed to Master John Spencer vycker of the foreseid towne of Faversham accordyng to the indenture made bytwene the foreseid maior jurattes and commynaltie of Faversham on the one partie and the seid John Spencer one the other partie, shalbe commyttyd to pryson wythen the lybertye of the same towne bye the maior of the same towne for the tyeme being, there to remayne untyll they and everye of theym have payed the same somme or sommes of monye or otherwyesse dyschardgyd bye the same maior wythe the consente of mooste parte of the jurattes of the same towne for the tyeme being. A fascinating group of 43 documents has survived in the records of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports relating to the fitting out of a hoy and a ship by the West Ports and town of New Romney and their members. The details of costs incurred provide some comparison with those imposed on the citizens of Faversham.45 The estimate for the cost of the Hercules ( I 60 tons) for a period of five months, under the command of Captain Davies, is dated at Rye on I 0 January 1596 and is as follows (summary): The Twenty-One Officers' Wages Victuals for the Officers The Seventy Men's wages Victuals for the Men Hire of the Ship Powder, Shot, armaments, etc. Total £ 81 13 4 £ 94 10 0 £175 0 0 £315 0 0 £180 0 0 £ 68 O 8 £914 4 0 As we have seen, Faversham was required to cover one quarter of the costs of Dover' s 160 tons commitment. In the case of the West Ports' apparent expenditure a quarter share would have been in the region of £230. Thus, the cess of £304-13-0 collected in Faversham represented a heavier burden on that town, although it appears that some funds were recouped from the subsequent sale of equipment. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the staff of the Centre for Kentish Studies and the East Kent Archives Centre for their help and for permission to publish their copyright documents. 193 PATRICIA HYDE AND DUNCAN HARRINGTON NOTES 1 William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy (1897), reprinted 1996, vol. I p. 508. For the first time also, the Dutch fleet seems to have carried a regular national flag to sea. 2 For more detail, see (ed.) J. S. Corbett, 'Relation of the voyage to Cadiz 1596 by Sir Will am Slyngisbie', The Naval Miscellany, vol. I, Navy Records Society, vol. xx (1992), 25-92; S. & E. Usherwood, The Counter-Armada 1596 (The Bodley Head, London, 1983). 3 J.B. Black, The reign of Elizabeth 1558-1603 (Oxford, 1969), p. 410. 4 Archaeologia Cantiana, xx1 ( 1895), 281; CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 21 v, 24-25v; Kent Records (New Series), Vol. 3, pp. 256-84. 5 CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 21v, 24-2Sv. 6 'The sinews of war: manning and prov1s1oning English fighting ships c. 1550-1650', The Mariners' Mirror, vol. 73, No. 4, November 1987, p. 355. 7 Clowes, I 897, op. cit. (see note I), p. 596, says the ship was under Lord Henry Seymour and had a complement of 34 men; for short biographies of local men linked with The Hazarde, see Kent Records NS, Vol. 3, pp. 259-60. 8 P. Hyde, Faversham Ships and Seamen in the Sixteenth Century, Faver sham Papers, No. 45 ( I 997). 9 C.K.S.: Fa/FAc 17 fol. 16. All roman figures have been changed to arabic. 20 May I 572, assessed at Court Street: P. Hyde, Thomas Arden in Faversham ( 1996), p. 507. 10 O.E.D. A serving-man, groom; esp. a young man or boy servant. 11 CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 21v. 12 CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 26v; Hyde, op. cit. (see note 8) pp. 37-41. 13 S. P. Dom. Eliz. 159 I -94 ( 1867), p. 194; Bank of England, Equivalent Contemporary values of the pmmd (approximately £1,675,850 in today's money). 14 CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 35. 15 M. Jurkowski, C. L. Smith & D. Crook, Lay Taxes in England and Wales 1188-1688 ( 1998), p. 165. 16 P. Clark, English Provincial Society, pp. 221-24. 17 Acts of Privy Council 1595-56, pp. 123-24, 21 Dec 1595. 18 Translated from Latin. CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 40r. This is inaccurately abstracted in F. F. Giraud, 'Cinque Ports: Notes from the minute books of the Corporation of Faversham', Archaeologia Cantiana, xxvm ( 1909), 40. 19 CKS: Fa/AC fol. 40v. 20 M. Oppenheim, 'Maritime History (to 1688)', Kent, Victoria County History (1926), ii, p. 304. 21 Hist. MSS. Com. Rep., xiii, App. iv, 356. 22 Acts of Privy Council 1595-56, pp. 177-78, 18 Jan 1596. 23 CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 40v. Translated from Latin. 24 Vol. XXXII, 303-1 J. 25 See a full transcript in Kent Records, New Series Vol. 3, no. 6 (2001). 26 P. Hyde & D. Harrington, Faversham Tudor & Stuart Muster Rolls (2000). 27 Calendar of State Papers, Domestic series, Elizabeth 1595-97 ( 1869), p. 183, Vol. CCLVI, no. 82. 28 Clowes J 897, op. cit. (see note!), p. 593;1. J. College, Ships of the Royal Navy, Vol. 2 (I 970), p. 377. 194 FA VERSHAM'S ROLE IN THE ARMADA AND COUNTER-ARMADA 29 B. Dietz, 'The royal bounty and English merchant shipping in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries'. The Mariners' Mirror, vol. 77, no. I (Feb 199 I), 5-20. 30 In 1582 a rule was devised which allowed the tonnage and burden to be calculated from the breadth, depth in hold and keel length. The three values multiplied together and divided by 100 gave the capacity or burden; the dead weight or tonnage was calculated by adding one third to the burden. (This calculation remained in use for nearly half a century.) The Elizabethans tended to work in round numbers to the nearest five or ten tons and normally referred to the burden rather than the deadweight; M. Oppenheim, A History of the Administration of the Royal Navy . . ( 1896), p. 132. 31 Duke of Northumberland's MS quoted in Stephen & Elizabeth Usherwood, The Counter Armada 1596 ( 1983), pp. 39-42; Corbett, op. cir. (see note 2), pp. 46-7. 32 See note 20; VCH, Kent, ii, p. 305. 33 Hyde & Harrington 2000, op. cit. (see note 26), pp. 131-144. 34 CKS: Fa/FAc 25 fol. 7. 35 K. R. Andrews, Elizabethan Privateering /585-1603 (CUP, 1966), pp. I 17-118. 36 J. J. N. McGurk, 'A levy of seamen in the Cinque Ports, 1602', The Mariners' Mirror, 1986, vol. 66, 137-144; Hyde & Harrington, op. cit. (see note 26), pp. 131-144. 37 Acts of Privy Council, 14 June 1597, p. 180. 38 For details of these accounts see Kent Records, New Series Vol. 3, no. 6 (2001 ). 39 CKS: Fa/ AC3 fol. 44. 40 Brigadier 0. F. G. Hogg, English Artillery 1326-/716 (1963), p. 21. 41 O.E.D. 42 CKS: Fa/AC3 fol. 44. 43 D.N.8.: John Spenser STB was Admitted 4 March 1594/5 (Whitgift ii folio 322v) and resigned 1599. Vicar of St Sepulchre London 1599 until his death 3 April 1614, buried in Chelsea College chapel (see Gutch I. 402; Ath ii, 145; Landsdowne MS 983 f. 247; Robinson I, 18; OHS xii, 69 & Foster's Index Eccl.). 44 Compare the £300 cessed upon the English inhabitants of Sandwich to put their ship The Ruben under Captain Crispe to sea and which entailed borrowing £100 from the wealthiest Dutch inhabitants, EKAC: Sa/AC6 f. 223, I 7 January 1597. 45 EKAC: CP/Br item 42. The Ruben and The Hercules of Rye were both in Lord Thomas Howard's Squadron, Corbett, op. cir. (see note 2), p. 48. 195