Wiltshire Preparations against the Spanish Armada. 247 



Sir Thomas Wroughton ^The Hundred of Selkley. 



Mr. Kingsmill J ,, Highworth, Ac. 



Nicholas St. John. < „ Kingsbiidge, &o. 



WilHam Danyell 1 „ Ramsbury. 



vThe Borough of Marlborough. 

 Totall of Hundreds xxix. 



,, Liberties viij. 



„ Boroughs vj. 



In Burleigh's State Papers there is a General Statement of the 

 Forces raised in the different Counties of England at this time. 

 The return for Co. Wilts was : — 

 Able Men. Armed. Trained. Untrained. Lances. Light Horse. Petronells. 



7400 2400 1200 1200 15 100 10 



The " Divisions " were reduced to four, under :— 



Sir James Mervyn. 

 Sir Thomas "Wroughton. 

 Sir John Danvers. 

 Sir Henry Knevit. 



8. In order to spread the news of any sudden landing of the 

 enemy, beacons had been set up on the highest hills. This (now 

 obsolete) medium of public information was one which may never 

 h^ve been seen by the present generation. It was a high pole, 

 having at the top, on a little platform, a barrel of wood and tar ; 

 with wooden steps, or footings, nailed at easy intervals all the way 

 up for the watchman to climb quickly and set fire to the barrel. 

 The following instructions (similar, no doubt, to those circulated aU 

 over the country,) were issued, 15th July, 1588, by the Justices of 

 Peace, to the Constables, with regard to 



The Beacon on Cley Hill, near Warminster, 



" First, to see that the Beakon within the Hundred be well and sufficiently 

 furnished with good and dry wood, and well and orderlie watched (as you have 

 bin formerlie co^aunded) And you are lykewyse to have in rediness a Barrell 

 wherein pitehe hath bin, besides four or five pounds of pitche to put therein. 

 And further that none be allowed to be a watchman there but hable men both 

 of body and discretion. 



Item, to have especiall care from tyme to tyme to the well-looking nnto of 

 the said Becon : to th'end the same be not fired upon anylewde devise but upon 

 just cause. 



Item, to warne Mr. Carr the elder of Corsley, Wm. Blacke of The Ashes, 

 Wm. Blacke of Smalebrooke, Christopher Daniell of T^Torridge, Wm. Lambe, 

 John Hill, John Knight and Hobbs of Bugley, and two or three more of 



