A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



shire to be his head commissioners, who were to take oath to execute all com- 

 missions, letters, and missives, and to do all they could for the surety of the 

 king and his succession, for the advancement of justice, the repressing of 

 unlawful games, and the encouraging of the use of the long bow. Under them 

 sundry minor officials who took the same oath did the work, took the musters, 

 and sent in the certificates to the king. Besides the general musters the king 

 sent letters missive to his servants and other gentlemen, desiring them to 

 certify the number of men they could put in the field for the king's service in 

 war. The invasion of a force under Charles V and Francis I to execute the 

 papal bull launched against Henry was the occasion of all this bustle. Lowes- 

 toft, Aldeburgh, and Orwell were to be put in a state of defence 1 and nothing 

 was thought of but the carting of ammunition and guns. In 1542 there was 

 war with France and danger from the Scots. The duke of Norfolk was ordered 

 to the Border and commanded to take the Suffolk levies with him. Certain 

 gentlemen like Sir John Jermy the sheriff, ' as good a knight as ever spurred 

 a cow,' paid for substitutes. Norfolk took with him his own special 

 adherents, Sir William Drury, Sir William Waldegrave, Sir Thomas Jermyn, 

 John Spryng, and Henry Doyle, and 2,500 foot, all desirous to be avenged on 

 the Scots. Two years later 3,000 men mustered for France. 2 Tall men 

 were taken in the markets and pressed, and immediately shipped off to 

 Calais, whither there was a daily procession wearing the red cross. Nothing 

 was seen or talked of save harness, ensigns, and liveries of footmen. This cam- 

 paign was disastrous to both Lord Surrey and his father the duke of Norfolk, 

 the former was accused of treason and beheaded 13 January, 1547, and ten 

 days after Norfolk was attainted and his warrant signed 27 January. Next 

 day Henry VIII died. 



The county respected the Act of Succession, and Edward VI was pro- 

 claimed. Princess Mary had a following, however, and all those oppressed 

 by the new landlords looked eagerly to her accession. One Pooley was a 

 leader of the worst sort of rebels in Suffolk 3 and held seditious meetings. Of 

 the rebels who were taken some were set in the Ipswich pillory by 

 Sir Anthony Wingfield, others lost an ear, or, worse still, were sent up to 

 London to be tried and punished there. The short reign of Edward came 

 to an end on 6 July, 1553. 



Princess Mary was in Norfolk at Kenninghall. She at once bestirred 

 herself to gather the loyal east about her." On the 8th she wrote to 

 Sir George Somerset, Sir William Drury, Sir William Waldegrave, and 

 Clement Heigham, requiring their obedience and presence at Kenninghall. 



1 L. an J. P. Hen. Vlll. xiv (i), No. 655. 



* Ibid, xix (i), p. 158. The following gentlemen with their men were commanded to the army for 

 France in 1544: Lord Wen tworth, 140 foot; Sir Humphrey Wingfield, 10 foot; Sir John Willoughby, 

 6 foot ; Sir Thomas Jermyn, 40 foot ; Robert Crane, 6 men ; Wm. Calthorpe, 6 men ; Edmund Pooley, 

 3 men ; Robert Downes, 2 men ; Ralph Chamberlayn, 6 men ; John Croftes, 10 men ; Rob. Garnish of 

 Kenton, 4 men ; Thos. Heigham of Heigham, 6 men ; Clement Heigham, 4 men ; Robert Spryng, 4 men ; 

 Edward Waldegrave, 5 men ; Marten of Melford, 5 men ; Ric. Coddington, 10 men ; John Brewse, 10 men ; 

 John Southwell, 3 men ; George Colt, 10 men; Lawrence Slystede, 2 men ; Wm. Rede, 6 men ; Wm. 

 Pooley, 2 men ; Thos. Pope, 3 men ; Robert Gosnold, 2 men ; Wm. Mannock, 6 men ; Rob. Kene, 2 men ; 

 Rob. Forde, 4 men ; Rob. Raynoldes, 3 men ; Wm. Foster, 3 men ; Walter Waddeland, 3 men ; John 

 Tasburgh, Thos. Bateman, Edm. Playter, Jn. Hacon, Roger Rookwood, Ant. Heveningham, Rog. Wood- 

 house, Thos. Dereham, Wm. Hunston, J. and H. Wentworth, nil ; Sir Wm. Drury, 30 men ; John Spryng, 

 30 men ; John Shelton, 30 men ; Henry Doyle, 30 men. 



1 Cal. S.P. Don. 1547-80, p. 20. 4 Strype, Mem. Eccl. iii, i. 



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