A HISTORY OF DORSET 



from this cause, and ' the whole force of the shire ' was to be held ready ' in 

 case of rebellion.' ^ 



In spite of this strong though evidently suppressed Protestant feeling 

 there were a certain number of recusants in the reign of Elizabeth. No 

 notice was taken of them till 1582, when the apprehension was ordered of 

 one Slade, a very dangerous Papist, also of any Jesuit or seminary priest.* This 

 followed hard upon riots against the sheriff, instigated by Henry Howard, 

 son and heir of Lord Bindon.' A prosecution for witchcraft had taken place 

 in 1564.* On 7 February, 1585, a regular assessment of fines for recusancy 

 was enforced, under the lord-lieutenancy of the Marquis of Winchester.* 

 In 1590 there was some sympathy with the recusants displayed:* and in 

 1598 certain recusants were fined ^^15 each towards the Irish Light Horse.'' 

 The names of the fined were Lady Sturton, Charles Sturton, esq., Mrs. 

 Martin of Athelhampton, Henry Cary of Hamworthy, and Mr. Slade of 

 Mawston. 



The need of men for Irish service had been constantly brought home. 

 Three hundred Dorset men served in 1573, a hundred more were sent out in 

 1578, another hundred the next year, a further hundred in 1598, and 

 another hundred and fifty in 1600, with fifty more for the plantation of 

 Lough Foyle, reinforced later in the year by an additional twenty ; while in 

 the same year resort was had to the method of levying from each of the 

 principal gentlemen (viz. Sir George Trenchard, Sir Ralph Horsey, Thomas 

 Freake, and John Fitzjames) ' one light horse and equipment and man 

 and equipment.'* 



The preparations to meet the Armada included the furnishing of Corfe 

 Castle, Portland Castle, and the Isle of Purbeck with ordnance,* a contribution 

 of ship-money from Weymouth, Shaftesbury, Wareham, Dorchester, Bland- 

 ford, Sherborne, and Cerne Abbas, for the ' two ships and one pinnace ' to be 

 set forth by Weymouth. The rest of the county, and Lyme and Chard, 

 were afterwards also forced to contribute. A thousand foot, but no horse, were 

 ordered to be sent to London by 6 August. This led to a lively but 

 unavailing protest from the rest of the inhabitants, who feared the Spanish 

 fleet and French attacks. ' Lances and light horse ' were commanded to 

 London by the 8th. The clergy also raised a troop. ^^ Next year the lord- 

 lieutenant received instructions as to the levies and military stores, and how 

 far they were to be kept on a war footing. A sale of powder in store at 

 Dorchester was also ordered ' awaie nowe, when there is occasion to use yt, 

 for yt is but bad powder, and the longer yt is kept the worse it wilbe.' " 

 The expenses of the repelling of the Armada were met by a loan borrowed 

 from 2,416 of the queen's subjects in the thirty-six counties, which amounted 

 to nearly ^75,000 ; it was impossible to meet them by ordinary subsidies, 

 and an extraordinary subsidy large enough to bring in the sum required 



' AcU ofP.C. (ed. Dasent), 1556-8, p. 87. ' Ibid. 1 581-2, p. 446. 



' Ibid. 1 580-1, p. 217. • Ibid. 1558-70, pp. 200-1. ' Ibid. 1586-7, p. 16. 



* Ibid. 1590-1, p. 358. ' Ibid. 1598-9, p. 499 ; see also Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vi, 252J. 



'Jets of P. C. 1571-5, pp. 125-6; 1577-8, P- 24°; 1598-9, P- 499; 1597-8. P- 329; '600, 

 pp. 102, 247, 416, 439, 790, 798. See also Dorch. Corp. MSS. and Weymouth Chart, v, 28. 



^ Acts of P. C. 1588, p. 259. 



'" Ibid. 133, 301, 353, 171, 192, 181, 267. See also Ellis, Hist. Weymouth, 15 ; Weymouth Charters, 

 V, 26, 32. 



" Acts of P. C. i;88-o, p. 389. 



144 



