Winterborne Steepleton Protestation Returns and Muster Rolls

Gilbert Ironside, cler	Joseph Meech	Robt Cox
George Lawrence	Nathaneel Meech	Thomas Poole
Richard Lawrence	Henry Samwaies	William Stickland
Thomas Meech	Isaack Bellett	Laurence Meech
Charles Adams	Richard Toogood	Henry Stickland
John Butcher	Richard Hodder	Robt. Parrett
Percivall Butcher	Richard Meech Jnr	Nicholas Parrett Bernard Oliver
Edmund New	Richard Meech senr
Angell Joy	Francis Meech	Richard Meech med
Percivall Meech	Emanuell Meech	Arthur Craft
Thomas Parrett	Ralph Adams	George Meech
Richard Luckis	Giles Cox	Robt. Bartlett
Nicholas Frost	William Adams	James Parrett

The Protestation Oath Returns 1641/2 - Parliament organised a signed protest against the possibility of "arbitary and tyrannical government". These returns were arranged by area and the originals are stored in House of Lords Library.

A	Ric Lawerens*	horse harness bow sh.arr		Ric Samways*	bill
A	Ric Bartelet*	bow 6 arr	A	Jn Miche*	bow 6 arr
A	Wm Hossy	bow 6 arr		Hen Miche*	bow 4 arr
A	Tho Egardon	bow 6 arr		Tho Whitwyll*	bill
A	Rob Maydyn	bow 6 arr	A	Ric Whyttyll	bow 6 arr
A	Jn Robyns	bow 6 arr		Jn Mich*	bill
A	Jn Sadman	bow 4 arr		Ric Miche	bow 6arr
	Rob Hodder*	bill		Nic Sargent*	bow 6 arr
	Ric Hodder	bow 4 arr		Ralph Cake*	bow 6 arr
	Ric Adams sen* bow 6 arr			Edw Bell*	bow 6 arr
	Ralph Adams* bow 4 arr			Tho (blank)	bow 4 arr

Alternative roll below - 24 names ( ?) - probably taken from a muster dated 1539 in State Papers Domestic

The Muster Rolls were compiled to give a record of the local militia for the Lord Lieutenant of each county. Each was required "to choose meetest persons for captains and petty captains…. to the charge of certain numbers according to their qualities; those of most worship, credit and value to have the charge of more or less according to their degrees".

The Rolls gave an idea of the martial skills and weaponry available. A letter "A" against a man's name noted that he was an "able man" or "able archer". A militia man could expect to be paid 8d a day when in training or service plus one penny for every mile he travelled between his home and place of training. The pay was not bad as a skilled craftsman was earning 4d - 6d a day at this time. It is interesting to note that no guns or muskets are listed

Source : Dorset History Centre (DCL Ref D.093.2) Pub : T L Stoate (Bristol 1978)

Transcribed by R Crumbleholme and donated to the OPC Project

1525 Winterborne Steepleton
Henry Trencharde	G 300	William Cremell	G 2	Thomas Cowdry	G 2
John Ockeden	W 1	John Boylande	G 2	Henry Hawse	W 1
Robert Davy	W 1	Ralph Benett	W 1	William Gregory	W 1
Robert Butt	W 1	Robert Bonemayne	G nil	John Andrewe	G 2
William Bloackforde	W 1	Martin Jurdyn	G nil	Edmond Haymon	W 1
John Wynche	G nil	Robert Boyte	G nil	Nicholas Comyn	W 1
John Folya	G nil	Nicholas Warham	G 60	Stephen Whyte	W 1
John Myche	G 13.33	Hugh Warham	G 10	Thomas Cornyshe	W 1
Henry Myche	G 4	John att Myll	G 14	John Gurdelar	W 1
Thomas Lowde	W 1	Stephen Bullyng	G 6	John Warham	G 3
John Myche jun	G 6	Roger Pollarde	G 13	Alson Martyn wid	G 2
John Lewston wid	G 6	Ralph Bayly	G 7	Ilys Andrew	G 2
Thomas Grey	W 1	William Myller	G 5	Alson Towker wid	G 4
John Adams	G 3	William Preston	G 6	Henry Hoskyns	G 2
Thomas Whytell	G 3	Richard Stone	G 12	Ralph Russell	G 2
John Clerke	G 6.66	Henry Myller	G 15	Thomas Barbor	W 1
Thomas Devenyshe	W nil	William Hawkynges	G 10	John Watercombe	G 2
Robert Hodder	G 2	John Bayly	G 5	William Browne	G 2
John Sergeaunt	G 10	Richard Pottle	G 10	William Howchyn	W 1
Ralph Cake	G 20	Robert Grey	G 10	John Pynny	W 1
Nicholas Byncombe	G 4	John Bayly jun	G 3.33	Margaret Parickes wid	G 4
John Grenham	G 5	Richard Bussell			W 1

1545 Stypleton
Richard Lawrens	G 20	Thomas Whytell	G 1	Richard Adams sen	G 1
Ralph Cake	G 5	Robert Hodder	G 1	Richard Adams jun	G 1
Richard Sanwaye	G 3	Richard Miche	G 2	Richard Bartelett	G 1
John Miche	G 2	Edward Velle (Belle ?)	G 1	Robert Drewett	G 1
Henry Miche	G 2
Total £ 0 . 15s . 6d

1594 Stipleton
Richard Lawrence gent	G 20	Richard Bartlett	G 3	Richard Hodder	G 4
Osmond Meeche	L 1	Elizabeth Meeche wid	G 3	William Cake	G 3
Henry Meeche	G 3	Lewis Collett alien
Total £ 5 . 0s . 8d

Lay Subsidies were taxes paid on a person’s movable items and were levied from C12th to C17th.

The Great Subsidy Rolls of 1525 listed persons over 16 years of age who merited taxation. By the time of the records above, the tax was paid by lay people only and was standardised at one tenth for town dwellers and one fifteenth for country dwellers

Source of extract : Dorset County Museum Ref N3 - Transcribed by T L Stoate (1525 – p91; 1545 & 1597 – p96)

(Stoate’s volume also includes a “reckoner” for relating charges to a common basis)

Winterbourne Steepleton was sited in the northern most tip of the Uggescombe Hundred. It covered an area from Chilcombe, Puncknowle and Little Bredy in the west across to Langton Herring and Fleet to the south. It is thought that the ancient Hundred’s meeting place was a moot stone at the common junction of Abbotsbury, Long Bredy, Portesham and Little Bredy parishes. A stone still exists here (OS 588 867) and is near the present entrance to Gorwell Farm, the nearby steep sided valley to the south was the original Ucga’s Coombe which gave its name to the Hundred.

Transcribed by R Crumbleholme and donated to the OPC Project

Name			No of Hearths	Notes
William	ADAMS	ij	2
Ralph	ADAMS	j	1	Pauper
Charles	ADAMS	j	1	Pauper
John	ADAMS	ij	2	Pauper
Isaac	BELLETT	j	1	Pauper
Robert	BESSE	ij	2
Percivall