A militia or citizen force for home defence was first established in England by Alfred the Great, and was maintained with more or less efficiency until the Conquest. After that event it was to a large extent overshadowed by the army of feudal tenants; but it never wholly ceased to exist, and was revived by the sovereigns of the twelfth century as a counterpoise to the feudal levies of the rebellious barons. Henry VIII found it defective in both organization and equipment, and with a view to its reform appointed in each county a lieutenant (the Lord Lieutenant of to-day), whom he made responsible for the efficiency of the force within his area. As a result the men of each township were periodically mustered for inspection, and on these occasions the equipment of each individual was noted. The records of these inspections, known as Muster Rolls, are still preserved, and are interesting not only from a military point of view, but as registers of local names. A roll for the wapentake of Staincliffe of about the year 1539 shows the number of persons liable for service in the parish of Kirkby to be two hundred and twenty-two, of whom eight are marked ‘excused’ by reason of illness or age. Of the remainder, one hundred and seventy-five are billmen and thirty-nine archers. The majority possess their own weapons, and a considerable number, a piece of defensive armour—a sallet or a jack, or both. About eighty possess horses and harness, and a certain number, a complete equipment of all the above articles.

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16th Century Arms & Armour During the 16th Century when the pike and arquebus were being adpted throughout Europe, we preferred to stick with the tried and tested combination of Bill and English longbow that had proved successful during the Hundred Years’ War, Wars of the Roses and constant conflicts with Scotland.
Salet	A light metal helmet, smooth and rounded like an inverted bowl, which extends backwards to protect the neck. Some also had a fixed or moveable visor to protect the face.
Jack (jak)	A thickly padded or quilted military jacket, faced with leather or heavy canvas. The padding consisted of some 20-30 layers of cloth according to some sources and was designed to absorb impact. Sometimes iron rings or plates were sewn onto or between the layers, to offer more protection from edged weapons.
Bill	A general purpose, simple to make pole weapon, it is a slashing weapon with a hook shaped axe blade mounted on a 6-9 foot pole and was developed from the agricultural billhook. Similar to the more axe-like halberd, it also had a spike or hook behind the main blade which could be used to unseat horsemen and a spike on the top. Sometimes another spike was added to the other end of the pole, providing a more compact stabbing weapon.	Examples of the English Bill
Longbow	The English longbow is made from yew and about 5-6 feet long to suit the archer. Its “D” shaped section has heartwood on one side and sapwood on the other providing a natural laminate and making it very powerful. Bow strings were made of hemp or flax, attached to the wood via horn “nocks”, fitted onto the end of the bow.The arrows had a long range and archers could fire 10-20 per minute, providing a deadly hail of projectiles.
Hors & Hern/Herneys	Horse & Harness, harness being the complete trappings of a horse, which might include defensive armour.

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Malhamdale Muster Roll 1539

The monstre or shewyng and viewe of all men of armes me armed hable to bear theym as well archers as other men on horse and on fote, togither with the names & sirnames and diversite of ther barneys viewed and sene in the Wapentake of Staynclif comonlie called Craven and in the forest of Boolande therto adjoyningin the Westriddyng of the Countie of Yorke before Sir Thomas Tempest of Bracewell, Knight, and John Lambart of Calton, Comissioners to our soveraigne lorde the Kinge in the said Westrithynge to thos places & Wapentake assigned by division of assent of the hole commissioners made Ther taken viewed & sene the xxvij. xxviij of March and the firste daye of Aprile and divers other tymes and sundry places by vertue and auctorite of our said soveraigne(s) Commission to the said Sir Thomas and John and other directed &c.

CALTON
bill	Rob’tus Birtwisell	hors stelecap bill
bill	Thomas Birtwisell
archer	John Thomson
ex. Etate	Will’m Preston sen.	jak bill
archer	Will’m Preston Jun.
bill	Antonius Holgate
bill	Ric’us Wilson	hors jak
bill	Joh’es Wilson
ex. Etate	Joh’es Chatburn	hors jak
bill	Crist. Nelson
archer	Cristoferus Preston	Hors
archer	Rob’tus Tateham
archer	Ric’us Smyth’
ex. Etate	Joh’es Wigan	salet jak hors
bill	Rob’tus Croke
bill	Ric’us Croke
bill	John. Hall	bill
bill	Joh’es Lauson sen. fil. Robti.
archer	Will’m Todde
bill	Will’m Fisshe	hors
bill	John Lauson Jun. fil’ Thos.
bill	Thomas Nicolson	salet
bill	Johannes Nelson
bill	Cristof. Hall	bill hors
archer	Thomas Smyth	jak bill
bill	Petrus Hynde	hors & herneys
bill	Georgius Todde
	Sm.of me. hable to were herneys —	xxiij unde
	Archers	vij
	bilme.
	Billes	xvij
	Horses	vij
	Jakkes	iiij
	Billes	v
	Salett	iij
	Furnisshed hors and herneys	j
AlRTON
archer	Edward Salley	hors jak
bill	Rob’t Husbonde
bill	Thomas Hurtlay
bill	Henr. Swier
bill	Adam Swier	hors & hern
bill	Ric. P’ston Jun.	jak salet
bill	Adam Preston	jak bill salet
bill	John Smyth thelder
archer	John Smyth the yong.	hors & hern
bill	Roger Preston	jak bill hors
bill	Thomas Preston
bill	Cristof. Preston	hors & hern
bill	Henr. Preston
bill	Will’m P’ston	hors & hern
bill	Thomas Lausan
bill	Hugh Preston	bill
bill	Adam Preston
bill	Edward Wogan	hors & hern
archer	John Wegan
bill	Ric’us P’ston sen.	hors jak bill
archer	Hugh Spenser	hors & hern
bill	Thomas Diconson	hors & hern
bill	Rob’t Smyth	hors jak
archer	John Spenser	hors & hern
bill	Thomas Diconson	hors bill
bill	Will’m Bordeley
	Sm. of me. habill for werres	xxvj
Wherof
	Men furnisshed w
	l hors & herneys	viii
	Jakke	all
	Horses	v
	Jakkes	vj
	Salette	ij
	Billes	v
	Archers	v
	Bilmen	xxj
MALHOM
bill	Ric. Walker
bill	John Middilten
bill	John Lauson	hors jak
bill	George Knolle
archer	Geffrey P’cto. Gent	hors & hern
bill	Will’m Airton
bill	Ric’us Airton
bill	Miles Seriauntson	hors jak
bill	Ric’Barsha	jak
bill	Joh’es Dene	jak
bill	John Atkynson	hors jak
bill	Roger Lauson
bill	Rob’t Lauson	hors & hern
archer	Crist.Atkynson	hors jak
not hable	John Fish	salet
bill	John Dene	jak
bill	Ric. Barehede
bill	John Seriauntson	hors jak
bill	Th. Thomson	hors & hern
bill	Henr. Hirde	hors jak
bill	Crist. Smyth
ex.etate	John Knolle	jak bill
bill	Will’m Hill	hors & hern
bill	John Wyndesor	hors jak
bill	Will’m Hurtlove	hors jak bill
bill	Ric. Preston
bill	John Preston	hors & hern
archer	Alex. Whitfeld	hors & hern
bill	Thomas Anderson
bill	Thomas Hill
bill	John Settill
bill	John Smyth	jak
bill	Rob’t Wilkynson	hors & hern
bill	Thomas Dene	hors jak bill
bill	Will’m Knolle	hors jak bill
bill	Ric. Knolle	hors jak salet
bill	Henr. Pacok	hors jak bill
bill	Will’m Wharfe	hors jak bill
bill	Will’m Toller	hors & hern
bill	Th. Toller	hors & hern
bill	Rob’t Slynger
bill	Will’m Hesildon
bill	John Segewik	jak salet bill
bill	Matheus Toller	hors & hern
archer	Thomas Toller	salet
bill	Michaell Buk	hors
bill	Gregory Buk	hors jak salet
bill	Jamys Buk
bill	Francisca Buk	hors bill
bill	John Brown	bill
bill	Cr. Brown
bill	Henr. Walok	hors jak
bill	Will’m Stephan	hors
ex. et.	John Thomson	hors
bill	Henr. Thomson	hors bill
archer	Leon, de Walok	hors & hern
bill	Rob’t Broune
bill	Will’m Lauson	hors
bill	Thorn’s Lauson
bill	Will’s Knolle
bill	Will’m Smyth alias Hall
archer	Thos. Wilson
bill	Joh’es Howson
archer	Georgius Knolle
archer	Joh’es Knolle
archer	Joh’es Hill, jun.
bill	Joh’es Hurtlofe
no compar	Ric. Hurtlofe
archer	Henr. Hill
bill	Cristofer Hill
no.compar. gz infirm.	Rob’t Leylonde
bill	Ric’us Benson	hors jak
bill	Georgius Knolle
archer	Milo Knolle
bill	Rog’us Benson
bill	Ric’us Wharfe
bill	Rog’us Seriauntson
bill	Th. Slynger
bill	John Hesilden
bill	Cr. Hesilden
bill	Milo Toller
bill	Ric’us Toller jun.
bill	Antony Buk	hors
bill	Raufe Buk	hors & hern
archer	Th. Broun
bill	Will’m Thomson sen.	hors jak bill
no.compar. gz infirm.	Will’m Thomson jun.
	Sm.of hable men	iiij. iiij
Wherof
	Archers	xij
	Bilmen	lxxij
And y.of
	Of men furnysshed	xij
	Of horses	xxiiij
	Of jakkes	xxj
	Of Salettes	v
	Of billes	xj
KIRKBY IN MALHOMDALE
bill	Ric. Howson	jak comon
archer	Hugh Howson
bill	Thomas P’kinson	hors bill
bill	Cristof. Foster
bill	Rob’t Preston	salet hors
bill	Will’s Anderson
bill	Henr. Sclater
bill	Rob’t Sclater	jak
bill	Will’m Sclater
bill	John Wegan	hors & hern
bill	Rob’t Lauson	hors jak bill
archer	John Lauson
bill	John Lauson jun.
bill	Rob’t Atkinson
bill	Rob’t Dene
archer	John Dene
archer	Joh’es Broghton
archer	Rob’t Broghton
bill	Laur. Coke
bill	George Baroo
bill	Will’m Walton
bill	Thomas Lauson	hors
bill	John Coke
bill	Mathewe Walton
bill	Will’m Dene	hors jak
bill	Will’m Foster
archer	John Smythe	hors & hern
bill	Henr. Foster
bill	Edward Lauson
bill	John Brashaa
	Sm.of hable me.	xxxj
Wherof
	Archers	vj
	Bilmen	xxv
And y.of
	Of men furnysshed	ij
	Of horses	v
	Of jakkes	iiij
	Of salettes	j
	Of billes	iiij
SCOTHORP
bill	Richard Spenser	hors & hern
archer	Edward Spenser
bill	Rob’t Malhom
bill	Thomas Anderson
bill	John Preston	hors & hern
bill	Crist. Preston
bill	Crist. Iveson
bill	John Carlile	hors jak bill
bill	Th. Wederhirde
archer	Will’m Sariauntson
bill	John Hodgeson
bill	Thomas Hogeson
bill	Thomas Hodgeson Jun.
bill	John Thomson	hors jak bill
bill	Stephan Hall	hors jak bill
bill	Edward Hall	hors
bill	Ric’us Atkynson
bill	Ric’us Lauson	hors
bill	Hugh Foster
	Sm.of hable me.xix	xix
Wherof
	Archers	ij
	Bilmen	xvij
And y.of
	Of men furnysshed	ij
	Of horses	v
	Of jakkes	iij
	Of salettes	null
	Of billes	iij
HANNLETH
bill	John Brashaa
bill	Thomas Brasha sen.
bill	Thomas Brasha Jun.
bill	John Brasha Jun	hors
bill	Oliuer Crofte	hors
	John Hurtley	jak salet
bill	Cr. Smyth
bill	Thomas Lauson
bill	Ric. Hynde	hors & hern
archer	John Lauson
archer	John Seriauntson	hors & hern
bill	John Seriauntson Jun.	hors jak bill
archer	Rob’t Seriauntson	hors
archer	Henry Wilkynson	hors
bill	Henr. Faldshaa
archer	John Faldshaa
archer	John Hill	hors
archer	Ric. Anderson
archer	Rog. Anderson	bill
bill	Cr. Seriauntson	hors
bill	Rog. Salley	hors
bill	Thomas Brasha
	Sm. of hable me.	xxij
Wherof
	Archers	ix
	Bilmen	xiij
Therof
	Of men furnisshed	ij
	Of horses	viij
	Of jakkes	ij
	Of Salettes	j
	Of billes	ij
OTTERBURN
bill	Thomas Bowhurst
bill	Hen. Atkynson	jak bill hors
bill	Thomas Atkynson	hors
bill	Cr. Thomson	hors jak
bill	John Kendall
bill	Rob’t Atkynson	bill jak hors
bill	Rob’t Holgate	bill jak hors
bill	Leonarde Holgate
bill	Thomas Pathnalle	hors & hern
bill	John Fawsit
bill	Robtus Spenser	hors & hern
bill	Thomas Atkynson	hors jak bill
bill	John Anderson
bill	Will’m Swer
	Sm.of Hable men	xiij
Wherof
	Archers	null
	Bilmen	xiij
	Of men furnysshed	ij
	Of horses	vj
	Of jakks	v
	Of salettes	null
	Of billes	iiij

The National Archives: Exchequer: Treasury of Receipt; Miscellaneous Books: Class E34.

The margin notes “ex etate” or “not hable” indicate persons who possess equipment but are not themselves fit for war.