commissions of array

array, commissions of

array, commissions of. This was a means of raising local troops between the fyrd and the feudal levy and the militia of modern times. The commissions instructed individuals, usually gentry or noblemen, to raise troops in their area and were first issued by Edward I. They were a heavy burden, particularly if the cost fell upon the township or locality and Parliament succeeded in obtaining a number of concessions. Edward III promised in 1327 not to employ the men outside their county, save in case of invasion; in 1344 that the crown would pay wages if they were asked to serve outside the kingdom; in 1350 that they would only be issued with the consent of Parliament. A statute of Henry IV in 1402 repeated the limitations, declaring that they ‘shall be firmly holden and kept in all points’. After mid-16th cent. it was more convenient to ask the lords-lieutenant to raise levies and commissions fell into disuse. Charles I in desperation, on the eve of civil war, revived them, issuing the first in May 1642 to some Lancashire gentry. Clarendon thought it had been a mistake to resort to antique procedures, ‘a thing they had not before heard of’, and they were at once declared unlawful by Parliament.

J. A. Cannon

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JOHN CANNON. "array, commissions of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "array, commissions of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-arraycommissionsof.html

JOHN CANNON. "array, commissions of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-arraycommissionsof.html

Learn more about citation styles

array, commissions of

array, commissions of This was a means of raising local troops. The commissions instructed individuals to raise troops in their area and were first issued by Edward I. Parliament succeeded in obtaining a number of concessions. Edward III promised in 1327 not to employ the men outside their county, save in case of invasion; in 1344 that the crown would pay wages if they were asked to serve outside the kingdom; in 1350 that commissions would only be issued with the consent of Parliament. After mid‐16th cent. it was more convenient to ask the lords‐lieutenant to raise levies and commissions fell into disuse.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JOHN CANNON. "array, commissions of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "array, commissions of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-arraycommissionsof.html

JOHN CANNON. "array, commissions of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-arraycommissionsof.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Improving the energetic efficiency of the photovoltaic arrays using...
Magazine article from: Annals of DAAAM &amp; Proceedings; 1/1/2008
NEW SOLAR ARRAY PLANNED IN AMALIA AREA.(News)
Newspaper article from: Taos News (Taos, NM); 6/30/2011
FSR technology is at the heart of miniature pointing device; company expands...
Magazine article from: EDN; 3/25/1993

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of commissions of array