The Muster of 1539 & 1559

The Muster on 8 May 1539 met at Mile End 'but let men call to mind Sir Thomas Cromwell, then lord privy seal and vicar-general, lying in the city of London; he bear his charges to the great muster there in A.D. 1539; he sent his men in great number to the Miles End, and after them their armour in cars, with their coats of white cloth, the arms of this city; to wit, a red cross and a sword, on the breast and back; which armour and coats they wore amongst the citizens, without any difference, and marched through the city to Westminster' dressed in silk clothes, gold chains and bright harnesses', so says Stow. Bands of fighting men trained in Stepney during this time.

For more information about this and other Musters
some of which occurred at Mile End:
GAZETEER OF MILITARY LEVIES
FROM THE CITY OF LONDON, 1509-1603

Another military muster of citizens of London, which took place regularly and was the cause of much expense, was called the Marching Watch and generally, from time out of mind, had passed through the principal streets of the city of London.

It often contained about two thousand men 'old soldiers of skill, to be captains, lieutenants, serjeants, corporals etc; wiflers (whistlers), drummers, and fifes, standard and ensign bearer, sword players, trumpeters on horseback, demilances on great horses, gunners with hand guns, or half hakes, archers in coats of white fustian (a coarse twilled cotton fabric), signed on the breast and back with the arms of the city, their bows bent in their hands, with sheaves of arrows by their sides, pikemen in bright corselets, burganets (a light sixteenth century helmet with cheek pieces) etc; halberds, the like billmen in almaine rivets, and apernes on mail in great number; there were also divers pageants, morris dancers, constables, the one-half, which was one hundred and twenty, on St John's eve, the other half on St Peter's eve, (each kept a standing watch in the streets on the night when they were not on the marching watch) in bright harness, some overgilt, and everyone a jorney (a large coat or cloak) of scarlet thereupon, and a chain of gold, his henchmen following him, his minstrels before him, and his cresset light passing by him, the mayor's officers for his guard before him, all in livery of worsted, or say jackets part-coloured, the mayor himself well mounted on horseback, the swordbearer before him in fait armour well mounted also, the mayor's footmen, and the like torch bearers about him, henchmen twain upon great stirring horses, following him'.

All the companies (guilds) were involved with the purpose of forming a regular guard for the City for the following year. The citizens treated it as a contest for the best turn out. It must have been a fine sight and one to which the Stepney inhabitants flocked to watch.

The cost of all this was considerable and the Mile End muster was particularly expensive numbering 15,000 men. The king forbad the Midsummer marching watch for that year and it did not again occur until 1548 (Henry VIII having died in the meantime).

The musters of men between the ages of 16 and 60 continued to take place regularly (the frequency depending on how dangerous the times were) to ascertain how many men and what arms were available for defence.

The Muster of 1559 for East London comprised: 50 archers, 6 pikemen, 159 billmen and 95 harness making 310 men available, one third of which came from Whitechapel, Ratcliffe, Poplar and Limehouse.