Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Manuscripts
A collection of papers pertaining to Elizabeth I's commission of 1580 for the mustering of horses suitable for military service and breeding in the county of Oxfordshire
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- Description
- A sheaf of contemporary copies of documents related to the implementation of a royal commission of March 4, 1580, directed to the earls of Lincoln, Sussex, Huntingdon, Leicester, and other peers and officials, to inquire into the number, location, and owners of horses suitable for breeding or for use in war for demi-lances or light horse., perhaps made or kept by one of the commissioners' deputies for the county of Oxfordshire. Included are copies of (1) the initial royal commission, (2) a letter of November 10, 1580 from the commissioners appointing deputies to produce a "certificate" or return of the results of their survey, (3) a letter of December 1, no year, from the earls of Warwick and Leicester and Sir Christopher Hatton, to the commissioners for Oxfordshire, noting that they have set down a new book of rates or assessments for the survey, (4) twelve specific instructions dated 10 November, no year, to the commissioners for mustering horses, (5) two undated returns, arranged by administative hundreds within Oxfordshire, of the individual owners of horses suitable for service as demi-lances or light horse, the first with more than 100 names, the second with nearly 150 names, (6) a letter of March 2, 1580/81, to the commissioners from nine deputies including Rod. (Rodolph, or Ralph) Warcuppe and Richard Huddleston, transmitting the results of their survey, (7) a "certificate" listing each park, pasture, common, or waste, with its owner and the number of horses kept on it, also arranged by hundreds, signed by Rod. Warcuppe , and John Dayly, (8) a letter of March 4, no year, from Rod. Warcuppe to Sir Henry Norris of Rycote transmitting the previous certificate, and (9) a letter of 24 February, no year, from Richard Huddleston and other deputies to Sir Henry Lee, sending the certificate for his preliminary review, in light of descrepancies in rated numbers. These papers were perhaps assembled, made, or kept by one of the deputies for Oxfordshire, most likely Rod. Warcuppe.
