Justice of the Peace and the Formation of County Militias in England in the End of the 16^th and Beginning of the 17^th Century (on the Example of Norfolk County)

Abstract

The article examines the activities of the justice of peace of the English county of Norfolk Nathaniel Bacon on the formation of the county militia in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Analysis of his “notes”, correspondence with representatives of the central government and other documents shows that the justice of peace was involved in many issues of the formation and armament of the county militias. He reported regularly on these matters to the Privy Coun cil. In the center of his attention was the collection of monies from the population for the acquisition of weapons, the preparation and conduct of military reviews of the militia, the preparation of certificates of military commands, the procedure for conducting military inspections of militias, etc. Bacon had constant contact with both the lordlieutenant of the county and with the captains of military commands, sheriffs and constables of hundreds. One of the difficult tasks that he had to solve was the collection of funds from representatives of various classes for the needs of the military teams of the county militia. In general, the magistrate managed to achieve a good level of provision of firearms for the county militias. The material of the article clearly illustrates, using the example of a separate county, some of the complexities and nuances of the “military revolution” of the early modern times in England and the role of justices of the peace in this.