Armada Weapons
The document above is a summary of weaponry for 1000 footemen made in September 1598. The document tells us that there were 667 men armed with pikes, and 333 armed with ‘shot’, 222 in the form of ‘muskette’ ...
Defending England from Invasion: From Soldiers to Cooks
Sir John Leveson’s 1589 Summary of Kentish Defences also provides an insight into the involvement of ‘unarmed’ men in defending against foreign invasion.
Indeed, it wasn’t just the armed forces that ...
Defending the Nation!
After the battles of the Armada in 1588, a fear of foreign invasion continued to dominate English military defense tactics. This is evident in the Summary of Defences at Kent produced by Sir John Leveson ...
Preparing for Invasion: The Threat of Spanish Invasion!
Sir John Leveson’s papers include a great deal of official correspondence written to the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, William, Lord Cobham. This letter dated 2nd April 1588 addressed to Cobham from the Privy ...
Threat to the Queen's Ships at Chatham
During the 1590s attention was focussed on improving the security of the Navy incase of foreign assault. Documents in the Sutherland Papers suggest that the security of the Navy was threatened in the ...
Was the Armada really a Great English Victory?
Following the Armada, there was much speculation about how military tactics could be improved in the event of another foreign assault. Indeed, some accounts were critical of the methods which were employed ...
What were Beacons?
Many accounts of English defences during the Armada make reference to ‘Beacons’. Indeed, the term is used frequently in Sir John Leveson’s Papers.
Beacons played an extremely important role in defending ...