FIG. 35. TILBURY FORT IN THE YEAR 1588
Christopher Morres, Master of the Ordnance in 1540, drew up a book of “rates for captains, constables, deputies, soldiers, porters, and gunners, for the safe-keeping of the King’s castles and bulwarks, of late new devised by his Majesty’s commandment,” in which are the following details:
“The bulwark at Gravesend. Crane, captain 12d. a day; deputy 8d.; porter 6d.; 2 soldiers and 6 gunners 6d. Mr. Cobham’s bulwark, Mr. Cobham, captain, and 11 others. Th’ermitaige,[24] Johne’s bulwark in Essex side over against Gravesend. Francis Grant, captain, and 8 others. The bulwarks at Tilbury. Boyfield, captain, and 8 others. The bulwark of Hiegham, Jarley, one of the Guard, captain.
“At the Downes. The Great Castle, Thos. Wynkfelde, of Sandewyke, captain, and 34 others. Four bulwarks of earth in the Downs, 4 captains and 32 others. The bulwarks under Dover Castle, a captain and 3 others. The bulwark in the Cliff, a captain and 2 others. The bulwark of earth upon the hill beyond the pier at Dover, Edmond Moody, captain, and 11 others. The Castle at Folston, Kayse, captain, and 18 others. The Castle at Rye, Ph. Chutt, captain, and 24 others. The town of Portsmouth John Chaterton, captain, and 7 others. The Wyndemyll and Mr. Chaterton’s bulwarks. One gunner to each. The Tower of Portsmouth John Rydley, captain, and 4 others. The bulwark of Mr. Sperte’s making at Gosport side, and the blockhouse there, Slymbye, captain, and 5 others. The Castle at Calste Point, William Shirlande, and 20 others. Total 220 men; £2208. 5s. per annum.
“Besides the above, each head house is to have a trumpeter or drum, and the Great Castle both. Crane’s bulwark, Th’ermitaige bulwark, the bulwark at Heigham, and the Castle and three bulwarks at Dover are furnished with ordnance and artillery. To know the King’s pleasure whether the garrison at Dover Castle shall be augmented or no.”
FIG. 36. TILBURY FORT, 1808
In the year 1540 an act of Parliament (32 Hen. VIII, cap. 48), entitled, “The Castell of Dover,” was passed in which reference is made to the fact that
“the King by his exceeding greate costis and charges hath lately buylded and made nye unto the Sees divers Castellis Blockhouses Bullwarkes and other houses and places of greate defence, within the lymittes of the Fyve Portis and their membres or betwene the same, in the shires of Kent and Sussex for the saufegard and suerty of this his Realme and subjectis of the same....”
