| Ship. | Men. | Tons. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Worcester | 1 | 112 | 280" |
But at this time thirty-five of the English counties and seven of the Welch counties were in arrears for their earlier ship money, as appears from a table of the arrears, in which there is the following entry as to Worcestershire:
| Arrears. | Arrears. | Arrears. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| An. 1636. | An. 1637. | An. 1638. | |
| "Worcester | £096 0 0 | £1070 0 0 | £710 0 0" |
Ship money was declared to be illegal by the statute 16th Charles I, chap. 14, which was passed in the year 1640.
For this information we are indebted to John Rushworth, Esq., Secretary to the Lord General Fairfax, in whose collection it will be found (vol. ii, pp. 257, 335, 975, 978.)
FINES FOR NOT TAKING THE ORDER OF KNIGHTHOOD.
Mr. Rushworth, Secretary to the Lord General Fairfax, in his Historical Collections, vol. ii, p. 71, under the date of July 6, 1630, says that "the King having sent writs to several sheriffs of the several counties for the summoning of all that had forty pound land or rent by the year to appear at the day of the Coronation and prepare themselves to receive the Order of Knighthood," did award a Commission to certain Lords and others of his Privy Council to treat and compound with all those who had made default. This was founded on the Statute De Militibus, a statute stated by the Record Commissioners to be of uncertain date, but which is usually printed as of the first year of the reign of King Edward II. By the statute 16th of Charles I, chap. 20, compulsory Knighthood is abolished. The following is a list of Worcester gentlemen fined by King Charles I for not taking the order of Knighthood; it is extracted from the "Book of Compositions for not taking the Order of Knighthood at the Coronation of King Charles I. 1630-1632. Auditor of the Receipt[11]."
[11] This Manuscript was recently discovered by Mr. Black in the Rolls House Record Office.
"Wigorn. p. 196.
Sir William Sandy, Knight, Collector.