Commission of array: Difference between revisions

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Civil War revival: Copy edit. Verbiage/repetition
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===Civil War revival===
Although long obsolete by the 17th century, the system was revived by King [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] in 1642 at the start of the [[English Civil War|Civil War]], in an unconstitutional manner, that is to say without [[Parliament of England|Parliament]] having been consulted, in order to counteract the equally unconstitutional [[Militia Ordinance]] enacted by Parliament in 1642 without the usual [[Royal Assent]]. Both decrees were issued in order to attempttried to gain control of existing [[militia]] forces and to raise further troops. The Commission of Array issued by the king thus sought to muster a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] army at the onset of the [[English Civil War]].<ref name="auto">Andriette, Eugene A., Devon and Exeter in the Civil War, Newton Abbot, 1971, p.56</ref> Commissioners were appointed for each county, generally from leading members of the local aristocracy and gentry who might be assumed to wield great influence over their feudal tenants and the population in general. The commissioners read proceeded toout the majortext populationof centrestheir and read outcommission in public gatherings in the textmain oftowns. theirOften commission.the Frequentlylocal people suspected such innovative royal decrees, uncertain in precedent and purposepurposeas, wereto metbe withdesigned openfor hostilitythe ongeneral the partsuppression of the localpeople, inhabitantsand whothey suspectedwere themopenly as being instruments designed for general suppression of the peoplehostile. Opponents of the king, whilst playing down the role of the [[Militia Ordinance]] in augmenting civil strife, portrayed the Commission of Array as being a sign that it was the king and not Parliament who was the real aggressor in the developing conflict.<ref>Andriette, p.57</ref>
 
====Devon====
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*[[Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath]]<ref name="auto"/>
*[[Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester]]<ref name="auto"/>
*George Southcote of [[Buckland -Tout -Saints]], appointed but apparently never acted as he was appointed [[Sheriff of Devon]] during the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]],. fatherFather of [[Thomas Southcote]] (c. 1622–1664), also of Buckland -Tout -Saints, MP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/member/southcote-thomas-1622-64|title=SOUTHCOTE, Thomas (c.1622–64), of Buckland Tout Saints, Devon |work=History of Parliament Online}}</ref>
*[[Sir John Acland, 1st Baronet]] (c. 1591–1647)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1660-1690/member/acland-sir-hugh-1639-1714|title=ACLAND, Sir Hugh, 1st or 5th Bt. (c.1639–1714), of Killerton, Devon |work=History of Parliament Online}}</ref>