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Muster Rolls can be a valuable source of information, recording the names of able-bodied men liable for service in the militia. They do not list all men, only those between the ages of 16 and 60 years of age. Their principal value lies in the fact that they can establish the parish of a named male. In some cases it is possible from the valuation made of a man's lands and goods, to gain an indication of the status of the family.

The muster rolls themselves are annotated with soldiers who have not turned up for service or who have not 'passed muster', deaths, promotions and replacements.

There are Muster Rolls in The National Archives from 1369.

Hungerford, like many parishes in West Berkshire, is fortunate that the Muster Certificates of 1522 survive. They produce useful insight into land, wealth and people at the beginning of the 16th century.

The Muster Roll for Hungerford 1522 has been transcribed by Derek Patience, who has kindly emailed it to the Virtual Museum along with several Duchy of Lancaster Rentals & Surveys.

- 1522 Muster Roll for Hungerford (pdf)

See also:

- Duchy of Lancaster Rentals & Surveys, 1470-1676

- Survey of Hungerford, 1591

- Hearth Tax

- Brick Tax

- Coal Tax

- Window Tax

- Fires and fire-fighting

- Rural calendar