A muster meant that men in the local shires were called together to identify those able to serve in the King's army. The muster records thereby created represent a valuable source of information about the local military resources and also gives the names of those involved. The documents which form the subject of this edition, the Herefordshire muster books for 1539 and 1542, came into existence during two military and diplomatic crises. Neither lasted long. The first was during Thomas Cromwell's term of office, the second after his fall. The first crisis was precipitated by the rapprochement...