Early Elizabethan England (1558-1588): Lord Lieutenants

Lord Lieutenants were members of the local government and were responsible for the upkeep of the the local militia.

Lord Lieutenants were appointed by the Queen and there was one for each county in England, for example Lincolnshire would have had a Lord Lieutenant as would Lancashire etc.

In addition to training the local defence forces, they were also responsible for making sure that the Queen’s wishes were carried out locally.

Lord Lieutenants were first introduced under Henry VIII in the 1540s, however, they often lacked organisation and not all counties had one. This changed with the threat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Elizabeth ensured that all counties had one and that England was prepared for the threat of invasion from the Spanish.