The privy council discussed this scheme on 3 August 1612, when preparations of the commissions and instructions to levy the aid were in hand. By 27 August the lords had given their approval and on 30 August a warrant was sent to the chancellor to issue commissions for the levy.

The instructions issued to the commissioners were virtually identical to those issued for the levy of the aid to knight Prince Henry in 1609. The preferred method of proceeding was by composition, since gathering information on feudal tenures was considered too 'troublesome'. The commissioners were directed to summon juries composed of the most substantial freeholders of the area, as well as all the king's freeholders in every parish, and to make it known how lucky they were that the king was prepared to accept compositions based on the estimated values of their estates. If they chose instead to be subjected to a proper investigation into feudal tenures by the county feodaries, and were charged the rates that statute law allowed the king to levy, of 20s. per knight's fee or 20s. for every £20 worth of land held in socage, they would end up paying much more than the king would willingly accept as a composition.

The commissioners were instructed, therefore, to proceed by jury inquest and charge according to these rates, only if freeholders' refused to make compositions, and they were to prepare two sets of duplicate assessments, accordingly.

A list of commissioners appointed to levy the aid, identified as such by Richard Cust, survives in E 163/16/21.

The expected yield was treble the rate collected in 1609 for the knighting of Prince Henry (Surrey Record Office, Guildford, LM 1524; SP14/70, no 60). The council also sent letters asking for the advancing of loans against the aid.

Draft accounts of the receiver-general's department indicate that money received for the aid over the period 23 December 1612 to 6 February 1613 totalled £6,078 15s.2d. (BL, Add MS 21,913, fos 11-14v).

(Dietz, |English Public Finance, 1558-1641|, pp 150-151; |CSP, Dom, James I, 1611-1613|, pp 140, 146; R.P. Cust, 'A List of Commissioners for the Forced Loan of 1626-7', |BIHR|, LI (1978), p 201n)

enrolled account: E 359/5, rots 20-26