What does it mean when someone does 'not taking up knighthood'?

[Westy11]

The attached clipping is from a digitised book featuring the Byne/Bine family of Sussex.

In the attached clipping it is noted that Magnus Byne '...compounded his fine by not taking up knighthood on the occasion of the coronation ...."

Westy

[Geoff-E]

Distrait of Knighthood   
A fine for not taking up a knighthood when man was entitled to do so. By C16th this was a tax for landowners whose property had reached a certain value.

[KGarrad]

I also found:

King Charles I 28 January 1630 issued a commission to sit in London and treat with all his subjects who would compound for their fines for not taking up knighthood (a responsibility incumbent on all men of full age having £40 or more a year in land) and for non-attendance to receive their knighthood at his coronation.

Knights formed the basis of the King's Army - and would be expected to serve.
Not all those eligible wanted to, however!

[Westy11]

Thank yu so much.  So it appears what is now an honor was once an obligation?

Westy

[LizzieW]

So it appears what is now an honor was once an obligation?

Not so sure about that, most of the people being knighted today seem to be show business or sports personalities, so it is being rather downgraded and it seems more an obligation on the part of the people deciding who should get the knighthood, that they must be famous people, rather than people who are deserving.

[3sillydogs]

Thank yu so much.  So it appears what is now an honor was once an obligation?

Westy

It would seem that way. If the land owner was too old to fulfil his obligations of being a Knight, would that duty then pass to his sons? Would they then be Knights?