"Cheshire Compositions for Knighthood 1631" an insult or something more mundane?

[SiGr]

Hi,
I just came across this detail from 1631 and wonder if anybody can explain it to me ?
"In this Scedoule is contayned the names of all such persons within the Countie Palantine of Chester who have compounded with his Majesty for their Contempts in not attendinge his Majesty's Coronacon to receive the order of knighthood accordinge to Law, taken before his Majesty's Commissioners subscribed at Chester the first day of October Ann Re Carol Ac Septimo [1631]"
Given the list of names then detailed is quite long and includes many of the best known names in Cheshire at that time (pretty much all appearing in the various Visitations), I am intrigued as to the meaning and significance (if any) of this list. Were they deliberately insulting the new King or was it something more mundane ?
Can anybody enlighten me ?
By the way, the source document is at www.rslc.org.uk Volume XII, p 203, 1885 and the original title in the Contents was,'Obligatory Knighthood: Lists of those who refused to take up their knighthood in Cheshire and Lancashire 1631-31'.
Thanks in advance for any help/assistance.
Simon

PS I know this is not quite a heraldry question but this seems a reasonable place to ask this question.

[goldie61]

There's a lot of background information on here.
https://archive.org/stream/recordsocietyfor12reco/recordsocietyfor12reco_djvu.txt

I've only skimmed it, but it seems to have been  a way of collecting fines by the king (if you didn't want to become a 'knight').

[SiGr]

Hi, goldie61,

Thank you ! Much appreciated.

Simon