Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Denton - Eskdale Parish Protestation Returns (Cumberland, England)

A few years ago I photographed and transcribed all the Protestation Returns for Eskdale Ward in Cumberland and these records were taken in 1641-42. The history behind these particular statistics follows (http://www.tackbear.co.uk/Protestation%20Returns.htm):

The Protestation Returns relate to the years 1641/42, around the start of the Civil War. The Protestation was an Oath of loyalty to the King, and was originally drawn up and taken by the members of the House of Commons on May 3rd 1641. The following day the Protestant Peers in the House of Lords also swore it.
On July 30th the House of Commons passed a resolution that all who refused the Protestation were unfit to hold office in Church or Commonwealth. The scope was widened so that it should be sworn by all adults over the age of 18.  In practice this meant all men; women were not usually asked to sign.

A letter was sent by the Speaker of the House of Commons to the sheriffs instructing them to take the protestation with the justices of the peace in their county, and then the incumbent of each parish was to read the protestation to his parishioners and they were all to sign. This took place in February and March 1641/2. The Protestation Returns were then sent back to Parliament.

The Oath:
I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ do, in the presence of Almighty God, promise, vow, and protest to maintain, and defend as farr as lawfully I maye, with my Life, Power and Estate, the true Reformed Protestant religion, expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England, against all Popery and Popish Innovations, within this Realme, contrary to the same Doctrine, and according to the duty of my Allegiance, His Majesties Royal Person, Honour and Estate, as alsoe the Power and Privileges of Parliament, the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, and any person that maketh this Protestation, in whatsoever he shall do in the lawful Pursuance of the same: and to my power, and as farr as lawfully I may, I will appose and by all good Ways and Means endeavour to bring to condign Punishment all such as shall, either by Force, Practice, Councels, Plots, Conspiracies, or otherwise, doe any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained: and further, that I shall, in all just and honourable ways, endeavour to preserve the Union and Peace betwixt the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland: and neither for Hope, Feare, nor other Respect, shell relinquish this Promise, Vow and Protestation.

In total I transcribed eighteen parishes in Eskdale Ward which included: Arthuret, Bewcastle, Brampton, Castle Carrock, Crosby Eden, Cumrew, Cumwhitton, Denton, Farlam, Hayton, Irthington, Kirk Andrews, Kirk Linton, Lanercost, Scaleby, Stanwix, Stapleton, and Walton. I have proofread only Lanercost and it was published in 2010 in The Cumbria Journal. I will post a blog every day for the next eighteen days with the names of the individuals who signed the Protestation Returns in each of the eighteen parishes (there will occasionally be a suffix or an occupation and sometimes there will be the name of a particular property within the parish. If this is helpful to anyone that is great. If you have a query then please leave a comment and I will try to answer. I am only researching the Routledge, Tweddle, Robson  and Bushby families (and primarily Routledge because most of my Routledges married other Routledges. Remember I have only proofread Lanercost and I have adhered to the spelling as shown on the original document. If you think that I have a letter wrong in a name feel free to query it and I will answer as soon as possible.

Townships    Surname    Forename    Suffix    Standing
Nether Denton    Hall    Thomas       
Nether Denton    Bullman    John       
Nether Denton    Crake    Andrew       
Nether Denton    Crake    Robert       
Nether Denton    Bell    Lancelett       
Nether Denton    Bell    John    son of Lancelett   
Nether Denton    Bell    George       
Nether Denton    Bell    William    brother to George   
Nether Denton    Bell    William        Lanyhurst
Nether Denton    Nixon    Simond        Dodd
Nether Denton    Livelocke    Thomas       
Nether Denton    Peeres    John        Bankeman
Nether Denton    Eliott    John       
Nether Denton    Browne    John       
Nether Denton    Browne    John    John's son   
Nether Denton    Bell    Willyam    his man   
Nether Denton    Heddrinton    Anthony       
Nether Denton    Tynlin    Peter       
Nether Denton    Bell    David        Nuke
Nether Denton    Bell    Willyam        Baggery
Nether Denton    Bell    John        ?lopeyill
Nether Denton    Hall    John       
Nether Denton    Dixeson    John    John Hall's servant   
Nether Denton    Bell    Willyam        Highfield
Nether Denton    Bell    John    brother to Willyam   
Nether Denton    Peares    John       
Nether Denton    Peares    John    son of John   
Nether Denton    Foster    John       
Nether Denton    Richardson    George       
Nether Denton    Crake    Christopher       
Nether Denton    Bell    Richard        Nuke
Nether Denton    Bell    Willyam       
Nether Denton    Bell    Thomas    brother to Willyam    eadem
Nether Denton    Thompson    Mathew       
Nether Denton    Bell    Emont        Dixons house
Nether Denton    Bell    William        Emont Bell's man
Nether Denton    Houghcastle    James       
Nether Denton    Micheson    Willyam       
Nether Denton    Carrieber    John       
Nether Denton    Richardson    David       
Nether Denton    Livelocke    Lancelot       
Nether Denton    Waugh    John       
Nether Denton    Ballentire    Thomas       
Nether Denton    Bell    Edward       
Nether Denton    Bell    Thomas        Elihewill
Nether Denton    Hall    Christopher        Thomas Bell's man
Nether Denton    Steward    Abraham       
Nether Denton    Steward    John    Abraham's son   
Nether Denton    Lurner    John       
Nether Denton    Cyles    Salomon       
Nether Denton    Cyles    John    Salomon's son   
Nether Denton    Bell    David       
Nether Denton    Ceeby    John       
Nether Denton    Bell    Jeffery       
Upper Denton    Deane    Nicholas        Minister
Upper Denton    Bell    Emond        Churchwarden
Upper Denton    Bell    Thomas        Churchwarden
Upper Denton    Eliott    Willyam        Constable
Upper Denton    Thurlewey    Barthollomew     

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