Thursday, April 26, 2012

Farlam - Eskdale Ward 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.

Surname    Forename    Suffix    Standing
Milborne    John    elder   
Milborne    John    younger   
Bell    Humfrey        fisher house
Bell    John        fisher house
Bell    Willyam        Loning
Bell    Anthony        Birkenside
Bell    Humfrey        Loninge
Robsonn    Willyam       
Bell    George        newgarby
Peares    George        massellyne
Peares    Tho:        massellyne
Cowson    Lancelot        massellyne
Pickering    Cumanie        massellyne
Peares    Tho:        massellyne
Bell    Anthony        Halles
Bell    Richard        Halles
Bell    Joh:        Willyingill
Bell    Joh:    younger    Willyingill
Bell    Tho:        Willyingill
Bell    John        Bowbancke
Crake    Andrew        Bowbancke
Bell    Tho:        Bowbancke
Peares    Henry        Bowbancke
Hillary    Willyam       
Carrack    Jo:       
Wary    Christopher       
Dun    Allexander       
Bell    John        Bounhill
Robinson    John       
Gill    Thomas       
Peares    Edward       
Fleming    Thomas       
Thirleway    Thomas       
Thirleway    Allexander       
Bell    Tho:       
Bell    Humfrey       
Bell    Tho:    Humfrey's son   
Bell    Edmond       
Moses    John       
Moses    Mathew       
Tomsone    Humfray       
Atkinson    Edw:       
Bell    Joh:        milner
Grame alias Hetherington    John       
Taylor    John Armestrong        gent, out of the country but we know that he is a protestant
Hutton    John       
Hutton    Alburye       
Hutton    Thomas       
Hutton    Lanclote       
Bell    Mathew       
Bell    Robart       
Tweddell    James       
Tweddell    Richard       
Grame alias Hetherington    John       
Chambers    Arthur        Vicar at Farlam
Bell    Humfrey        Lonning, Churchwarden and Constable
Thirleway    Thomas        Constable
Bell    Humfrey        West Farlam, Churchwarden

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