Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Scaleby - 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
B___ke    Richard       
B___ke    Richard    the younger   
B___ke    Thomas       
James    Edward       
James    Edward    the younger   
James    Rowland       
James    John       
James    William    the younger   
Dalton    John       
Dalton    Thomas       
James    William       
Ska_e    James       
Mulcaster    Randell       
Dalton    Edward       
Dalton    Richard       
Linton    Humphrey       
Pearson    William       
Pearson    John       
Sibson    Thomas       
Nicholson    William       
Pearson    Humphrey       
Sibson    Bezabiel       
Goodfellow    George       
Goodfellow    William       
Goodfellow    Richard       
Palmer    Walter       
Goodfellow    John       
James    Michael       
James    Robert       
James    William       
Linton    John       
Linton    Symond       
Nicholson    John       
Bullman    Christopher       
Bullman    Stephen       
Grame    John       
Grame    George       
Greene    William       
Hetherington    George       
Hetherington    George    the younger   
Hetherington    Hugh       
___lop    _______       
Dolling    Martin       
______    James       
______r    Thomas       
Scott    James       
W_______    Christopher       
Bell    William       
Grame    John       
Lawe    John       
Lawe    John    the younger   
Gibson    Thomas       
Eastt    Michael       
Nicholson    George       
Nicholson    Humphrey       
James    John       
Grame    Francis       
B___ke    John       
James    John       
Thompson    Hugh       
Blalocke    Michael       
Warwick    John       
Grame    Peter       
Collins    Petere       
B___ke    William       
Dalton    Robert       
Dalton    Rowland    the younger   
Bulman    John       
Watsone    Hugh       
Sibson    Henry       
Cooke    Richard       
James    John        Constable
Gibsome    Christopher        Constable

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