Thursday, April 19, 2012

Bewcastle - 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
Storey    John       
Nixon    Andrew       
Nixon    John       
Taylour    John       
Nixon    Jenkin       
Nixon    Rich:       
Nixon    John       
Routlidge    James       
Routlidge    Willm       
Ellet    John       
Nixon    Willim       
Nixon    James       
Nixon    Will:       
Routlidge    Gilbert       
Routlidge    Rich:       
Noble    John       
Scott    Archibed       
Nixon    George       
Routlidge    Michael       
Noble    Robert       
Edger    William       
Nixon    John       
Nixon    James       
Nixon    George       
Nixon    Hector       
Nixon    George       
Nixon    John       
Nixon    William       
Nixon    John       
Foster    William       
Nixon    John       
Nixon    Clement       
Nixon    George       
Nixon    John       
Routlidge    Tho:       
Routlidge    Edward       
Nixon    Andrew       
Nixon    Robert       
Wood    James       
Nixon    John       
Taylor    Tho:       
Taylor    William       
Nixon    John       
Noble    James       
Story    Edward       
Armestrong    Rob:       
Henderson    John       
Armestrong    Jenkin       
Nixon    John       
Bell    John       
Armestrong    George       
Armestrong    William       
Nixon    John       
Nixon    Thomas       
Noble    Hen:       
Routlidge    Thom:       
Nixon    George       
Story    Adam       
Nixon    John       
Routlidge    Edward       
Routlidge    Rowland       
Bayte    Edward       
White    Rob:       
Nixon    Tho:       
Routlidge    William       
Routlidge    Tho:       
Murray    John       
Nixon    Tho:       
Nixon    Tho:       
Routlidge    Barthole:       
Hunter    Archibald       
Holliday    John       
Fleming    Hen:       
Nixon    Rynian       
Routlidge    George       
Ellet    James       
Pott    Leonard       
Routlidge    George       
Story    Farancil       
Routlidge    Adam       
Foster    James       
Armestrong    Andrew       
Armestrong    Thomas       
Nixon    Andrew       
Routlidge    Tho:       
Noble    Edward       
Routlidge    Will:       
Foster    Rob:       
Nixon    Tho:       
Hunter    William       
Noble    Rob:       
Taylour    Jenkin       
Sowerby    William       
Sowerby    Dandy       
Sowerby    Mhiuluc       
Hunter    Simon       
Routlidge    William       
Sowerby    Thomas       
Nixon    Clement       
Foster    Andrew       
Crozier    James       
Crozier    John       
Routlidge    Christo:       
Armestrong    Rich:       
Mitchelson    James       
Mitchelson    George       
Henderson    William       
Noble    Arch:       
Hunter    Andrew       
Nixon    Thomas       
Armestrong    William       
Routlidge    Francis       
Routlidge    Nicolas:       
Smison    John       
Nixon    Rynian       
Noble    Mungo       
Sowerby    John       
Armestrong    William       
Nixon    Tho:       
Noble    Will:       
Routlidge    Edward       
Gramme    Tho:       
Nixon    Tho:       
Sibson    Ric:       
Simpson    John       
Routlidge    Francis        Churchwarden
Nixon    Rynian        Churchwarden
Sowerby    John        Churchwarden
Noble    Mungo        Constable
Armestrong    William        Constable
Nixon    Tho:        Constable
Routlidge    Nicholas        Constable

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