Saturday, May 5, 2012

Walton - 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.

Quarter    Surname    Forename    Suffix    Standing    Queries
Castle Steedes    Fidler    William           
Castle Steedes    Bendall    Edward           
Castle Steedes    Hetherington    Georg           
Castle Steedes    Bayte    James           
Sandyeseke    Pattyson    Thomas           
Sandyeseke    Harding    Thomas           
Sandyeseke    Harding    Christofer           
Sandyeseke    Harding    John           
Sandyeseke    Harding    Thomas           
Walton    Warwick    Edward           
Walton    Hetherington    Christopfer           
Walton    Hetherington    John           
Walton    Hetherington    John           
Walton    Fidler    Thomas           
Walton    Bell    Christofer           
Walton    Ellet    Richard           
Walton    Hetherington    John           
Walton    Crowe    Randell           
Walton    Pott    John           
Walton    Pott    Georg           
Walton    Crowe    John           
Walton    Hetherington    John           
Walton    Blemerhasset    William           
Walton    Nickson    Thomas           
Walton    Nickson    Thomas    junior       
Walton    Pott    Thomas           
Walton    Addison    Thomas           
Walton    Litle    John           
Walton    Fidler    Christofer           
Walton    Richardson    David           
Walton    Hetherington    Alexander           
Walton    Hetherington    John           
Walton    Hetherington    Thomas           
Walton    Dalton    James           
Walton    Tompson    John           
Walton    Tompson    Jeffraie           
Saulmaine    Hetherington    William           
Saulmaine    Hetherington    Jeffraie           
Saulmaine    Hetherington    Ambros           
Saulmaine    Hetherington    William           
Thornimoore    Bullman    Edward           
Thornimoore    Hetherington    Herbert           
Thornimoore    Hetherington    John           
Thornimoore    Routlidge    John           
Thornimoore    Sowerbye    Mungoe           
Thornimoore    Pruddim    John           
Thornimoore    Nickson    Arther           
Thornimoore    Nickson    Nicholas           
Thornimoore    Nickson    John           
Thornimoore    Pruddim    Christofer           
Thornimoore    Barnefather    John           
Thornimoore    Barnfather    Georg           
Thornimoore    Barnfather    John           
Whitehill    Hetherington    John           
Whitehill    Hetherington    Georg           
Whitehill    Wilkinson    John           
Whitehill    Hetherington    William           
Whitehill    Hetherington    Humfrey           
Whitehill    Wilkinson    Christofer           
Whitehill    Hetherington    Robert           
Whitehill    Hetherington    Christofer           
Whitehill    Hetherington    William           
Whitehill    Whitehead    William           
Poakeadie    Nickson    Thomas           
Poakeadie    Nickson    Jeffraie           
Poakeadie    Nickson    John           
Poakeadie    Hetherington    Thomas           
Poakeadie    Gibson    Thomas           
Poakeadie    Dudon    John           
    Hetherington    John        Curate   

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