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.
When I consulted the Devon Protestation Returns for Bridgerule I found Samuel Gilbert and Richard Gilbert. I assumed this was the Samuel who was married to Agnes and their son, Richard. I couldn't find their second son, Samuel, and decided to keep looking, especially over the county border into Cornwall.
I have since searched the Cornwall Protestation Returns and was amazed to discover another (but different) set of returns for Bridgerule. The Samuel Gilbert I was looking for was listed there. However, I suspect that my earlier assumption was incorrect. Tackbear is situated to the West of Bridgerule and is more likely to be within the Cornwall returns. So this Samuel is surely the one married to Agnes and living at Tackbear. On the Devon side of Bridgerule are his two sons, Richard and Samuel.
Source: The Devon Protestation Returns, 1641, A J Howard & T L Stoate
Bande, Edmund
Bishopp, Diggory
Bishopp, Thomas
Bond, Thomas
Branche, Methusalah
Byshop, Nicholas
Byshopp, Tobias
Carwethie, Thomas
Collinge, William
Cory, Josias
Cory, William
Cory, William (Miller)
Corye, Daniel
Corye, Isaac
Corye, Thomas
Cuttinge, William
Eldry, John
Facye, John
Facye, Mark (Husbandman)
Facye, Mark
Facye, William
George, John
Gilbert, Richard
Gilbert, Samuel
Grigg, Diggory
Gubbin, William
Gysle, Samuel
Hoccadaye, John
Horkopp, John
Horell, Jacob
Keene, John
Keene, Robert
Nicholl, Nicholas
Patridge, Jeremy
Randle, John
Sanguine, Melangton
Sergeant, Nicholas
Sheire, Walter*
Shere, George*
Shere, John*
Shere, Nicholas*
Shere, Walter jun.*
Vawdon, John
Veale, John
Veale, Richard
Veale, William
Wakely, William
Wallis, John
Thomas Snellinge* Vicar
Samuel Gyls* Churchwarden
Tobias Byshopp* Overseer
Jeremy Patridge* Overseer
John Coxy* Constable
Source: The Cornwall Protestation Returns, 1641, T L Stoate
Samuell Gilbert
Richard Upright
Christofer Sheerm
John Juell
Robert Mayne
Lewes Upright
Robert Band
John Buse
John Branton
John Hony
Humphry Guiger (Ginger?)
Stephen Sleman
Trustram Sargent
Digory Sanguine
Digory Browninge
Digory Hony
Humphry Jewell
Nicholas Taylor
Nathan Hony
Gabriell Browning
John Sheppard
Degory Heddon
Humphry Browning
Richard Buse
John Courtier
Richard Wickett
John Browninge
George Clifford
Danell Orchard
John Upright
Samuell Sargent
Constable
Overseer
Source: The Devon Protestation Returns, 1641, A J Howard & T L Stoate
Badgate
Hawke, Charles
Hawke, Richard gent
Heard, John
Moyse, William
Randle, William
Tongdon, Faithful
Bilacott
Blagdon, William sen.
Blagdon, William jun.
Chapman, Anthony
Chepman, Nicholas
Cradacott, Edward
Dawe, Diggory
Prest, Edward
Prest, John
Prest, William
Clubworthy
Chepman, Edmund
Dawe, Anthony
Maye, William
Prout, Francis
Prout, Thomas sen
Prout, Thomas jun.
Prout, William
Roll, Abel gent
Skinner, John
Wosse, Thomas
Coddery
Seccomb,Leonard
Seccomb, Nicholas
Oliver, Edmund sen.
Collacott
Bate, Cuffington
Bate, Jacob
Bate, John
Ford
Grenwill, William
Moyse, Aaron
Philp, John
Pope, John
Rowe, John
Taylor, John
Gothcott
Anderton, George
Kingford, George
Moyse, Edmund
Moyse, Henry
Hilscott
Apledon, Diggory
Bate, John
Bottrell, John
Bottrell, Robert
Cock, Robert
Crodacott, John
Crodacott, William
Dawe, William
Ford, Walter
Ginn, Arthur
Ginn, John
Ginn, Talland
Hamly, John sen.
Hamly, John jun.
Heare, John
Iland, Edward
Langdon, Humphrey
Preist, John
Seccomb, Timothy gent
Tayler, Edward
Tayler, John
Kilver
Gilbert, Richard gent
Herwye, Bartholomew
Herwye, William
Sandercock, Jacob
Kinnacott
Bate, Robert
Doble, Diggory
Doble, William
Harry, Thomas
Sandercock, William sen.
Sandercock, William jun
Maxworthie
Bate, Jacb
Bate, William sen.
Bate, William jun.
Beare, John
Chepman, John sen.
Chepman, John jun.
Crodacott, Richard
Dawe, Francis
Dawe, John
Oliver, Lewis
Prout, Jacob
Strout, John
Nescott
Pearse, John
Pearse, Jonathan
Pearse, Robert
Patacott
Bate, Thomas
Roger, Diggory
Trease, Michael sen.
Trease, Michael jun.
Weavell, Diggory
Weavell, George
Weavell, Joseph
Penroose
Bastard, John
Danniell, John
Kittowe, Richard sen.
Kittowe, Richard jun.
Launder, Nicholas
Pumry, John
Richerds, John
Rider, William
Petherwin
Blagdon, Anthony
Cerry, Leonard
Dodging, Bennet
Hancock, Thomas
Paynter, William
Sloggett, Charles
Winacott, Edward
Presacott
Crodacott, Diggory
Crodacott, Elizeus
Crodacott, Nicholas
Crodacott, Thomas
Crodacott, Walter sen.
Crodacott, Walter
Davye, Faithful
Hamly, William
Herwye, Diggory
Herwye, John
Philp, Diggory
Rittowe, William
Simins, Thomas
Rexworthy
Bate, John
Bate, William
Hamly, Anthony
Sliddon
Cock, James
Facey, John
Prout, John
Sutter, Gabriel
Stanhill
Glanwill, Gideon
Tascott
Hayme, Tristram
Shapling, Diggory
Shapling, Emmanuel
Voysey, Nicholas
Tresell
Herwye, John
Dodge, Humphrey
Dodge, Ambrose
Cole, Nicholas
Robins, Anthony
Robins, Leonard
Robind, William
Short, Richard
Short, William
Strout, Thomas
Veale, John
Trillacott
Crodacott, John sen.
Crodacott, John jun.
Troswell
Blagdon, Henry
Blagdon, Leonard
Crodacott, Leonard
Oliver, Edmund jun.
Prout, John
Rowe, John
Steven, Pascho
Tom, John
Tom, Leonard
Tom, Samson
Williams, Abraham
Williams, Ambrose
Williams, Leonard
Wose, John
Wroath, Nicholas sen.
Wroath, Nicholas jun
Wesson
Grigg, John
Moyse, Jacob
Paynter, Diggory
Rowe, Diggory
Rowe, Zachary
Seccomb, Diggory sen. gent
Seccomb, Diggory jun. gent
Whinnacott
Chapman, Edward
Chapman, Henry
Whitley
Courtis, Francis
Davey, Christopher
Goode, Jacob
Martin, John
Reed, Richard
Reede, John
Rowe, Thomas gent
Sandercock, John
Seccomb, Diggory
Wibworthy
Hocaday, William
Yeo, George gent
Wickett
Prout, Diggory
Prout, John
Youncott
Grigg, Anthony
Grigg, Henry
Tomas, William
Nathaniel Vigars of Sutcombe Parish with Clement Allyn and William
Allyn of Milton Damarell Parish took the protestation in the parish of North Petherwin
(The above names in the same hand, the following seven are signatures)
Richard Hancock Vicar Henry Tayler Overseer
Tallant Faidge Constable Henry Chapman Overseer
Robert Glanvile Constable Edward Jewell Overseer
John Cock Churchwarden