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The English Revolution (1640-60) began in November 1640 when Charles 1st. summoned Parliament to help him out of a financial crisis. Charles was very unpopular and was forced to agree to radical reforms which gave Parliament a more prominent roll in the constitution.
The political crisis escalated and the "Long Parliament" split into two opposing parties in the Autumn of 1641, forming the King's party of Royalists (Cavaliers) and the Parliamentarians (Roundheads), who demanded further political and religious reforms. The events of 1640/41 led to the Civil War which began in August 1642. It was agreed and ordered on the 3rd May 1641, that every Member of the House of Commons should make a protestation (declaration of loyalty), which the House of Lords also agreed to the following day. The Commons ordered the printing of the protestation and preamble on the 5th May 1641 and this was distributed by the Members to their counties. The Protestation was to be made by everyone and the Rectors, Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor had to appear before the Justices of the Peace in their Hundred to make their protestation and, on returning to their parishes, any two of them were to witness the taking of the Protestation Oath by all males over the age of 18 years. All names were listed and anyone who refused was to be noted. The protestation itself reads:- 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. The printed notice of the protestation is attached to the front inside cover of the earliest surviving parish register of Ashover followed by Immanuel Bourne's written copy of the protestation and preamble, and the oath as sworn by him and the churchwardens, John Lomas, John Redfearne, and James Brough. After the afternoon sermon on Sunday 6th March 1641, the names of those persons who subscribed were entered in the register as follows:- |
| Immanuel BOURNE Ecclesix Pastor. | ||
| Henry DAKEYNE | Edw. BUXTON | Arthur MASON |
| Gyles CRYCH | Jo: MATHER | James BEARDOW |
| Edward BOOTH | Robt: GRACE? | Edw: CHEETHAM |
| Samuel SLEIGHE | Godfrey BOWER | Richard? HARVEY |
| Edward NEWTON | John BOORE | Richard BOTTUM? |
| John GREGORY | John FFELLEY | Raphe MATHER |
| Gyles COLLEY | Henry WATERHOUSE | John ALLIN |
| William CRICHE | John HENSTOCKE | John BEARDSLEY |
| John BUNTINGE | Tho: BARKER | Abraham BROOKS |
| Richard HODGKINSON | Tho: BEIGHTON | John TAGG |
| George HODGKINSON | Henry JACKSON | Christopher BOWER |
| Robt: REDFEARNE | Thomas BUNTINGE | Godfrey ASHBY |
| William WHEATCROFT? | Robert BOOTH | John FLINT |
| John WHITAKER | Abraham NUAM? | William NEEDHAM |
| Richard EVERETTE | William HOLLINGWORTH | Thomas LOMAS |
| Henrie TOWNDROE | Henry WAGSTAFFE | Adam COWLISHA |
| Robt: HASLAM | William ROBOTHAM | Tho: HUTTON |
| ? BRIDDON | Henry CHETHAM? | Robt: GARNER |
| Gyles or Chris CROFTS | Samuel BOURNE | Tho. CANTRILL |
| James BROUGH | Elisha BOURNE | Chris: SHEMILD |
| John REDFEARNE | Samuel MOWER | John RIGGOT |
| Phillipp FLINT | Obadia? BOURNE | Henry PURSGLOVE |
| Edward BUNTINGE | Immanuell BIRK | John NEWTON |
| Robt: BARKER | Thomas TOWNDROE | Henry EVERET |
| Francis NEEDHAM | John CROFTS | William KNOWLES |
| George SLEIGH | John EVERETT | Richard MATHER? |
| Geo: WARD | Robert MASON | Willm: BACON |
| Geo: BEIGHTON | Jo: NEWTON | Tho: HOLLINGWORTH |
| George TOWNDROW | Leonard WHEATCROFT | Robt: WESTON |
| Ffr: NEWHAM | George HODGKINSON | Geo: BASFORD |
| John TAGG | George COWLISHAW | Robt: LOWE |
| Tho: HUNT | Jo: BARKER | James WILLYMOTT |
| Willm: MONTFORD | Francis? BUNTING | Willm: BARKER |
| Edw: LOWE | Phillip ASHBY | Samuel MEACOCK |
| Willm: SMITH | Jo: BANKS? | Richard BURK? |
| Gyles HOPKINSON | Ffr: BRIDDON | John PURSGLOVE |
| Godfr: BARKER | John SNEATH | John NEEDHAM |
| Richard HAND | Jo: BERKS | Robt: FELL |
| Ffr: BEARDOW | Edw: HOPKINSON | Geo: COLLINS? |
| Willm: TOWNDROW | Geo: NEEDHAM | Niclass MASON? |
| Tho: WHELRYHT | William ALSOPP | Henry WRIGHT |
| John MASON | John BRIDDON | Raphe HENSTOCKE |
| Robert FLINTE | John HASLAM | Christopher DAKEYENE |
| John HOLLINGWORTH | John SPENCER | Geo: SMITH |
| Arthur MYCOCK | Godfrey BACON | Leonard WHEATCROFT |
| Tho: WALKER | John SPENCER | William HASLAM |
| John HASLAM | Raphell SPENCER | John SPATEMAN |
| Geo: SPENCER | Robt: BAGALEY | |
| Names Subscribed June 20th | ||
| Henry BEARDSMORE | Geo: WATERHOUSE | Robt: WILCOCKSON |
| John BASFORD | Henry WRAGGE | Dennis FFLINT |
| Godfrey EGGSTOW? | ? AVIERY | Geo: BONSER |
| Geo ALLEN | Geo: REDFEARNE | ? PRESTIDGE |
| Richard SMITH | George BARKER | Richard BARKS or BARKER |
| Henry BACON | Robt: COWLYSHAW | Edward HODGEKINSON |
| Tho: BURTON | Godfrey SHAW | John CHADWICK |
| Laurance FORESBY | Jno. JOHNSON | Robt: SPENCER |
| Geo: FLINT | Wfrd: HEROD | Tho: SMITH |
| Willm: RAYNES | Tho: CHEETHAM | Tho: GIBSON |
| John CAM | Tho: RAGGE | Godfrey BOWER |
| Richard BOORE | Richard CANTRILL | Thos: HASLAM |
| George BOWER | Fr: MILHOUSE | Peter WATERHOUSE |
| Richard ALLEN | Tho: HAND | Robt: COWLEY |
| Edward HENSTOCK | Richard RAYNES | Tho: HITCH |
| Robt: GREENFIELD | John ROBOTHAM | Godfrey YAROWE |
| Edmund THORPE | Geo: SPENCER | Wfrd: SPENCER |
| Robert ALLIN | Adam CRICH | Tho: WATERHOUSE |
| Phillip WALKER? | Richard HOPKINSON | Tho: WEBSTER |
| Tho: FLINT | John BUNTINGE | Edw: HENSTOCKE |
| Leonard BACON | Tho: GOODALE | Evan BARNES |
| Richard RIGHT | Samuell CROFTS | Wfrd: MOORE |
| ? FLINT | Josuah CROFTS | Edward BUNTINGE |
| ? ALLIN | Gyles HOPKINSON | John LOWE |
| Thomas ? | Richard COWLISHAW | Robt: LOWE |
| Francis BACON | Abraham CROFTS | John MEARE |
| Fra: FLINT | Richard HAIGHE | Willm: HODGEKINSON |
| Fra: BROOMHEAD | George HAIGHE | |
| Names Subscribed June 27th | ||
| Wm. ALLEN | Robt: GREENSMITH | ? FLINT |
| Geo: FLINT | Robt: MILNES? | Henry WALKER |
| John THORPE | Thos: HENSTOCK | John ALLEN |
| Wm? WATERHOUSE | Henry HENSTOCK | John BOOTHAM |
| Tho: TOMLINSON | George WALKER | John FLINT |
| Henri DENNIS | Richard CRICH? | Richard WRAGGE |
| Godfrey TURNER | Geo: FROBEY? | Thos: SCOLES |
| Wm: RYLIE | Thomas YOULE? | George MATHER |
| Henry BUNTING? | Tho: HOLLINGWORTH | Richard? STUBBING |
| Names Subscribed July 4th | ||
| George COWLEY | William FRITH | Robert SMITHURST |
| John FARNSWORTH | Thom: WATERHOUSE | Tho: LOWE |
| Robert FLINT | Richard DAKEN | Richard BROME |
| John WALTON | Henry PRESTEDGE | John STATHAM |
| Tho: ALLEN | John GREEN | Thom: HOLE |
| Tho: NIGHTINGALE | ? REDFEARNE | Roger FRETWELL |
| Robt: WARD | G? SMEDLEY | Charles WAGGSTAFF |
| Zachary HENSON | Thom: HEYWOOD | John BURK |
| Ffrancis BOWER | ? WILSON | Ralph SIDDON |
| Wm: ELSE | Robt: HASLAM | ? WOOD |
| ? HOLLENWORTH | Wm: KNOWLES | Will? HIBBERT |
| Edw: BEECHAM | John BOORE | Godfrey BARKER |
| Thom: SHIMWELL | Wm: WALKER | ? COWLEY |
| William NAYLOR | Wm: HASLAM | X BOWER |
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There is no record of any person refusing to sign but the name Robt:
Allen was crossed out and written underneath as Robert Allin.
The handwriting varies throughout the list which probably accounts for the different spellings of some names. Those inhabitants who could sign their own names did so and those who could not write signed between or after their name with an interesting variety of marks other than the usual X with a single letter or both initials. Unfortunately some names are faded beyond recall, however where some letters are readable I have attempted to transcribe the name but I have not intentionally altered any name, doubt is expressed by ?. Some names appear several times, presumably of fathers, sons, cousins etc. Ashover Protestation Return is not included in the book "Notts and Derbys Protestation Return 1641/2" so I trust this transcription will be of use to genealogists and historians. Transcribed by Sylvia A. Wright. July 1993 |