Rewe- The Protestation Return of 1641/42

REWE - THE PROTESTATION RETURN OF 1641/2

By the end of 1640, King Charles I had become very unpopular. Parliament forced him to make changes in the Constitution which gave them a bigger say in how the country was governed. From then on, Parliament was split into two factions - Royalists (Cavaliers) who supported the King and Parliamentarians (Roundheads) who wanted political and religious reform.

On 3 May 1641, every Member of the House of Commons was ordered to make a declaration of loyalty to the king and to Parliament. This was ratified next day by the House of Lords. They called it their Protestation against " an arbitrarie and tyrannical government" and another order was made that every Rector, Churchwarden and Overseer of the Poor had to appear in person before the JPs in their Hundred to make this Protestation Oath in person. It was to be a declaration of their belief in "the Protestant religion, allegiance to the King and support for the rights and privileges of Parliament".

They then had to go back home to their own parish where any two of them were to require the same oath of allegiance from all males over the age of 18. The names of all who refused to make the oath were to be noted and assumed to be Catholics.

We have, in the Devon Protestation Returns, a set of amazing documents - something akin to a census even though no women or children are named. An indexed transcription is available in the West Country Studies Library in Exeter.

The Protestation Returns are arranged by parishes which are grouped in Hundreds* Rewe belonged to the Hundred of Wonford. The original spelling has been preserved
Nathaniel Arscott	John Hill	James Pring
Christopher Batten	John Holmes	Thomas Pring
Humphrey Brown	Ambrose Jones	William Puddicombe
Henry Burt	Nicholas Kingdon	Roger Race
William Byshop	Walter Lake	Roger Richards
Edward Channon	Christopher Land	Samuel Richards
John Cooke	Richard Lane	William Richards
Roger Cooke	Roger Liswell	Roger Searle
Edward Cudmore	Henry Mathew	Edward Soper
Robert Cudmore	Hugh Mathey	George Sumpter
Thomas Driscombe	Humphrey Melhuish	John Taylor
Edward Eveleigh sen.	Edward Morrish	Roger Taylor
Edward Eveleigh jun.	Christopher Mortimer	Gabriel Thomas
George Eveleigh	John Mortimer	Philip Thomas
Philip Eveleigh	John Mortimer	Roger Thomas
Edward Gullocke	Thomas Mortimor	Christopher Truslake
John Harper	Peter Muggeridge	Philip Truslake
John Heard	John Oliver	Bariel Turtliffe
William Hellier	David Owen	William Tynell
Henry Hill	John Pince	Joan Withebrooke
John March sen., Thomas March, John March jun. and Nicholas Hellier are popish recusants and did not take the Protestation.
Signed by James Bussell - Minister Anthony Eveleigh - Constable John Churchill - Churchwarden Philip Truslake - Overseer John Gullocke - Overseer

* For many centuries, Devon was divided into 32 administrative districts or Hundreds for land tax purposes.

Taken from the transcription by A. J. Howard published in 1973 which is available in the West Country Studies Library, Exeter. Courtesy: Devon County Council