Protestation Returns 1641-42
1641 oath of allegiance to Crown, Parliament and the Protestant religion
In July 1641, a resolution of Parliament requested all males over 18 years to take an oath of allegiance in support of the Crown, Parliament and the Protestant religion, to oppose the 'plots and conspiracies of priests and Jesuits' that were allegedly subverting the kingdom. Lists of those taking the oath were prepared in each parish, usually by the parish incumbent or clerk, but some lists consist of men's signatures [or illiterate men's marks]. These lists were sent to Parliament in 1642.Most men took the oath and those who refused to sign [mostly non-conformist] were sometimes also listed so that for some areas the surviving records constitute an almost complete census of adult males.Surviving Protestation Returns are held in the House of Lords Record Office; arranged by county, hundred and parish. See Jeremy Gibson 'Protestation Returns' and Mark D.Herber 'Ancestral Trails 'Oaths, Taxation and Insurance Records'
The Oath
I, _________ do, in the presence of Almighty God, promise, vow and protest to
maintain and defend, as far as lawfully I may, 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 Realm,
contrary to the same Doctrine, and according to the duty of my Allegiance, His
Majesty's Royal Person, Honour and Estate, as also the Power and Privileges of
Parliaments, the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, and every person
that maketh this Protestation, in whatsoever he shall do in the lawful pursuance
of the same; and to my power, and as far as lawfully I may, I will oppose and by
all good Ways and Means endeavour to bring to condign Punishment all such as
shall, either by Force, Practice, Councels, Plots, Conspiricies, or otherwise,
do 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, Fear nor other Respect, shall relinquish this
Promise, Vow and Protestation.
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The incumbents of every parish in the country had the duty of ensuring all of their parishioners signed the oath. Records of everyone who did, and didn't, were returned to Parliament in 1641. Those who refused to sign were known as Recusants.
The term "recusant" meant a non-conformist, one obstinate in refusal, especially to comply with the Anglican Church ritual, one who refused to acknowledge the supremacy of the sovereign in religious matters.
1641-42 Protestation Returns for Kingston Bagpuize
Abingdon Division [2] Hundred de Ocke, The p'ish of Kingston Bagpuize
| John S[t]one Minister |
| Francis Yeat Constable |
| John Wheeler, John Stevenson [Stevinson], Churchwardens |
| John S[t]one, John May, Overseers |
| Kingston Bagpuize Comite. Barks. 1641, March 6th |
| Abingdon Division |
| fol27r, col1 |
| Richard Castell | Richard Stone |
| Robert Stevinsonn | James Steninsonn |
| John Gould | Facke Sexton |
| Arthur Stevinsonn | Thomas Haynes |
| Andrew Stevinsonn | William Day |
| Hughe Ceely | John Rhoades |
| William Lovesley | Daniell Eustus |
| Thomas Draper | Andrew Stone |
| Wiliam Heycraft | Christopher Keene |
| Mathew Roberts | Edward Broman |
| Richard Morris | James Burgis |
| William Ingram | Andrew Steven |
| John Drew | |
| [fol27r, col2] | |
| Cutbeard Drew | William Downe |
| William Walter | Thomas Tame |
| William Tomkins | John Wiblin |
| William Buckley | John Clarke |
| John Tubb | Thomas Woodbridge |
All these have taken the protestation made by the Honourable house of Commons Assembled in Parliament on Sunday the 6th of March
John Stone, Curate ibid ; The marke of John Wheeler; John Stevinson, guard; the marke of Francis Yeat Constable.
Read about the Taxes that were paid