Protestation Return

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Protestation Return - Belchamp Walter - 1641

Having found the digital archive on the parliament website I came across the return for Belchamp Walter.

A Protestation Return was an "oath of allegiances, the first of which was the Protestation.
It began in May 1641 with the intention of getting all Englishmen above the age of 18 to swear a vow to defend King Charles I and the Church of England.
Ultimately it failed and tensions continued to escalate between Parliament and King Charles I, eventually leading to the start of the English Civil Wars in August 1642".

It is interesting that the return seems to have been completed in the same hand-writing.

Protestation Return for Belchamp Walter - 1641

Who signed (see here) the Protestation in Belchamp Walter

John Raymond (1st of Belchamp Walter) and his son Oliver (member of Oliver Cromwell's Parilament) both signed. Other names are discernible including William Smythies, Swift, Clark, Firmin, Sparrow, Newman and possibly Rippinggale plus many others.

Note that Oliver Raymonds name is at the top and the return is completed in the same hand.

Top

According to parliament.uk:

The Protestation Returns are the closest record we have to a census from 1642. By order of the House of Commons, all adult men were asked to swear an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion in 1642. Their names were duly inscribed in a list in each parish, and the list sent back to Parliament. In a few areas such as Cornwall, people wrote their own names, and women were included. But usually a local official wrote out all the names. The Protestation Returns survive for about a third of English counties.

The records contain?

The Returns are a list of adult male residents’ names for a specific parish. Occasionally other information such as names of recusants (ie. those who refused to attend Church of England services), churchwardens and local government officials are given.

Signing

The parliament website goes on to say about who signed the return:

But usually a local official wrote out all the names.

Protestation Return - Belchamp Walter - 1641

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