(The following paragraphs are extracts from the National Archives)
What are the records?
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.
What information do 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.
- http://archivesmapsearch.labs.parliament.uk/
- https://archives.parliament.uk/collections/getrecord/GB61_HL_PO_JO_10_1_100_68
- https://iiif.collectionsbase.org.uk/GB61/GB61_HL_PO_JO_10_1_100_68/e5tD3#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&xywh=-1016%2C-1%2C4037%2C2634
Transcript of Hickling Protestation Returns:
“Hickling the 5th day of march Anno domini 1641“
| Mr John Hill | John Smith | Laurence Godfrey |
| Laurence Hill | Robert Gill | John Beeson |
| Samuel Mellers | Nicholas Man | Nicholas Frost |
| Anthony Musson | Oliver Musson | William Awod |
| George Gunthorpe | George Pilkington | Richard Hemfrey |
| Nicholas Holmes | John Randow | William Daft |
| Richard Winthorpe | Vincent Cooke | Thomas Daft |
| William Randowe | William Fillingham | Robert Hopkinson |
| Christopher Robbinson | John Fawkes | Thomas Willson |
| John Marriot | William Daft | John Daft ye elder |
| Ambrose Kirkman | Thomas Slater | Heugh Gill |
| Thomas Armeson | Thomas Wesby | Harrold Robbinson |
| Stephen Man | Nicholas Shelton | |
| John Daft | Harrold Smith | |
| Charles Collington | Edward Collishaw | |
| Robert Marriot | Robert Pritchit | We whose names are underwritten |
| George Daft at ye towne end | Thomas Hutton (Husson?) | doe testify that all the inhabitants |
| Thomas Beyly | Robert James | of Hickling above the age of |
| William Wallis | John Robbinson | eighteene yeares have taken the |
| Edward Hooton | Kemline Fawkes | protestation and all their names are herein |
| Oliver Gudburne | Thomas Butler | expressed and not any refused to take it |
| Joseph Awod | John Daft | in the presence of us |
| John Greasly | Henry Jesson | |
| Thomas Awod | Laurence Robbinson | James Bardsey Rect ibid |
| Thomas Hopwell | Thomas Coates | John Collington Constable |
| Henry Slater | John Rowoth | Anthony Parleby churchwarden |
| Thomas Hart | Thomas Daft | Thomas Musson churchwarden |
| Richard Daft at ye bridge | Anthony Fawkes | |
| Laurence Marriot | Thomas Holmes | The marke of Robert Daft |
| George Daft at ye hall | John Musson | The marke of William Marriot |
| Henry Caunt | John Caunt | overseers for ye poore |
| Francis Fawkes | Thomas Daft | |
| George Pots | Richard Daft at ye hall | |
| Robert Stokes | Bartholomew Butler | |
| William Man | Edward Blood | |
| Thomas Daft ye elder | William Daft at Mawkin Lane | |
| George Daft at ye dove coat | Martin Kirkby | |
| George Daft at ye bridge | Henry Daft | |
| William Daft at ye Hall | John Pritchit | |
| Nicholas Townsend (Tounesend) | William Wesby | |
| John Musson ye elder | William Baker | |
| William Musson | George Daft at ye wire (ie weir) | |
| Richard Daft in ye lane | Oliver Fawkes | |
| John Wallis | Henry James | |
| Robert Randow | Thomas Bebe | |
| Edward Thornehill | Richard Robbinson | |
| John Daft | Thomas Smart | |
| George Daft | Thomas Wease | |
| George Man | ||
| Robert Watchorne | ||
| William Archer | ||
| Robert Collishaw | ||
| William Pritchit |
