Protestation Returns

[myghaelangof]

Greetings from Newark on a wonderful sunny morning!

I have recently purchased the 1641 Cornwall Protestation transcripts by T.L.Stoate on cd. and will be happy to look up specific enquiries.
As the list is not indexed and there are loads of entries I cant commit to such general requests as all the Warren's in Cornwall!, though specific parishes are straight forward.

I havent been so active with family research this year due to other commitments, but hope that more time will be available in the next few months.

Best wishes to all. Mike.

[Cornish Terrier]

Well done Mike.

I also have quite a number of these Returns but mostly in hard copy.
Believe I have all of West Penwith with quite a few of Kerrier and a few other stray Returns I have picked up along the way.

I would be happy to also do the odd lookup especially if Mike is busy at the time and it is for a Parish I have.

[myghaelangof]

Does anyone know what happened to the return for The Isles of Scilly? As I understand just about all their records pre 1726 have been lost.

[Cornish Terrier]

Afraid I cannot help Mike but I do suspect they are lost forever.
I know that the Parish Registers prior to about 1726 were lost or destroyed - I discovered that when I was on the Islands in 1994.

It was furtunate for me that one item survived that era - the Will of James Trewheela of Scilly dated 1699.
That Will would probably have survived because it was probably deposited on the Mainland.
Unfortunately, with all other vital records that might have been of help to me being lost, I have had great difficulty over the years being able to accurately place James and his Kin.
I do believe, with the help of Kathie, that an at least near accurate scenario has been achieved.

BUT .......

Now I think of it - surely documents such as the Protestation Returns would not have been kept at Parish level.

That seems to me to be the type of document that would have been required to have been deposited with some officialdom and, therefore, probably somewhere on the Mainland.

So there must be a chance they have survived somewhere.

[trencrom]

Apr 12, 2008 3:20:25 GMT -5 myghaelangof said:

Does anyone know what happened to the return for The Isles of Scilly? As I understand just about all their records pre 1726 have been lost.

As the Protestation was a nationwide affair I would try the UK National Archives --if not on a2a you could send them an email and see what they can advise you.

Trencrom

[Cornish Terrier]

This is about the most likely source I can find so far through A2A:

CONTACT: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office


Protestation Returns
Catalogue Ref. 1972
Former Catalogue Ref. M52


FILE [no title] - ref. 1972/1 - date: 20th Cent
[from Scope and Content] Protestation Returns for Cornwall and Devon, 1642

[myghaelangof]

Thanks Ian and Trencrom, great idea.
I have been trawling through a2a for any glimmer of hope in the Isles of Scilly and not found anything worth a trip to Kew for. However, excellent idea to email them and see what they come up with.

I suppose I've been a little defeatist on this, insofar as you'd have expected someone to have turned them up before. However if Stoat couldnt find them, and everyone has relied on Stoat.....

I know from past experience not to take other peoples work as gospel, so he could well have missed them!! Here's hoping.
Once again thanks guys, and thanks to everyone else on the board for all the help and co-operation.

Best wishes Mike.

[Cornish Terrier]

You're welcome mate!

Should I find any further clues I will certainly post them here.

I would like to get a look at them also as I have relatives out on the Islands even though none of them settled there until about the mid-late 1800's

Although James Trewheela was 'of Scilly' when he left his Will in 1699/1700.

[londoner]

Hi Mike, could you look up Wallis/Wallish in St Just & St Buryan. I am getting confused by the number of Johns, Roberts & Thomases and would be good to see who was where then, Thanks L

[Cornish Terrier]

Wallis/Wallish in Protestation Returns

St Buryan

Not a single one.

St Just

Robert WALLISH
Henry WALLISH
Thomas WALLISH

AND just for the hell of it here are the rest of the Parishes West of St Ives and Ludgvan.

St Levan

NIL

Sancreed

NIL

Sennen

NIL

Morvah

NIL

Paul

NIL

Penzance

NIL

Madron

NIL

Towednack

NIL

Zennor
NIL

Gulval

NIL

That's it and there ain't no more.

Ian

[myghaelangof]

You beat me to it Ian.

I have had a reply from Plymouth and West Devon Records Office as thus (and await a response from The National Archives):

Thank you for your enquiry. Any surviving protestation returns will be kept at the Parliamentary Archives in London www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/parliamentary_archives.cfm
The returns for the Isles of Scilly were not included in the remaining remaining returns for Cornwall (which we hold copies of). However as a vast majority of parish returns in England no longer exist (around two thirds) it may be fair to assume they are lost.

Sincerely

Ian Conday
Archives Assistant

[londoner]

Thanks guys

[myghaelangof]

Hi Londoner ,

I was surprised by the lack of Wallish's in the area and have gone through Penwith again finding the following:

St.Just: Thomas, John, Robart, and Henry
Sennen: Roger
St Ives: Roger and John
Uny Lelant: John

The cd I have is a digital reproduction of the 1974 book by Stoate.
Apologies to Ian for finding a few more!

Best wishes to all, Mike

[Cornish Terrier]

Mike - no need to apologise.
I am working from photocopies of Stoat's book and it is 'possible' that I missed some I suppose and that is why this Forum is so good as we have members who can cross-check each other with similar information from different sources.

St Just in Penwith

Another look shows my poor old eyes are lacking and I have just now found (plain as day) John Wallishe.

Sennen

Just found Roger also. ( )

St Ives

Now found Roger

Also now found John who appears on the last page for St Ives under the title "A note for the name of Strangers"

Hmmmmmmmmmm - He was not a St Ives man from the looks of things.

And, head bowed, I have also now just found John Wallish at Lelant.

I hang my head in shame.

Mind you - tonight is the first time in a week or more that I have had a few beers and now I can see them.

Never mind - collaboration and two sets of eyes have, I think, provided the required goods.

[myghaelangof]

I have now received a reply from The National Archives concerning the Protestation Return for the Isles of Scilly, thus:

Dear Mike

Thank you for contacting The National Archives of the United Kingdom.

We may hold records relating to your enquiry. However, there are none listed in the Federation of Family History Societies publication 'Protestation Returns 1641 -2'. I would recommend that you read this, and you should find a copy in your local library, or they can borrow it for you. This refers to E 179 at the National Archives and we recommend that you read our free (and printable) research guide on sources at TNA for the Hearth Tax before deciding what to do next. I attach a link to our Research Guides:

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp?j=1

And I concur with Ian that John Wallish was listed under strangers for St.Ives.