Catholic Ancestor

Return of Papists and Dissenters in Cheshire Hundreds 1678-79

Recently I was checking through Sacrament Certificates (also known as Test Act Certificates) held at the Public Record Office, Chancery Lane, for any references to HULLEY, HOOLEY or HOWLEY in the Macclesfield and Rainow districts. The certificates are listed under CHES 4/1 to 5 and show on each certificate the names of two males who witnessed the partaking of the Blessed Sacrament by the minister of the established Church of England. There is a large number of them from all parts of Cheshire, including the City of Chester, and cover the period 1678 to 1714. Unfortunately they are not filed in any particular order and searching for a single surname can be an extremely onerous task.

One of the bundles in CHES 4/2 contains, in addition to Sacrament Certificates, lists of names from various Hundreds, including lists headed "Papists and Dissenters from the church within the Hundred of Warrall (Wirral) and Brouton (Broughton) Hundred in 1678-79. These are not listed in the index to the documents and may well have been 'lost' for several years. As some of the names appear on a 'working' document, as well as on the 'final' documents, we are reproducing the information on membranes 3 and 7. (Italics denote words crossed out on the original document). [The complete list has been placed in the Society's library - Ed.].

Membrane No. 3

COM. CESTR.

A List of the Papists and disenters from the Church within the Hundred of Warrall presented by the Petty Constables at the Monthes Meetinge helde at Shotwicke the 10th day of January 1678-9.

Cont. Cestre in the Lesser Division of Brouton Hundred presented att Gloverstone ye 29th Nov. 78

[Additions at end of List]
Wm. Floyd; Tho. Maddocke of Agden; John Brindley of Hampton; Edrus Floyd de
Malpas;
Dorothy Brewer of Bicketon; Sand. Woodfen de Mary Rowley of Farn.;
Thomas Maddockes; Edrus Floyd; Thos Street of Woolston wood; Thos Powel1 of
Burwardsley;
Thos. Dod de (Littleton?)

Membrane No. 7

(Introductory paragraph in Latin which is not given here)

The Condition of this recognisance is such that if the above bounden Thomas Howe do & prsonlly appeare before His Maj..ies Justices of the paece at the next quarter sessions to be holden for this County then & them to Answer to such matters & thinges as on His Mj.ies behalfe shall be objected against him & in the meantime weell & duly keepe the King's Maj.ies peace and be of good behavior as well towards his Soveraigne as all otherhis Leige people and shall not depart the Court without licence then this Recognisance be voide or else to remaine in force.

The above material is Crown Copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty 's Stationery Office.

Readers are reminded that the Catholic Record Society has published the Returns of Papists 1767 for the Diocese of Chester as Occasional Publication No. 1. This can be consulted in many record offices.

Ray Hulley
May 1993

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