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1685

Addenda

p134

A list of such as remains prisoners this yeere 1685 :

Thomas Lower Thomas Salthouse Nicholas Jose John Peters John Trefry peter Godfrye Jo: Cothey Jacob Cothey John ƒflemminge peter Rogers John Elliott Jane Buller Jane peake philippe peake Katherine Clemens Elizabeth Clemens Mary Tregennow Jane Tregennow Gartred Tregennow and Dorothy Rogers Mary Clemens ƒfeme Coverts—21 in all : under sentence off præmunire & have remained prisoners two yeeres & Nich : Jose & Jo : peters three yeeres :

John Gay William Way William Oliver Edwarde Gye Daniell Clarke Walter Stevens all In y^e Sheriffes warde upon writts de excom̃ capienđ

Tho : Teage : ƒfor Tyth upon a Contempt in not aunsweringe upon oath hath beene a prisoner upon y^t account seven yeeres

In all remaines prisoners for y^e testimony of a good Conscience to y^e number of twenty eight :

---

The ƒfreedome & liberty off y^e people off God Caled Quakers ƒfrom there ƒformer Imprisonments ƒfor there refuseinge to sweare & not Comeinge to Church Is as followeth In y^e yeere 1686:

“Whereas Thomas Lower Tho : Salthouse Jo: Peters Nich^l Jose Jo : Trefry peter Godfry Jo : Cothey Jacob Cothay Jo: ƒflemminge peter Rogers Jo: Ellett Jane Buller Jane Peake, phillippe peake Mary y^e wiffe off John Clemens Dorothy y^e wiffe off peter Rogers Elizabeth Clemens Katherine Clemens Mary Tregennow Jane Tregennow & Gartrude Tregennow : All off y^e Countÿ off Cornewall were lately Convicted in y^e saÿde County of a præmunire ƒfor refuseinge to take y^e oath of Allegiance &c upon w^ch account they were detaÿned prisoners In y^r or either off y^r Custody

“And whereas his majestÿe^134x by his warrant under his signe Manuall & privey signett dated y^e 15^th day of this Instant March 1685 hath amongst other thinges authorised mee foorthwith to discharge out off prison All such off his subjects Com̃only Caled Quakers as are prosecuted or Convicted off a præmunire ƒfor not sweareinge

“These are therefore In psuance off his sayde Ma^tyes warrant to will & require you & every off you foorthwith & immediately after a sight heereof to discharge & sett att libertÿe y^e persons abovenamed & mentioned to be præmunired as afores^d out of y^r Custodÿ & permitt them to goe att large Iff detaÿned In y^r or either off y^r Custodÿ : ƒfor noe other Cause then upon y^e Account off there beinge præmunired as afores^d or ƒfor there not goeinge to there respective parish Churches &c : And ƒfor soe doeinge this shall bee y^r & either off y^r sufficient warrant & discharge

“Given under my hande this 24^th day of March 168⁵⁄₆

“R. SAWYER

“To y^e sheriffe off y^e County off Cornewall or his deputÿ & to y^e keeper off his Ma^tyes goale ƒfor y^e sayde County :

“Ent^rd:”

Memorandum : Thatt all y^e afores^d Mentioned prisoners were discharged att y^e Assises begunn & helde att Launceston ƒfrom y^e 18^th off y^e 1^st mo^th 168⁵⁄₆ unto y^e 21^th off y^e same : upon y^e Kinges proclamation & generall pardon then reade & published in open Courte by y^e Lorde Cheife Justice Herbert : & were then sett att full libertÿe ƒfrom there former Confinement &c

“Whereas his majestÿe was graciously pleased to Issue foorth his warrent under his signe Mannuall & privey signett to mee his attorney generall directed bearinge date y^e 15^th day of March 168⁵⁄₆ : whereby hee did signifÿe his will & pleasure That all his subjects Commonly Called Quakers w^ch are or have beene prosecuted Indicted Convicted or Imprisoned ƒfor not swearinge or ƒfor not Comeinge to Church : either upon writts de excom̃ Capiendo or otherwise shoulde receive y^e full benefitt off his Majestÿes generall pardon w^ch hee hath beene pleased to graunt to his loveinge subjects by his roÿall proclamation : with all possible ease to them :

“And by y^e same warrant his ma^tye hath authorised willed & required mee to Cause such off his sayde subjects Commonly Caled Quakers whoe are in prison ƒfor any off y^e Causes afores^d to bee foorthwith discharged out off prison : And foorthwith to stoppe and discharge or Cause to be discharged All ƒfines forfeitures or summs off Money Charged upon any off his saÿde subjects Commonly Caled Quakers ƒfor not Comeinge to Church or sett upon them ƒfor any processe ƒfor y^e same : And all processes Indictments presentments & Convictions ƒfor any y^e sayde Causes by entringe nolo prosequi or otherwise as I shoulde Judge necessary ƒfor renderinge his Ma^tyes sayde pardon most effectuall & beneficiall for his sayde subjects : &c :

“And whereas Walter Steephens Edwarde Guy William Way William Oliver & Daniell Clarke are some off those off his ma^tyes subjects Com̃only Caled Quakers and are now detaÿned prisoners in y^r or some or one off y^r Custodÿe or custodÿes within y^e Countÿe off Cornewall upon one or more writt or writts de excom̃ Capiendo ƒfor not goeinge to Church &c or some other off y^e Causes abovementioned

“Now Therfore these are In pursuance off his Ma^tyes authority to mee given as afores^d to will & require you & every off you foorthwith upon sight heereof to discharge enlarge & sett att libertÿe y^e saÿde Walter Steephens Edwarde Guy William Way William Oliver & Daniell Clarke out off y^r & every off y^r Custodye or Custodÿes in all or any of his Ma^tyes goale or goales within y^e saÿde County of Cornewall Iff noe otherwise detaÿned then upon y^e sayde writts de excom̃ Capiendo or for some other off y^e Causes abovementioned And for soe doeinge this shall bee a sufficient warrant & discharge to you & every off you :

“Given Under my hande this 13^th day of May 1686

“R. SAWYER

“To y^e sheriffe off y^e County of Cornewall & his lawfull deputy or deputÿes & to y^e Keeper or Keepers of his Ma^tyes goale or goales within y^e saÿde County & to such other officer or officers as this may in any wise Concerne :

“John Box :

“Above written is a true Copy off y^e order I have heere in London received under y^e hande off his ma^tyes Attorney generall :”

“These are therfore in obedience to y^e saÿde order to desire & require you immediately on sight heereof to sett att libertÿe y^e abovenamed Walter Steephens Edwarde Guy William Way & Daniell Clarke they paÿinge you y^e lawfull fees & in y^e receipt off w^ch ƒfrom them I shall take it very kindely ƒfrom you Iff you will be Kinde to them : ƒfor in severall other Countÿes they doe pay nothinge : & Iff any thinge Itt is noe more than what they please : and I my selfe have nothinge ƒfor my ƒfees : Butt as ƒfor William Oliver you are not to sett him att libertÿe without my further order ƒfor that William Oliver was delivered over by Indenture by S^r Richarde Edgecombe y^e last sheriffe unto Jonathan Rashleigh Esq : y^e now sheriffe off Cornewall Charged with an execution att y^e suite off Jo : Langman ƒfor six poundes debt & forty shillinges ƒfor Cost : & this shall be y^r warrant ƒfor doeinge what above is commanded

“given under my hande & seale this 14^th day of May 1686

“REGINALDE HAWKEY

“undersheriffe”

Appendix

Thomas Lower to George Fox

[extract from a letter written from Launceston Gaol dated 15th of the 1st (March) 1683/4 regarding the actions of Judge Jeffreys.]

Butt what hee promised to our ƒfreinds upon y^e delivery off our paper to him hee did in part performe : ƒfor hee discharged all y^e Lands Ende ƒfreinds y^t were sent uppe by Hugh Jones ƒfor meetings¹⁴²¹: In regarde there was none to prosecute agst y^m but y^e other ƒfreinde y^t was taken out of his owne house ƒfrom his sicke motherlesse & helplesse Children & sent to goale for refuseinge to sweare him hee caused to be Indicted togeather with two ƒfreinds wives y^t were Committed y^e last assises beinge ƒfeme Coverts till they did take y^e oaths butt now they were Indicted with y^e other ƒfreind ; & all three¹⁴²² are præmunired w^ch y^e Statute is expressely agst y^t ƒfem coverts shall not be præmunired butt onely Committed till they take y^e oaths & soe they stoode Committed upon y^e former Calendar but are now (to gratifye S^r Jon : Trelauneÿ who sent y^m to prison) all sentenced as afores^d alsoe :

134x [James II by this date.]

1421 See page 127 f.

1422 John Flemming, Dorothy Rogers, Mary Clements.

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