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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 ye Sheriffes warde upon writts de excom̃ capienđ

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

In all remaines prisoners for ye testimony of a good Conscience to ye number of twenty eight :


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

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

“And whereas his majestÿe134x by his warrant under his signe Manuall & privey signett dated ye 15th 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 Matyes warrant to will & require you & every off you foorthwith & immediately after a sight heereof to discharge & sett att libertÿe ye persons abovenamed & mentioned to be præmunired as aforesd out of yr Custodÿ & permitt them to goe att large Iff detaÿned In yr or either off yr Custodÿ : ƒfor noe other Cause then upon ye Account off there beinge præmunired as aforesd or ƒfor there not goeinge to there respective parish Churches &c : And ƒfor soe doeinge this shall bee yr & either off yr sufficient warrant & discharge

“Given under my hande this 24th day of March 16856

“R. SAWYER

“To ye sheriffe off ye County off Cornewall or his deputÿ & to ye keeper off his Matyes goale ƒfor ye sayde County :

“Entrd:”

Memorandum : Thatt all ye aforesd Mentioned prisoners were discharged att ye Assises begunn & helde att Launceston ƒfrom ye 18th off ye 1st moth 16856 unto ye 21th off ye same : upon ye Kinges proclamation & generall pardon then reade & published in open Courte by ye 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 ye 15th day of March 16856 : whereby hee did signifÿe his will & pleasure That all his subjects Commonly Called Quakers wch 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 ye full benefitt off his Majestÿes generall pardon wch hee hath beene pleased to graunt to his loveinge subjects by his roÿall proclamation : with all possible ease to them :

“And by ye same warrant his matye hath authorised willed & required mee to Cause such off his sayde subjects Commonly Caled Quakers whoe are in prison ƒfor any off ye Causes aforesd 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 ye same : And all processes Indictments presentments & Convictions ƒfor any ye sayde Causes by entringe nolo prosequi or otherwise as I shoulde Judge necessary ƒfor renderinge his Matyes 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 matyes subjects Com̃only Caled Quakers and are now detaÿned prisoners in yr or some or one off yr Custodÿe or custodÿes within ye Countÿe off Cornewall upon one or more writt or writts de excom̃ Capiendo ƒfor not goeinge to Church &c or some other off ye Causes abovementioned

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

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

“R. SAWYER

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

“John Box :

“Above written is a true Copy off ye order I have heere in London received under ye hande off his matyes Attorney generall :”

“These are therfore in obedience to ye saÿde order to desire & require you immediately on sight heereof to sett att libertÿe ye abovenamed Walter Steephens Edwarde Guy William Way & Daniell Clarke they paÿinge you ye lawfull fees & in ye receipt off wch 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 Sr Richarde Edgecombe ye last sheriffe unto Jonathan Rashleigh Esq : ye now sheriffe off Cornewall Charged with an execution att ye suite off Jo : Langman ƒfor six poundes debt & forty shillinges ƒfor Cost : & this shall be yr warrant ƒfor doeinge what above is commanded

“given under my hande & seale this 14th 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 ye delivery off our paper to him hee did in part performe : ƒfor hee discharged all ye Lands Ende ƒfreinds yt were sent uppe by Hugh Jones ƒfor meetings1421: In regarde there was none to prosecute agst ym but ye other ƒfreinde yt 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 yt were Committed ye last assises beinge ƒfeme Coverts till they did take ye oaths butt now they were Indicted with ye other ƒfreind ; & all three1422 are præmunired wch ye Statute is expressely agst yt ƒfem coverts shall not be præmunired butt onely Committed till they take ye oaths & soe they stoode Committed upon ye former Calendar but are now (to gratifye Sr Jon : Trelauneÿ who sent ym to prison) all sentenced as aforesd alsoe :


134x [James II by this date.]

1421 See page 127 f.

1422 John Flemming, Dorothy Rogers, Mary Clements.

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