1641 Protestation Return

For Witheridge 141 in the same hand, possibly the vicar and his clerk, recorded the names. The following nine people signed their names themselves. William Tyler, vicar, James Thomas, constable, Christopher Partridge, constable; Richard Thomas, churchwarden; John Bidgood, churchwarden; Richard Burne, overseer; Richard Cockram, overseer; Edward Phillips, overseer, William Parkhouse. No refusals were recorded. In August 1642 the Civil War began. A rough estimate of the size of the population of Witheridge at this time can be made by multiplying the number of names by four, giving a population of 600. Among the names in the list of Witheridge men are a number that are still in use to this day, such as Beare, Bidgood and Blackmore, Cockeram and Crooke. The Grindon/Grendon family took their name from the farms of that name. Greenslade has been one of the most commonly occurring names for over 340 years. There have been recent Heards and Hills, and the Hodges gave their name to Hodges Tenement, which came down to make way for the Mitre. The Lashbrooke name is still attached to a house in North Street, while the Melhuishes were prominent as vicars, landowners and founders of the Church School. Nott, Parker and Partridge are familiar to us and the Shortridges were also vicars and landowners. Southwood, Sowden and Thomas have made their mark, as have Tucker, Western and Whitfield.

Witheridge Parish Protestation Return 1641
Atkins, Thomas Battin, John Blackmore, Gregory Browne, Edward Chilcott, Andrew Chilcott, Richard Cockeran, George Cockeram, Laurence Crooke, John Dankins, Christopher Downishe, Thomas Ford, Lewis Gater, Robert Gosse, Samuel Gregorie, Richard Grindon, William Grinslade, Gilbert Grinslade, Lewis Grinslade, Thomas Heard, Hugh Hill, Thomas Hodge, Philip Holmes, john Mapery, Elias Melhuish, Robert gent. Molland, Robert Morrishe, John Nott, John Oxeland, Humphrey Partridge, Peter Phillippes, Giles Radford, John Radford, Stephen Samson, John Shorte, George Skinner, George Small, William junr. Sowdon, Augustine Stemston, John Thomas, Nicholas Thresher, Joseph Toake, William Tolley, Roger Tracy, Walter Upcott, Hugh Vicarie, William Waterman, William	Averie, Robert gent. Beare, Roger Blackmore, William Cade, James Chilcott, James Chilcott, William Cockerham, Henry Cockeram, William Crooke, William Dave, William Dyer, Stephen Garnesey, John Gater, Thomas Gosse, William Grindon, John Grinslade, Abraham Grinslade, Hugh Grinslade, Nathaniel Hagley, George Heard, Hugh Hodge, Jerman Hodge, Thomas Kelland, Thomas Mapery, John Melhuish, Thomas gent. Molland, Thomas Norton, Robert Nott, Philip Parker, Robert Paule, Richard Pine, Giles Radford, Lewis Richards, John Shilladon, Richard Shorte, Henry Skinner, John Southwood, Thomas Stempson, George Thomas, Andrew Thomas, Philip Thresher, Mark Tolley, John Tracy, David Trix, Philip Upcott, Thomas Vicary, John Westerne, Richard	Baron, Mark Bidgood, George Bounser, Alexander Canne, Robert Chilcott, John Cobley, William Cockeram, John Crocker, Robert Didgett, George Downery, William Ellis, Richard Gater, John Gibbons, William Grantland, Peter Grindon, Thomas Grinslade, Alexander Grinslade, John Grinslade, Robert Hanger, Richard Hill, John Hodge, John Hodge, William Lashbrooke, Robert Melhuish, Hugh gent. Milton, John More, Walter Nott, James Oake, Matthew Patridge (sic), John Perrie, John Plaice, Robert Radford, Richard Rod, Robert Short, Thomas Shortridge, Richard gent. Small, William senr. Sowden, Philip Stemson, George junr. Thomas, Hugh Thomas, Philip Thresher, Thomas Tolley, Matthew Tracy, Hugh Tucker, John Vicare, Alexander Wall, John Whitfield, John
The above were all written in the same hand, whereas the following nine were signatures.
William Tyler vicar Richard Thomas warden Richard Cockeram overseer	James Thomas constable John Bidgood warden Edward Phillips overseer	Christopher Partridge constable Richard Burne overseer William Parkhouse overseer

The Protestation Return for Devon, 1641

Some men did not sign the Protestation themselves: Richard Maunder being sick took and acknowledged the protestation the same day and year at home in his bed before Andrew Hosegood, constable and John Waterman, churchwarden. George Waterman being sick and within the compass of this order did acknowledge the protestation in the and in the presence of Andrew Hosegood, constable and John Waterman, churchwarden. Others signed it themselves: John Radford, parson; Andrew Hosegoode, constable; John Waterman, churchwarden; John Maunder, overseer.