Excommunicated ancestors - Genealogists' Forum

Asa · #1 10-06-13, 12:37

In my efforts to piece together my ancestors from the practically PR-less parish of Pishill, Oxon, I've got hold of the churchwardens' presentments which showed that my ancestors were among a handful of parishioners frequently presented as not attending church and being excommunicated. This all takes place between 1663 and 1684.

There was a nearby RC family of landowners, the Stonors of Stonor, who leased the land to my ancestors but I think the suggestion is that my people weren't RCs because recusants seem to mentioned separately (will look at this more carefully when I get home!). In either case, this should mean that their children weren't baptised at the parish church and I'm going to have to try and research what non-conformist places of worship were about.

Have I got this right?

kiterunner · #2 10-06-13, 12:49

It says in Anthony Adolph's book, "Tracing your Family History", that "the 1662 Act of Uniformity ... excluded all non-Anglican clergy ... from practising, and the 1664 Conventicle Act... imposed first fines and then imprisonment and transportation on people attending non-Anglican religious assemblies numbering over five. In 1672 the Declaration of Indulgence allowed non-conformist ... ministers holding assemblies to apply for licences... The Toleration Act of 1689 guaranteed religious freedom to Protestant non-conformists."

So records from the period you are looking at may be scarce!

Asa · #3 10-06-13, 13:20

Ah thanks Kate. I was struggling to think of any early Non Con records that I'd come across pre the 1770s.

I think going to have to throw myself on the mercy of Oxfordshire History Centre. I have added these ancestors to my tree with notes about the evidence and lack of same but I guess, after what PRS exist, wills, land leases and so on, there's not much to be done...

Merry · #4 10-06-13, 15:32

For what it's worth, my Quaker ancestors first appear in 1690 in both the Quaker Meeting minutes in Banbury and also inside the front cover of the C of E PRs where the vicar notes the births of their unbaptised children.

Asa · #5 10-06-13, 16:01

Thanks Merry - so I might be lucky. I've had the thought of looking at OFHS CDs and seeing what they offer in that area

Olde Crone · #6 10-06-13, 22:02

Asa

Cast your net wide! I have relatives being excommunicated around 1680-1720 and also being fined for not having their children baptised. I know this family were strong nonconformists (it is well documented in local history) and I also know where they worshipped, clandestinely. I made the mistake of looking for records which pertained to that place of worship, no records exist and it was many years before the penny dropped and I realised that the records of baptisms were on the Methodist Circuit records held in the next county.

OC

Asa · #7 11-06-13, 05:49

Thank you, OC - I'll see what's about.

It's hard to work out if they were RC or not - I notice that over the years some of the people excommunicated with them are noted underneath at recusants and at other times not. As the landowner of most of the surrounding area was, it does seem a likely conclusion

Asa · #8 11-06-13, 06:11

They were Quakers! I've found the marriages of two of the children in Reading, Berkshire on the Non parochial BMD site. There are other records too.

Merry, I remember you saying how informative the records are and you were right:-)

Merry · #9 11-06-13, 06:15

Quote:

how informative the records are

You mean, "can sometimes be" lol!!

Glad you found them! Perhaps we are related or connected?! The Quaker world could be a rather small one.

Asa · #10 11-06-13, 06:44

Oh, sometimes :-) Mine are the Gomm(e) family of Pishill marrying a Cotterill of Berkshire in 1673 and a Philpp of Reading in 1683 so far. I think they might be Quakers for just a generation but not sure yet.

Do I just have to spend a fortune on the site or go to the NA or can Quaker records be viewed elsewhere?