ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY their livings between 1640 and 1655. Walker in his Sufferings of the Clergy gives a total of fifty-seven, 200 which is probably not far from the truth. It is evident from this fact that, though Puritanism had been strong in the county, there was still a large minority among the clergy who had a genuine affection for the established uses of the Church of England, and for the Royalist cause. The alleged reason for deprivation is usually a political one ' delinquency,' in the language of the committees ; but from the general literature of the time it is more than probable that those of the clergy 201 who were lovers of the king were nearly always lovers also of the Church and of the Prayer Book. A few of the Leicestershire clergy made themselves conspicuous in the king's service : Dr. Lufton of Ibstock resisted the raising of militia for the Parliament in 1642, and was summoned before the House of Lords; 202 Dr. Honeywood of Kegworth had to make his escape abroad ; 203 Michael Hudson of Market Bosworth followed the king through many distresses, was two years a prisoner in the Tower, and was killed at last in the siege of Woodcroft House. 201 For such as these sequestration was inevitable ; but the sentiments of less notable men had to be tested in other ways. In 1641 there was a 'protestation' signed by certain of the clergy and their congregations, in which they bound themselves to maintain the true Protestant religion against all innovations, and to contend for the rights of Parliament and the liberty of the subject. 505 These signatures may not have
- 0 It will be of interest to some to examine this list in detail, as no one has hitherto undertaken the
laborious work of editing Walker thoroughly. He himself queries the name of Dr. Layfield, of whom there is no proof that he ever was presented to Ibstock ; and to William Noble he assigns no parish. The names of John Pelsant of Market Bosworth (predecessor of Michael Hudson), Francis Chamberlain of Rotherby, John Presgrave of Broughton Astley (whose death is noted in the parish register under 1645), Henry Robinson of Long Whatton (from which William Parkes was really sequestered, as well as from Belton), and the incumbent of Fenny Drayton, ought almost certainly to be removed from the lists. Of the remaining fifty a great many can be proved from Add. MSS. 1 5669-71 (Minutes from the Com. for Plund. Mins.), from Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vii, App. pp. 101, 105 (list of those who petitioned for restoration in 1660), and from the notes of parish registers or from the minute booki in the Bodleian, fully quoted by Nichols. Two or three cases, such as Thomas Cleaveland of Hinckley, John Cave of Pickwell, Theophilus Rusted of Dalby on the Wolds, seem to have been well known to Walker through accounts given by their own children and near relations, and this may have been the case also with Richard Benskin of Wanlip and Sileby, alleged to have been not only sequestered but ' murther'd.' There was a rector of this uncommon name again in 1727 at Seagrave, who may have been Walker's informant. Two others not certainly proved Edward Blount of St. Margaret's, Leicester, and Reginald Burden of Leire had been friends and associates of Sir John Lambe (see Cal. S.P. Dom. 1632-40), and were likely to be among the first victims of the change. There remain eleven names, incumbents of Seagrave, Hallaton, Barkby, Appleby Magna, Newbold Verdon, Gilmorton, Thurlaston, Blaby, Peatling Magna, Foston, and Sileby, which stand simply on the authority of Walker. If we subtract these, with the seven which seem to be clear mistakes, we are left with thirty-nine of tolerable certainty. Add. MSS. 15669-71 give us nine more actual orders for sequestration ; Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vii, App. pp. 101-5, supplies another eight which had taken effect ; three besides are clear from the parish registers quoted by Nichols and Hill ; so that taken all together the original total of Walker is made up again and passed. If his eleven unproven cases, or some of them, should hereafter be proven, the total for this county would be not far short of seventy. It should be noted in conclusion that Walker has been reckoned as correct wherever he has recorded a genuine sequestra- tion. The present writer is aware that in more than one case he has given the name of person or place incorrectly ; but for such smaller details of criticism there is no space in such a general paper as this. 201 This statement applies of course only to the clergy. The recusant gentry of England were nearly all Royalist, but cannot well be reckoned among lovers of the Established Church. 201 Lords' Journ. v, 132, 195. He preferred to flee to Oxford, where he died in 1645. It seems clear that he was the only rector of Ibstock sequestered, as he had been there at least since 1636, when Archbishop Laud called him to account for non-residence ; Cal. S.P. Dom. 1636-7, p. 80. 103 He was afterwards dean of Lincoln ; Nichols, Leic. iii, 856 ; Walker, Sufferings of the Clergy.
- Nichols, Leic. iv, 501. The account is mainly from Walker, who in his turn takes it from Anthony a
Wood. He was killed in 1648. >0 ' Ibid, iv, 44 ; and elsewhere. Several of these protestations existed among parish records in Nichols's time. 381
