Protestation Returns for Milton Abbas

The 1641/2 Returns are available to view and download free for Milton Abbas, Hilton, Ibberton, Stoke Wake, Milborne Stileham etc at Parliamentary Archives

The 136 men’s names have been transcribed for Milton Abbas and are available at opcdorset .

There are no recusants listed for Milton Abbas.

A full list of Dorset Returns by parish was published in the book: Protestation Returns 1641 – 1642,  Edward Alexander Fry,  Dorset Records, Vol 12, 1912. The book is available at Dorset History Centre, and can be downloaded for free at Internet Archive

The background leading up to the Protestation is available in any good Civil War history book.

The Protestation that men over 18 signed up to was:

I,——– do, in the presence of Almighty God, promise, vow, and protest to maintain, and defend as farr as lawfully I maye, with my Life, Power and Estate, the true Reformed Protestant religion, expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England, against all Popery and Popish Innovations, within this Realme, contrary to the same Doctrine, and according to the duty of my Allegiance, His Majesties Royal Person, Honour and Estate, as alsoe the Power and Privileges of Parliament, the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, and any person that maketh this Protestation, in whatsoever he shall do in the lawful Pursuance of the same; and to my power, and as farr as lawfully I may, I will appose and by all good Ways and Means endeavour to bring to condign Punishment all such as shall, either by Force, Practice, Councels, Plots, Conspiracies, or otherwise, doe any Thing to the contrary of any Thing in this present Protestation contained: and further, that I shall, in all just and honourable ways, endeavour to preserve the Union and Peace betwixt the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland: and neither for Hope, Feare, nor other Respect, shell relinquish this Promise, Vow and Protestation.

For Milton Abbas around this date we have transcribed the Churchwardens Accounts for 1640. There are 135 names of Rate Payers including 19 women.

We also have 93 names of the tenants of the Milton Abbey estate from a map and survey of 1652 for Milton Abbas by Philip Byles.

Contact us if you would like further information on any of the people in these lists.