2«* S. IX. June 2. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



429 



the Surtees Society has printed two which afford 

 us some curious instances of Protestant excommu- 

 nication. In the " Depositions and other Ecclesi- 

 astical Proceedings from the Courts of Durham," 

 we find that " Gawen Lawson (churchwarden), 

 beinge required of the curate to put fourth of the 

 church one John Doffenby, as a person excom- 

 municated, in tyme of service, he openly refused 

 so to do " (ib. p. 93.) ; in consequence of which 

 this Lawson had a libel presented against him ; 

 and a little farther on we see how " the same 

 John Doffenby, being a person excommunicate, 

 came into Mitfourth church in tyme of service, 

 and beinge admonished to departe thence would 

 not, but gave evill language, saying that he cared 

 not for the Commissary and his laws, nor for the 

 curate, and bad them com who durst and cary 

 him out of the church, for they shuld first bynd 

 his hands and his feat ; wherupon the curate was 

 driven to leave of service at the Gospell " (ib. p. 

 95.). A William Claverynge got himself into 

 some trouble for, among other things, being too 

 familiar with an excommunicated neighbour : — 

 " Mr. Chancelor admonished hym not to have 

 anything to doo with Roger Wright, bothe judi- 

 cially and privately, during the time of the ex- 

 communication " (ib. p. 99.). "The Acts of the 

 High Commission Court within the Diocese of 

 Durham" tell us of other instances of excommu- 

 nication ; thus, " for his laieinge violent handes 

 uppon the clergie, he (Robert Brandling of Alne- 

 wick Abbey, Esqre., a.d. 1633) shalbe denounced 

 excommunicate ipso facto, in his parish church, 

 accordinge to the statute" (ib. p. 68.). Information 

 was made against "John Dobsonn, clerk, a.d. 1633, 

 for sufferinge an excommunicate personn to be 

 buried in the churchyard" (ib. p. 72.) ; and some- 

 time towards a.d. 1634, Mathias Wrightson of Eb- 

 chester, clerk, and the churchwardens, did present 

 George Sympson for his negligent comeing to the 

 church, whereupon process were awarded forth of 

 Mr. Archdeacon's court of Durham, and published 

 by examinate, and after that came an excommuni- 

 cation against Sympson, which he alsoe published 

 and returned to Durham, since which examinate 

 beleeveth he hath stood excommunicate, in regard 

 he never brought testimonialls of absolucion to 

 examinate, neyther did he since that tyme come 

 in the church to heare divine service or receive 

 the Sacrament, saveing that on Sondaie the fit of 

 this moneth, being a communion daie, Sympson 

 came to the church. Tolde him that he could not 

 receive him thither, unles he had brought a certi- 

 ficat of his absolucion, whereupon he tolde exa- 

 minate that he had none, and soe departed " Mb. 

 82.). In 1624, one of the charges against Dr. 

 Cradock (one of the prebendaries of Durham) in 

 the House of Commons, was "a forged excommu- 

 nication" (ib.). 



The above examples are quite enough to show 



how the power of excommunication was claimed 

 by Protestants, and what were the consequences 

 to those against whom it was called into action. 



Da. Rock. 



Brook Green, Hammersmith. 



Excommunication was common in the Church 

 of England during the seventeenth century. I 

 have seen numerous entries relative to this punish- 

 ment in the parish registers of Lincolnshire and 

 Yorkshire ; they are, I am informed, not infre- 

 quent in other parts of England. I have now 

 laid before me a transcript of the register of the 

 parish of Scottv, near Kirton in Lindsey, in 

 which, among others, the following notices occur. 

 They well illustrate the reasons for which this 

 ecclesiastical usage was so long retained : — 



"May 27. 1677. — Johanna Johnson absolved from the 

 sentence of excoihunication and did her penence y' day 

 and the 29 th of May following for comitting fornication 

 with one Robt Knight of Morton in the parish of Gains- 

 burgh. 



" Excommunicated Jan. 25. 1677 these following : 



John Brumby. 



Mary Hornby. 

 Anne Taylor. 

 Eliz. .Robinson. 

 Fran. Drury. 

 Blary Drury, sen. 

 Mary Drury, jun. 

 Thomas Hornby. 

 W ra . Robinson, jun. 

 Sarah Lealand. 

 Anne Tenant. 

 Robert Hoole, jun. 

 Ann Storr. 

 Robert Herring. 

 Ruth Herring. 

 Xtobell Fowler. 



Rebecca Brumby. 



Robert Fowler. 



Helen Fowler. 



Robert Pye. 



Mary Pye. 



John Robinson, sen. 



Will m . Stocks and his wife. 



Joanna Brookhouse. 



William Soulby. 



George Shadforth. 



Sarah Shadforth. 



James Herring. 



Alice Herring. 



Robert Fowler, sen. 



" All these were presented by Mr. Smith when he was 

 Church-Warden att that visitation, when every Parish 

 were enjoynd to give in the number of Conformists and 

 Non-Conformists. 



" Mathew Whalley of Scawthorp was exconiunicated 

 March 24, 1667. 



" p' non solvendo taxat' ecclise. 



" Mathew Whalley of Scawthorp was absolved June 

 21, 1668. 



" Memorandum that on Septuagesima Sunday, beiDg 

 the 19 th day of January 1667 one Francis Drury an Ex- 

 coiliunicate person came into the church in time of divine 

 service in y e morning, and being admonisht by me to 

 begon, hee obstinately refused, where upon y e whole con- 

 gregation departed and after the same manner in the 

 afternoon the same day hee came againe and refusing 

 againe to goe out, the whole congregation again went 

 home, soe y* little or noe service pformed y' day. I pre- 

 vented his further coming in y' manner as hee threatened 

 by order from the Justice upon the Statute of Queene 

 Elizabeth concerning the molestation and disturbance of 

 publiq preachers. 



" W m . Caurington, Rector. 

 " tempora o mores." 



Edward Peacock. 



Bottcsford Manor, Brigg. 



