ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



In reply to this petition, an influential counterblast was speedily presented 

 to the High Court of Parliament asserting that the petition from Notting- 

 hamshire in favour of abolishing episcopacy and making other alterations had 

 been signed and presented without the petitioners' knowledge or consent. 

 They expressed their desire that the long-established government of the church 

 might continue ' free from the abuse and errors of some particular persons,' 

 adding, * We likewise humbly crave the Booke of Common-Prayer, by Law 

 established, may continue in force, with such alterations (if there be cause) 

 as to your Honours Wisdomes shall seeme meet.' The broadside on which 

 this brief petition is printed concludes with a note stating that it had been 

 subscribed by one viscount, five knights, above a hundred gentlemen of 

 quality, all the clergy of the county, and above a thousand commoners, 

 * being all of them Communicants ' ; but unfortunately no names are given. 125 



Another reason why there was a real revival of churchmanship in this 

 county and a sincere attention to decency of worship may have been owing 

 to the fact that William Robinson, the Rector of Bingham and Archdeacon of 

 Nottingham from 1635 until his death in 1642, was brother by the mother's 

 side to Archbishop Laud. 



Among those who were ejected at the beginning of the Puritan move- 

 ment was John Neile, a prebendary of Southwell, and Archdeacon of Cleve- 

 land, who was a nephew of Archbishop Neile. He eventually settled at 

 Farnsfield in this county, where he resorted to teaching, and ' made a hard 

 shift to live till the year 1660,' when he was made Dean of Ripon. Other 

 ejected clergy were the incumbents of Keyworth, Clifton, Widmerpool, 

 Ruddington, East Retford, and Holme Pierrepont. The rector of East and 

 West Leake was ' seized and carried prisoner towards Nottingham, at which 

 time being forced to lie in a waggon in the fields he got a palsie of which he 

 died.' Dr. More, Rector of Ordsall, is said to have been sequestered ' for 

 three times playing cards with his own wife. ' 126 



The elaborate system of Presbyterian church government formulated by 

 the Parliament in 1644 took some hold in this county. After the general 

 failure of State Presbytery, the voluntary organizations on this basis remained 

 well established in the parishes round Nottingham during the later period of 

 the Commonwealth, and were even kept alive for a very short period after the 

 Restoration. The notes of the Nottingham Classis are extant from June 

 1656 to June 1660. The attendance of ministers at first numbered about 

 thirty. Their chief concerns were maintaining of discipline and ordination. 

 At their last meeting they were engaged in trying some elders elected for 

 St. Mary's, Nottingham. 127 



The thirteenth volume of the important collection of the original series 

 of the Commonwealth Survey of Livings among the Lambeth MSS. is con- 

 cerned with those of the Dean and Chapter of Norwich, and of the counties 

 of Northumberland and Nottingham. The Nottinghamshire livings occupy 

 folios 199 to 444. The livings of the wapentake of Broxtow were dealt with 

 at an inquisition held at the Shirehall, Nottingham, on 14 August 1650, 

 before John Hutchinson, Gervase Pigot, Robert Raynes, Nicholas Charlton, 



m Thomason Tracts, 669, fol. 4, 36. 1!6 Walker, Sufferings of the Clergy, passim. 



" 7 Shaw, Hist. ofCA. during the Commonwealth, ii, 161-2, 452-3. These Notts, notes have been printed 

 by the Chetham Soc. xl, 153-7. 



7 1 



