224 president's address. 



The first official order for the institution of Parish Eegisters 

 was in the injunctions of Thomas Lord Cromwell, dated 29th 

 Sept. 1538. This person had been appointed by the king in 

 July, 1535, his vice-gerent in all affairs ecclesiastical, and created 

 Baron Cromwell 9th July, 1536. He was further advanced to 

 the Earldom of Essex, 10th April, 1540, and attainted and 

 executed the same year. There must, however, have been some 

 rumour, suggestion, or intimation of what was intended in the 

 earlier part of Cromwell's authority, for great apprehension and 

 discontent prevailed throughout the country from Yorkshire to 

 Devon and Cornwall, prior to the issue of the formal order. 

 This was manifested by the fact that the leaders of the northern 

 rebellion, called the "Pilgrims of Grace," in 1536 placed in the 

 forefront of their grievances that some new tax was intended in 

 addition to those by which they were already oppressed : " that 

 infants should not receive the blessed sacrament of baptism 

 onlesse an trybitte be payd to the kyng." Cromwell was too 

 cautious and prudent a man to increase the king's difficulties by 

 an act which would strengthen the hands of the rebels, then 

 numbering 40,000 well-armed men in the field, which already 

 alarmed the stout heart of the king. Consequently the injunc- 

 tions issued in 1536 did not contain any order on the subject 

 of the Parish Pegisters. That was shelved for the moment. 



The excited condition of the people of Devon and Cornwall 

 is shewn by the following holograph letter of Sir Piers 

 Eggecombe addressed to Cromwell, to whom Sir Piers says it was 

 specially sent by his own trusty servant : Sir Piers was sheriff 

 of Cornwall in 1535. 



" Plesse it your goode Lordeshyp to be advertyssd that the 

 kynggs majesty hath commandyd me, at my beynge in hys 

 gracius presens, that in casse I parceyvyd any grugge, or mys- 

 contentacyon a mooge hys sojectes, I shulde ther off advertysse 

 your Lordeshyp by my wrytynge. Hyt ys now comme to my 

 knolegge, this 20 daye of Apryll, by a ryght trew honest man, 

 a servant off myn ; that ther ys muche secrett, and severall 

 communycacyous amongges the kynge's sujettes ; and that off 

 them, in sundry places with in the scheres off Cornwall and 

 Devonsher, be in great feer and mystrust, what the kyngges 



