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Windows on the community

The records of the Archdeaconry court take us directly into the lives of local communities.

On an individual level, genealogists and local historians can discover details about ancestors and local parishes, in some cases pre-dating the evidence of parish registers. On a broader scale, historians can detect social and economic patterns, or chart the development of religious belief and dissent.

One example of a specific area of interest lies in the record of occupations. A large number of trades were cited in the records, sometimes restricted to rural or urban communities.

Blacksmiths were found wherever there were horses. Ostlers worked at large inns, and were found in Mansfield and Lenton, and on the Great North Road at Tuxford. Most villagers worked on the land and were described as 'yeoman', 'husbandman' or 'labourer'. Millers and servants of all kinds were present in every community.

Some of the occupations in the list were specific to their location: the colliers in Cossall and Trowell were the ancestors of the coalminers who worked the coal seams there until the 20th century.

 

 

Occupations mentioned in the Presentment Bills

Occupation	Parishes
Alderman	Nottingham, Newark, Sneinton, East Retford
Apple seller	Bothamsall
Barber	Mansfield, Nottingham
Beggar	Sutton Bonington, Rempstone
Bellfounder	Nottingham
Blacksmith	Gotham, Winthorpe, Sneinton, Nottingham, Skegby, Flawborough, Elston Chapel, Staunton
Carpenter	Edwinstowe, Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Lenton, Mansfield, Littleborough
Codder [leatherworker]	Sutton-cum-Lound, Trowell, Clarborough, Newark
Collier	Cossall, Trowell
Cooper	Lenton
Dyer	Nottingham
Falconer	Hawton, Mansfield
Fisherman	Littleborough
Gamekeeper	Clipstone
Glover	Mansfield, Nottingham
Horse-dealer	Everton
Mason	Screveton, Mansfield Woodhouse, Kelham
Ostler	Mansfield, Lenton, Tuxford
Ploughwright	Boughton
Shepherd	Trowell
Shoemaker	East Retford, Mansfield, Basford, Nottingham
Skinner	Nottingham, West Retford
Surgeon	Nottingham
Tanner	Blyth, Mansfield, Nottingham
Vintner	Mansfield, Nottingham
Weaver	Nottingham, Selston, Boughton, East Markham, Holme Pierrepont, Arnold, Mansfield
Wheelwright	Sutton-cum-Lound, Nottingham

Some cases before the court concerned defamation, or slander. Accounts of the charges describe arguments between neighbours, giving verbatim accounts of the outspoken exchanges. Perhaps some of the insults shown here should be brought back into popular use?

17th century insults recorded in the Presentment Bills

• 'I pray to god thou mayest lye above ground as blacke as a toade'
• '[he] lied in his throat'
• 'a very bould impudent and a clamourous woman'
• 'Thou art a naughtie fellow, thou diddest never anye good in this town'
• 'you are a swaggerer'
• 'dunce asse calfe blockhead and foole'
• 'villaine and Rascaldy knave'
• 'scurvie pawtrie knave'
• 'base rascally preist lowsye slave'
• 'filthy and scurvy Cockes combe'

The records live most vividly when they refer to individual people. One fascinating aspect of study lies in the personal names listed. While the majority bore familiar names - William, John, George, Mary, Elizabeth and Jane were constant favourites - others were given more unusual first names. Are any of these perhaps due for a revival in the 21st century?

Personal names

• Eaglemore Soresby (Ruddington, 1601)
• Zenolphus Slight (Epperstone, 1608)
• Aticrust Cragg (Shelford, 1609)
• Fortune Smith (Gonalston, 1620)
• Swillington Tayler (Sutton Bonington, 1620)
• Brice Campion (Cotgrave, 1620)
• Gillibauld Pee (Car Colston, 1626)
• Tempest Dobson (Littleborough, 1637)
• Inkersall Heslabie (Treswell, 1638)
• Patriarch Kempe (Wysall, 1663)
• Baptist Rowbotham (Selston, 1664)
• Leicester Boot (Barton in Fabis, 1668)
• Barefoot Booth (North Wheatley, 1673)

 

Next: Belief and Persecution