The 1642 Petition
PETITION TO THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE FOR THE COUNTY OF DEVON
AND NAMES OF THOSE WHO SIGNED IT in1642
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HL/PO/JO/10/1/114 House of Lords
PETITION
Over 1,900 names were attached - here
25 January 1642 --
A Copy of petition of the Mayor, his brethren and the rest of the inhabitants of Clifton-Dartmouth-Hardnes, with the places adjacent, to the Justices of the Peace for the County of Devon. The petitioners, who are occupied in the Newfoundland fisheries, complain that their trade is likely to be destroyed in consequence of the number of Turkish pirates from Algiers and Sallee, the rebellion in Ireland, and the dread entertained of a popish rising.
Dartmouth 1642
To the right honle his majs justices of the peace for the county of Devon. Humbly shew: The humble petition of the maior, his brethren, and the rest of the inhabitants of Chifton Dartmouth Hardnes & the places adjacent.
Whereas this townw & the places adjacent have their whole dependence on the ffishing trade for the Newfoundland. By this trade not onlie this county but the whole realme receive great benefit & advantage by advauncing the stocke or principle of this kingdome to a great value (meerlie out of their industry & labours) and most especellie the kings majre by advauncing of customes on the retournes & proceeds of or fish and by the importaced? of great sumes of boullion to his mats mint, it alsoe beinge the greatest nursery of marryners in the whole world the decaye & reffared? of wh will not only prove the ruine of the pettnrs but alsoe damage & losse to his majie & the whole kingdome.
But so it is that yr pettnesat present (this being the season for fitting & setting out of or shipps) are much dishartned in their wounted? and cheerful undertaking of this imployment not onlie by the growing power of the Turks of Algeir and of those of Sally who now increase their strength (haveinge as said all of the pettners are informed) fourteone? shipps set to sea this last yeare in warfare from the said port of Sallye, by meanes whereof all of the pettnrs shippes & goods to great value have been surprised and their neighbours & friends put in cruell slaverie to the great dishonor of this Kingdome and unrevokeable losse of these westeren parts and utter undoeinge of manie of the pettnes .
But now especiallie by reason of the present damp? and cessared? of trade occasioned by manie secret plots in Etha? bold and insolent ravyage of the papest and theire adherents in this realme arisinge (as the Pettnor humblie conceive) not onlie from the –yline? of the Rebells in Ireland but alsoe from the want of such severe and readie course against Papish hert at the present condicon of the kingdome requirith and the honoble house of commons have earnestlie endeavoured but have hitherto beene hindred by the votes of the Popish Lordes and Bippps in the right honoble house of Peeres to or great griefe, from the grounds the pettners , cannott omitt, to represent the great terror fear and distracment they lye under of a suddane surprise by theire bloody hands, by meanes whereof the trading of this place and kingdome, is much now of late decayed than it had beene, noe man following his trade there failed whiles the lives of himselfe and familie, and the publike saftie of the kingdome are in danger, whilest he knoweth not how soone he maie feele the like crueltie and inhumanities from the Popish and their adherents at home, as those in Ireland have done, whos not onlie felt & feared by the pettnrs , but also by the citizens of London, to theire great terror and destracced? who are the cheefest merchants for the takinge off, of or ffishe in the Newfoundland and theire cessager? annoyance must prove the ruine of many of the pettnes , if theire fish should lye in theire handes, alsoe the losse of the trade of this place wh Ireland & what is greatlie to be feared: whout present succour be speedily sent over, will be a maybe hindrance of or ffishing trade or wages of a want of supplies of hogshead staves, beefs, tallow & other necessaries; but w we farr more th name of the English & Protestant Religion there wilbe routed out, by those rebelles, the foundacun of whose religion is written in lost or of blood.
To the end thereof that the destructive plots of the papish and theire adherents maie be defeated the groundes of their hopes and insoleunies removed considerable forces whall expedites sent to subdue those abominable and bloodie rebelles in Ireland that place and kingdome for the pe---eneed of the like –ish—and servinge the peace thereof putt into a posture of defense, the pettnns freed from theire great fears, and incouraged to goe cheerfullie on in their trade.
It is humbly prayed you will vouchsafe to be a meanes to represent to the king' most excellent majie and to the most honoble houses of pliament the great feares and distractions of the pettns that life maie be speedlie given to the good and v---targed? endeavs of the honoble house of commons who conravances? Of the Lords in punishinge delinquents and redressing the preffaced and gre-auced in church and common wealth amongst we the greate and increasing power and strength of the Turkes maie in due time be taken for the better offending? Thereof that the popish Lordes & Bishopps maie be removed out of the house of peers and the pettnns who well knowe theire owne safeties and inept? pp in yors shall not ffaile tp putt up daylie prayers to Allmighty God for Yr godd successe.
We who have Revebite? Putt or handes do give full power unto such as the Rt Worll the maior and his brethren of the Burrough of Dartmouth shall appoint to present this or peticon & to transmit or to anie other copie or coppies agreeable to this, and to present and further it as they shall thinck necessarie for the more speedier redresse of or fore said grevances.
[Thomas Cole Notes:]
The copy I have is undated; the archivists have their reason for dating it 1642.
Dartmouth1642
It is likely this petition was circulated among the ships' crews in Dartmouth Harbour rather than to the various parishes. The term "adjacent parishes" was used rather loosely since there are pockets of names therein which are clearly of Wolborough & Newton Abbot and other parishes quite a distance from Dartmouth.
The petition contains only the first and surnames in that order – any other columns and the information contained in this table was put there for my own study and is not totally reliable.
The following are abbreviations used in the table:
B is baptized.
Itm is In The Moor.
M is married.
TS is Townstall or St Clement
SM is Saint Marys.
SP is Saint Petrox.
SS is Saint Saviour.
Olde Dartmouth - sketches by AJP