Leeds Parish Church Registers, 1639-1667, Fifth and Sixth Books
ed.
by, G. D. Lumb
PREFACE.
The present Volume gives all the entries in the fifth and sixth Books of the Leeds Parish Church Registers. The leaves of the fifth Book measure 14x9 inches, and of the sixth Book 14¾ x 9¾ inches, and both Books are of parchment.
Edward Smith, who succeeded Richard Fletcher as Parish Clerk in 1629, has apparently written the entries in both Books. He was the Registrar up to the time of his death, in December, 1669, when he was succeeded by his son, John Smith (Thoresby's Ducatus, p. 46).
The month and year have again been placed in the margin. The Baptismal entries have been rearranged, and the Marriages in the sixth Book have been shortened, as shown on page 330.
The period covered by the two Books (1639 to 1667) is one of special interest from a historical point of view. There are numerous entries connected with the Civil War and the Plague which followed. Attention is specially directed to the burials of officers and soldiers killed in the war, and of the persons who died of the plague, also to the notes written by the Clerk on passing events, and on the neglect of the curates of the chapelries to send in their returns.
The Marriage entries during the earlier part of the Commonwealth are signed by an alderman or magistrate; and it will be noticed that publication of the banns was occasionally made in the market-places of Leeds and other towns. Mr. R. E. Chester Waters' book on Parish Registers in England will be found most useful in explanation of the history and contents of Registers.
Sir Clement Markham's Life of the Great Lord Fairfax, and Mr. D. H. Atkinson's Old Leeds, give excellent accounts of the various events which took place in Leeds and the neighbourhood ; and the following short Table of Dates, chronologically arranged, may be found of some use for the purpose of reference:—
1642.
November. Skirmish at Wetherby.
Dec. 6. Lord Fairfax defeated at Tadcaster by the Duke of Newcastle, who then occupied Pontefract.
,, 18 Bradford attacked by the Royalists (post p. 156).
1643
January 7. Sir Thomas Fairfax entered Bradford.
,, 23 Leeds taken by Sir Thomas Fairfax (p. 157). The Duke of Newcastle retreated to York.
March 29 Skirmish at Seacroft (p. 160).
April 8. Siege of Leeds commenced by the Royalists (p. 160).
May 21 Wakefield surprised by Sir Thomas Fairfax, but shortly afterwards abandoned (p. 162).
June 30 Defeat of Lord Fairfax at Adwalton (p. 164).
July 2 Leeds, Bradford, &c., abandoned by Fairfax, and held by the Royalists (p. 164).
Sept.2 to Oct. 11. Siege of Hull.
1644.
April —. Leeds taken by Sir Thomas Fairfax (p. 177).
,, 11 Selby stormed by Sir Thomas Fairfax.
,, 20 Siege of York by Fairfax and the Scots army.
July 2 Battle of Marston Moor.
„ 16 Surrender of York. Scots quartered at Leeds (pp. 177,181).
August 7 Scots army left Leeds (p. 182).
1645.
March 11 Plague at Leeds (p. 191). April —. Scots army at Leeds, and Major-General Carter military governor of the town (p. 191).
July 21 Surrender of Pontefract Castle.
1647.
Feb. 9 King Charles at Leeds on his way to Holmby [p. 199).
Many of the Notes are the result of an examination of the Calendars of State Papers.
The Baptisms and Marriages in the fifth Book were copied by Messrs. William Brigg, B.A., Samuel Denison, and Samuel Rusby. The Editor has copied the sixth Book and the Burials in the fifth Book.
The printed copy has been carefully collated with the Registers.
The Index has been almost entirely compiled by Mr. T. Wigglesworth.
To the present Vicar of Leeds, the Rev. Dr. Gibson, and to the late Vicar, the Lord Bishop of Rochester, the thanks of the Society are due for their kind permission to copy and publish the Registers, and to Mr. James Warren for facilitating the work of transcription.
G. D. L.
LEEDS, Dec. 30th, 1897.
CONTENTS.
| PREFACE | v., vi., vii. | |
| TABLE OF CONTENTS | viii | |
| BAPTISMS, 1639-1653 | 1 | |
| FIFTH BOOK | MARRIAGES, „ | 101 |
| BURIALS, „ | 126 | |
| SIXTH BOOK | BAPTISMS, 1653-1667 | 238 |
| MARRIAGES, „ | 330 | |
| BURIALS, „ | 371 | |
| INDEX OF PLACES | 466 | |
| INDEX OF SURNAMES | 470 | |
| ERRATA | 515 | |