17th Century - St Minver Civil War Events and documents

In 1641/2 Protestation Returns  were taken for St Minver. All males over 18 living in St Minver were recorded.

St Minver was not untouched by the unrest.  An account Civil War Skirmish 1643 was written down in the first half of the 20th century.

St Minver is one of the Cornish churches still displaying the grateful thanks from Charles I for the support which Cornwall had given him, written in Sept 1643.

Sometime between the years of 1640 to 1660, during the Commonwealth,  William Drake, the Vicar,  was ejected from his living in St Minver for adhering to the King.   He was replaced by Job Weale, but the date is not recorded.    The parish records for this period are sporadic.  There is a gap between 1645 until 1651.

The Commonwealth Parliament needed monies to pay for the war and ensuing peace.  Parliament decided that those who had cause the war should be the ones to pay.  The  late King, his Queen and eldest son were held to be responsible so their manors, parks, castles and any possession from which they received rent were  confiscated, surveyed and sold.  An Act of Parliament were passed in July 1649 and the Parliamentary Survey was made in the Duchy of Cornwall during the following year.

The Commonwealth ended with the return of Charles II in England when Monarchy was restored.  A list of those St Minver inhabitants contributing monies to fund his return is in Free & Voluntary Present ST MINVER 1661

During the 1660s further monies were required to be raised and the following inhabitants paid the Hearth Tax.

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Page created March 2006, updated August 2006