* Derbyshire, then, in 1796-7, in addition to its very large militia force, and in addition to the volunteer fervour then beginning to set in, in its full strength, had also to bear the strain of impressment, both for the army and navy. Two important Acts at this time became law, the one entitled "An Act for raising a certain. number of men in the several counties in England for the service of His Majesty's Navy," and the other "for the service of His Majesty's Army and Navy."† By the first of these Acts, Derbyshire had to supply 194 men for the navy, by the second 252 men for the army. Particulars of these enlistments are fully given among the county records, for almost the whole carrying out of the acts, as well as the greater part of the expense, were put upon the local authorities. Within twenty-one days after the passing of the Act of 1795, the Justices were to assemble and hold a special court of General Sessions; the Treasury were to prepare lists of the number of inhabited houses subject to duty within the jurisdiction of each court, distinguishing each hundred; the Justices were to appoint the number of men for each hundred, and also for each parish, or place supporting its own poor within the hundred; the Chief Constables of each hundred were to give notice to the Churchwardens or Overseers of the poor of each parish, of the number of men required, and of the time for raising them; the Justices were to appoint Petty Sessions. for receiving returns and attesting and enrolling men; the parish officers were to call "the principal inhabitants" together to consider the most effectual means of raising the men, with power to agree with volunteers to serve in the navy, and to pay them a bounty; such bounty was to be paid out of a rate made upon the inhabitants according to the poor rate; a third of the bounty might be paid by the Justices' order to the volunteer, the residue remaining in the county Treasurer's hands until the enlisted is on board one of His Majesty's ships of war; the return as to the men enlisted to be delivered to the Clerk of the Peace to be enrolled; fine of £10 over and above the average bounty of the district to be imposed on any defaulting parish; every person inrolled by this Act was liable to serve in the navy of Great Britain "during the continuance of the * There can be little doubt that one of the reasons that tended to bring about such a wholesale acceptance of the Volunteer Corps principle, was the fact of the exemption thereby secured from military or navy impressment. + 35 Geo. III. c. 5; 37 Geo. III. c. 4. present war," and for three calendar months beyond its close. The Act of 1797 was carried out in the same way, The county records show that the Justices met for the enrollment of the returns and certificates, under the 1795 Act at the Easter and Trans. Sessions; and for the 1797 Act at the Easter Sessions. Ninety-five enlistments were enrolled under the first Act, and 34 under the second. Those enlisted belonged to a remarkable variety of trades and occupations, 54 in all. There were 28 labourers, 12 cotton spinners, 9 framework-knitters, 8 weavers, 7 silk weavers, 5 cordwainers,* 3 each of carpenters, slaters, and whitesmiths, 2 each of flax dressers, shoemakers, pattern-ring makers, butchers, tanners, sailors, and miners, and a single member of each of the following trades-tailor, brickmaker, pedlar, blacksmith, chimney-sweeper, grinder, woolcomber, millwright, hat-band spinner, sawyer, petrifactioner, plumber, whittawer,† distiller, baker, gardener, plasterer, wheelwright, hurstman, button-maker, nailer, paper-maker, fancy glassmaker, clerk, potter, silk-twister, grocer, collar-maker, file-maker, hairdresser, bricklayer, stone mason, silk-throwster, brazier, frame-smith, dyer, and carrier. The amount of bounty received by these embryo mariners fluctuated remarkably, varying from £5 to £33; the average bounty was £23. The recruits varied in age from 16 to 42. The personal descriptions filled in by the parish officials are often quaint. We give two or three examples: "Charles Turner, born at Derby, aged 24 years, 5 feet 8 Inches High, fare Complexon, Red Hare, Hazel Eyes, Long Visage.” "Thomas Burdakin, born at Alport, aged 33 years, 5 feet 5 Inches, fare Complexon, Gray Eyes, Dark Brown Curl'd Hare, verry Bald the Head, Wool Comber." "George Bown, Born in St. Petter's, Derby, aged 34, 5 feet 71 Inches High, Fare Complexn, Dark Brown Hare, Gray Eyes, Long Bent nose, Long Vissage, Pitted with the Small Pox." "John Hall, Born at Mackelsfield, Collar Maker, Aged 22 years, 5 feet 6 High, fare Complexion, Lt. Gray Eyes, Sandy Hair Long in A Tye, Pock Mark'd, Well made." The return of the inhabited houses of each Derbyshire hundred, in 1795, that had to be obtained before this Act could be administered, * Cordwainer, a superior shoemaker, a worker in Cordova leather. together with the number of men to be raised by each, was as follows: Derbyshire having only raised about half the appointed quota of men, had to pay in fines and estimated bounties £3,064 18s. 7d. for the deficiency. SECTION IV.—ECCLESIASTICAL. ACT OF UNIFORMITY. ASSESSMENT OF THE CLERGY. LICENSED PREACHERS. CLERGY LIST. THE RECUSANTS UNDER ELIZABETH. RECUSANTS UNDER THE STUARTS. RECUSANTS AFTER THE RESTORATION. NONCONFORMISTS BEFORE THE COMMONWEALTH. RELIGION UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH. THE RESTORATION. THE QUAKERS. CONVENTICLE ACTS, SACRAMENTAL CERTIFICATES. TOLERATION ACT. RECENT NONCONFORMIST RETURNS. CHURCH BRIEFS. NOTICES IN CHURCH. THE CASE OF EDWARD HOLLINSHED. |