The Parish of Atherton in the County of -- Lancashire --

The Protestation Oath of 1642

In May 1641 the House of Commons acted to defend the Protestant Religion, Parliament, and the Crown against a perceived threat of 'Popery and Popish Innovations'. They prepared an oath of loyalty to be taken by all males of 18 years and over. Duly passed by the Protestant Peers in the House of Lords, the Protestation Oath was put in force in January 1642 (modern calendar) when the Speaker of the House of Commons instructed county sheriffs to take action. In February, 217 men from Atherton assembled at Leigh Parish Church and took the oath before John Atherton, the High Sheriff of Lancashire. One man refused the oath.

The names of the men from Atherton who took (and refused) the Protestation Oath, as listed here, are extracted from Appendix 2 of "History of Atherton" by John Lunn, published by Atherton District Council in 1971. The list has been re-ordered alphabetically.

The protestation returns can be used to estimate the population of Atherton at the time. One formula (W.B. Stephens 'Sources for English Local History') doubles the number to include adult women, and adds 40% for those under 18. Others suggest multiplying the number by 4. Thus, Atherton in 1642 would probably have had between 600 and 900 inhabitants.

Peter Wood
December 2004