Thomas Sharrock as a Quaker.
The following
came from the “Record of the sufferings of Quakers in Cornwall
1655-1686”
(Published for the Friends HistoricalSociety,
1928).
“The
record of Sufferings of Friends in Cornwall is a folio volume, with a beautifully
embossed brown leather cover, containing in manuscript a full account of the
persecution and sufferings endured by Quakers in Cornwall from 1655 to 1792. Of
these, the first thirty-one years are in the handwriting of Dr. Thomas Lower,
son-in-law to George Fox, who was also the
transcriber.......................”
The
Following extract is the first reference I came across to my earliest
“provable” ancestor. I wonder whether the seven pairs of shoes he
had taken from him suggest he was a cordwainer.
1661 Nicholas Jose and Others
On
ye 16th of ye 3d month 1661 diverse ffriends beeinge mett togeather
in ye parish of Mabe to waite
upon ye lorde: & ye meetinge
beeinge ended & some ffriends
passinge away there came a guarde
of souldiers about fifty muskettires
& brought such ffriends as they mett backe againe
into ye meeting house where they sett a guarde rounde about it: &
some came in with there Musketts
psented & swords drawne,
where some ffriends were at meate:
& they tooke & dragged out as many as they founde in yt house; beeinge very rude & uncivil; insomuch that they broake open locks: & did other Mischeiffs:
& then took Nicholas Jose John Kerton Ephraim
Mills Roger Mills John Trethowen William Trethowen John Derite John Tregellis Peter Auger, John Reily
John Martin; Thomas Sharrocke Sampson Jeffry John Crougey John Jenckyn William Hawkey John Clemens & William Benny & carryed them to pendennis castle;
& without any examination att all putt them into
a darke
& nasty dungeon: & fowre women ffriends (viz) Johan Penwarden Susanna Rundell grace Crowgey & Margery penrose, whome they tooke & putt into
a close chamber neere ye prison; where they remained
all that night & untill ye 9th howre next day:
Then
they guarded them to penryn & putt them into ye towne Hall & theire kept them
two days & nights: & from thence carried them with a guarde to Truroe before John polwheele & Degory polwheele called Justices whoe
tendered them ye oath of Alleg: & because for consciens sake they could not Sweare
they sent them to ye Common goale att
launceston where they remained untill
they were delivered by ye Kings proclamation: afterwards about ye8th month next
followeinge by a warrant from John Polwheele Degory Polwheele & Renatus Billett called Justices diversof
ye aforesd ffriends were distreyned for refuseinge to pay
the charge for carryinge them to ye goale a particular of what & ye persons from whome there goods were distreyned
is as followeth
li s d
Ephraim Mills had taken from him a Mare worth
about 2 10 0
William Trethowen had taken from him a Mare
worth well 2 0 0
Peter Auger had taken from him one Mare worth
about 3 0 0
John Derite had taken from him one Cow worth
about 5 0 0
John Tregellis had taken from him housholde
goods worth about 0 18 0
Thomas Sharrocke had taken from him 7 paire of
shoes worth 1 4 0
Sampson Jeffry had taken from him one suite of
cloaths worth 1 0 0
Susanna Rundell had taken from her fowre sheepe
worth 0 12 0
sum: tot 16 4 0