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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1600s | - 1600s: Baptists
The Baptist religion was founded by John Smyth.
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| 2 | 1601 | - 1601: Provision of the Poor Laws
A system of Settlement was laid down by law, and from 1697 parochial churchwardens were empowered to issue a parishioner with a settlement certificate acknowledging his right to their aid. Armed with this, a poor man could travel and take up residence elsewhere, and the wardens of his new parish would accept him because they had documentary evidence on which to return him, if necessary, to the parish that acknowledged responsibility for him.
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| 3 | 1603 | - 1603: Canons for Parish Registers
Canons were re-iterated for an order enacting that a parchment book was to be provided at the expense of the parish, wherein were to be copied former paper registers, "so far as the ancient books thereof can be procured, but especially since the beginning of the reign of the late Queen." The safe keeping of the register was to be entrusted to "one sure Coffer with three Locks and Keys," to be in the several respective custody of the minister and the two wardens. The provision for the public weekly reading of the register was not repeated. The Sunday register entries of the past week by the minister, in the presence of the wardens was again enjoined and so too was the order for the annual transmission of the bishops' transcripts, though the exact date was changed to within a month after 25th March.
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| 4 | 1606 | - 1606: Jacobean Loyalty Oath
This oath was a response to the gunpowder plot of 1605 in an effort to expose Catholics who were actively disloyal to the King. It was not intended to be universally prescribed, and was only to be taken by those persons aged over 18 who were convicted or indicted for recusancy.
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| 5 | 1640s | - 1640s: Independents
Separatists became known as Independents
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| 6 | 1641 | - 1641: Protestation Oath
In taking the Protestation Oath the swearer promised to defend "the true reformed religion expressed in the doctrine of the Church of England" and expressed his "duty of allegiance" to "maintain and defend His Majesty's royal person and estate, as also the power and privilege of Parliaments". Parliament ordered all males over 18 to take the oath.
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| 7 | 1641/2 | - Mar 1641/2: Relief for distressed Protestants in Ireland
A collection ordered by Charles I from every parish for the relief of English Protestant settlers in Ireland that had been ousted by the Catholic Irish. Lists of receipts include many women and can be used to supplement the contemporary Protestation Returns.
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| 8 | 1642/50s | - 1642/50s: Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism becomes the foundation of Church of England (Commonwealth period). Civil parish officers are appointed by Cromwell to perform and maintain records of births, marriages and deaths. Few of these survive unless the civil officer had previously been associated with the parish during ecclesiastical rule, such as a former clerk of the parish church. Many people travelled to such parishes to have their church rites performed. Thus it is always advisable to examine the registers of nearby parishes for this time period.
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| 9 | 1643 | - 17 Aug 1643: Solemn League and Covenant
An oath subscribed by "We, noblemen, barons, knights, gentlemen, citizens, burgesses, ministers of the Gospel, and commons of all sorts, in the kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland" for the purposes of reformation and defence of religion, the honour and happiness of the King, and the peace and safety of the three kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland.
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| 10 | 1644 | - 6 Dec 1644: Parish Register Book of Velim
It was ordered that "it be referred to the committee for bringing in the ordinance for the establishing the Directory, to bring in a clause in that ordinance for registering the time of baptising of children, and their parents' names, and for registering of burials." In the same year it was further ordained that "there shall be provided at the charge of every parish or chapelry, a fair Register Book of velim to be kept by the minister and other officers of the church, and that the names of all children baptized, and of their parents, and of the time of their birth and baptising, shall be written and set down by the minister therein, and also the names of all persons married there, and the time of their marriage; and also the names of all persons buried in that parish, and the time of their death and burial; and that the said book shall be shewed by such as keep the same to all persons reasonably desiring to search for the birth, baptising, marriage, or burial of any person therein registered, and to take a copy or procure a certificate thereof."
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| 11 | 1649 | - 1649—1660: Commonwealth Interregnum
The period during which Oliver Cromwell and his son, Richard, held power and authority in England and Wales and marks the time commencing with the execution of Charles I to the restoration of Charles II.
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| 12 | 1650s | - 1650s: The Quakers
The Society of Friends (Quakers) was founded by George Fox.
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| 13 | 1653 | - 24 Aug 1653: Civil Parish Registers
Ministers were required to give up their register books to laymen, who were to be called "parish registers." These new officials were to enter all publications of banns, marriages, births, and burials. For marriage entries they were empowered to charge a fee of I2d., and 4d. for each entry of birth and burial. The lay register was to be chosen by the householders of each parish on or before 22nd September 1653, and as soon as he had been sworn and approved by the local justice, his appointment was to be entered in the register book. The enactment by this same Act brought in civil marriage.
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| 14 | 1660 | - 1660: Civil Marriages Legalised
Marriages performed before justices during the Protectorates of Oliver and Richard Cromwell (1653-1660) were legalised by Act of Parliament (12 Car. ii, c. 33) during the latter part of the year.
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| 15 | 1667 | - 1667: Burial in Woollen
First act enacted requiring all burials to be in woollen in an effort to protect the wool trade from imports of silk cloth.
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| 16 | 1672 | - 1672: Declaration of Indulgence
Enacted by Charles II.
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1598 - 1673 (~ 74 years)