Eastern Essex and the Jacobite Rebellion 1715

The Jacobite rebellion took place in several waves between 1688 and 1746 . They all sought to restore the Stuart line on Kings to the English Throne after James 11 was deposed in favour of William and Mary in 1988.

Whilst most of the Jacobite's lived in Scotland and the North of England there were sympathisers in many parts of England including Eastern Essex.

The Monarchs during this period William and Mary, Anne and then George 1 were all protestants and the Stuart pretenders were Roman Catholics .

Catholicism was still banned in England and so Roman Catholic families tended to be sympathisers.

Perhaps more surprisingly many Anglicans were also Jacobites with Clergymen refusing to take an oath of allegiance in principle as they believed that no right existed to depose James as the lawful King. Many such Anglicans were referred to as nonjuring Anglicans and split from the Clergy who were willing to take the oath. New congregations grew in many places forming episcapalian churches.

Politically the two main parties were the Whigs and the Tories. The Whigs were the party of Parliament of the day and many Tories also espoused the Jacobite cause.

Following the 1715 rebellion which was swiftly crushed by the English armies at the Battle of Preston a mood of retribution took hold in London and an Act Of Parliament was passed to enquire of the estates of certain traytors and of Popish Recusants and of estates given to superstitious uses in order to raise money out of them severally for the use of the publick.

Recusants were people who secretly attended Roman Catholic Churches and superstitious use meant  any endowment settled for the maintenance of priests, seminarists or catholic institutions at home or abroad.

The commissioners surveyed the country and produced a list of people identified as Jacobite supporters and the land that they owed. Before the tax could operate the King changed his mind and the tax was never collected although the lists still survive and are reproduced below in relation to the three Jacobite supporters residing in Eastern Essex

 The names of the Roman Catholics, Non Jurors and other who refused to take the oaths to his late Majesty King George together with their titles, additions and places of abode.

The parishes and Towns where their lands lay, the name of their then tenants or occupiers thereof : and the annual value of them as estimated by themselves.

Transmitted to the late COMMISSIONERS for the Forfeited estates of England and Wales after the unnatural rebellion in the north in the year 1715.