MARRIED.

9.-Edmund Hall and Johan Henshaw.

BURIED.

4. The wyfe of Thomas Syddall,
5.-The wyfe of John Hudson.
5.-The wyfe of Willm Tomlinson.

7.-Ales Hibbert of Northbury.

8.-The wyfe of Nicholas Hibbert of Marple.

8.-The wyfe of John Potter of the Hillgate in Stock. port.

9.-The wyfe of John Bradley of Stockport.

11.-The wyfe of Alexander Ashton of Hyde. 12.-The wyfe of John Bakester als Bexweek. 13.-John Shepley of Hyde.

13.-Nicholas Cheetham of Redishe. 13.-Ellen Foxley.

16.-Richard Nabbes of Stockport.

21.-The wyfe of Ambrose Cheetham of Adswood. 23.-John Cheetham of Denton. 25.-Elizabeth Holt of Bramhall. 26. The wyfe of Robte Whittaker. 28.-The wyfe of John Bancroft.

FEBRUARY, 1587.

BAPTISED.

1.-Jane daughter of John Robinson.
2.-John sonne of Robt Hudson of Heaton.
2.-Anne daughter of Raffe Shepley.

8.-Margery daughter of George Brookshaw. 19.-Willm sonne of Thomas Rodes of Bramhall. 19.-Lawrence sonne of Willm Robothom. 20.-Ellen daughter of Willm Turner. 21.-Robte sonne of George Barlow.

24.-Raffe sonne of John Andrew.

24.-Ellen daughter of Robte Gee.

26.-Margret daughter of John Bowerhouse. 29.-Robte sonne of Willm Thorniley.

25.-Isabell Elcock wydow.

26.-Henry Harropp.

26.-Ellen Thorniley.

28.-Uxor Corker vidua mersa.

29.-John sonne of George Redishe of Stockport.

MARCH, 1587.

BAPTISED.

18.-Alexander sonne of Willm Nicholson.
9.-Margret daughter of Raffe Lowe of Stock.
9.-Willm sonne of Willm Thorpe of Bramhall.
12.- Margery daughter of Thomas Bordman.
= 17.-Alexander sonne of James Smith.

17.-Richard sonne of Raffe Browne.
19.-John sonne of John Lees of Redish.
20.-Jane daughter of Richard Hibbert.

BURIED.

1.-The wyfe of Lawrence Daniell of Hilgate in Stock.

1.-Ales Kempe of the Hilgate in Stock. 1.-Ales Gee.

1.-Elizabeth daughter of George Bramhall of Stock. 1.-Ellen daughter of Robte Gee also buried. 3.-A pore womans chylde.

4.-Edward Cooke of Northbury.

4. The wyfe of Ottiwell Dodge.

4.-Ellen Birch of Bramhall.

5.-The wyfe of John Birch of Bramhall.

6. The wyfe of James Adshead of Bredbury:

7.-The wyfe of John Chorlton of Stock. 11.-John Higham of Stockporte.

11.-Richard Elcocke of Stock.

12.-Thomas Bredbury.

13.-Anne Hunte.

15.-A pore woman that dyed of chyldbirth at Northbury.

17.-Tow children of the same pore woman were buried.

20.-The wyfe of Richard Hall of Stock.

20.-Raffe Oldham of Redish.

21.-Nicholas Daniell.

MARCH, 1588.

BAPTISED.

25.-Robte sonne of Edward Ashton.

25.-Robte sonne Thomas Thomstones.

28.-Willm sonne of Willm Erward als Erwood schole

mr of Bramhall.

29.-John sonne of Alexander Collier.

31.-Thomas sonne of Edward Bowerhouse of Stock.

BURIED.

27.-Edward Daniell of Stock. 29.-Peter Pymlott.

31.-Thomas Robynson of the Underbank in Stock. 31.-Richard Bennetson.

1.-Willm Robynson of Heaton.

1.-Willm Daniell of Stock.

4. The wyfe of John Elcocke of Stock. 7.-The wyfe of John Somester. 10.-Margret daughter of Willm Swyndells. 13.-A daughter of Thomas Hilme. 13.-The wyfe of Raffe Seele of Stock.

16.—The wyfe of James Cooper of Northbury.

19.-The wyfe of Robte Holme of Heaton.

19.-Raffe Bennetson of Stock.

20.-John Goodyer of Echulls.
23.-Alexander sonne of James Smithe.

23.-Raffe Thumstone of Stock.

25.-The sonne of Henry Daniell of Bramhall. 26.-The wyfe of Richard Kelsall of Echulls.

Replies.

RECOLLECTIONS OF STOCKPORT.

Your contributor, the author of "Recollections of Stockport," in his article of the 9th inst., states that a Mr W. H. Smith formerly worked the Mersey Mills. He refers to Mr William Smith, who died at Reddish House on the 17th July, 1841, and was, I believe, buried at Mellor Church. LAWRENCE Walker.

Heaton Norris, 28th April, 1886.

Queries.

WILLIAM SHUTTLEWORTH, ARTIST.-I should esteem it a favour if some correspondent to Cheshire Notes and Queries could furnish particulars of the life and works of the above artist, was he a native of Stockport. A list of his works would be of interest to others besides CESTRIAN.

EASTER.-Would some correspondent to Notes and Queries kindly inform me from what the names Good Friday and Easter are derived; also what is the origin of "lifting" at this time of the year, and whether it is still in vogue. A READER.

Notes.

THE LIFE OF SAMUEL EATON.

II.

It is not improbable that Eaton was allowed by the said keeper" to escape from prison altogether. Laud, in the course of the examination of a body of Separatists surprised and captured in a wood near Newington, Surrey, said "the keeper hath let some of the principal of the other company to escape" (11). Neal says that after two years' confinement all, except Mr Lathorp, were released upon bail. Writs of attachment for their non-appearance were issued on June 12th and 19th, Oct. 9th, and Feb. 19th, 1634-5. Eaton himself gives us a short sketch of this period:

After that about eleven years since (1634) he was forced to leave the kingdom and seek for shelter in Holland, and there joined with others in a congregational way; and after that, when the unsuitableness of the air occasioned much sickness, he was constrained to return, and finding no rest, was the second time necessitated to transplant himself in New England, where, if the High Commission of York could have let him alone, he might probably have ended his days. But for non-appearance at their courts when yet he was out of the land, and knew nothing of their summons, he was fined in several sums of money, which together amounted to £1550 (12).

And

his estate in Wirral in Cheshire was extended upon for payment, and the tenant to whom the land was leased before his departure to New England forced to pay great sums of money for the redemption of his cattle, which were driven off the ground, where he was supported in those troublous times by the beneficence of two religious gentlemen, William Stevinton, of Dothit, and his 11. Waddingtons Cong. Hist., p. 278.

12. It appears from the "Proceedings of the Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes" (Brit. Mus., MSS., 24460), that Samuel Eaton, of West Kirby, clerk, was fined in sums amounting from £50 to £500, by doubling each time, for his contumacy in not appearing before the Commission Earwaker, ii., p. 28. Note.

son-in-law, Creswall Taylor, of Longdon aforesaid, his noble friends (13).

This time was one of woful tribulation for men like Eaton, of independent thought and enthusiastic action Prevented from worshipping God according to their consciences in public, and indicted before the bishops for every imaginable offence and charge, they were bound to seek refuge in privacy. On April 1st, 1634, however, Laud and the High Commission issued the following proclamation to justices of the peace mayors, bailiffs, constables, &c. :—

Taking with you a constable, and such other convenient assistance as you think meet, we require you to enter into any house or place where you shall have intelligence or probably suspect that any such private conventicles, meetings, or exercises of religion are held, kept, and frequented; and herein, and in every several room thereof you make diligent search for unlicensed books, and seize them in any place, exempt or not exempt (14). This is only one example of the tyranny then rampant. A contemporary writer says:

Neither, I think, can it be showed that, in all Queen Mary's time, there was so great havoc made in so short a time of the faithful ministers of God in any part of, yea, or in the whole land.

their

Thus was brought to pass that state of things which John Milton said was the most ill-brooding sign to a nation, when the inhabitants, to avoid insufferable grievances at home, are enforced by heaps to forsake native country. But even the refuge of exile was refused, and proclamations were issued suffering none to emigrate without licence, and a testimonial of their conformity to the order and discipline of the church, and ordering the remand of those who had gone away without such approbation. These edicts came too late to have much effect, for the hour of retribution was at hand. 13. Preface to "Defence [of Sundry Position," &c., see Ante. 14. Waddington's

ngregational History," ii., 280.

Little is known of the life of Eaton while in America. What little we do know serves only to show that they who had been driven from England by divisions were soon divided amongst themselves. Along with Mr John Davenport, B.D, the vicar of Coleman-street, London-who had likewise fled into Holland, and from thence to New England and his brother Theophilus Eaton, Samuel was one of the founders of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut. After waiting patiently for nine months at Boston for a grant of land "convenient for their families and their friends, to their great charge and hindrance many ways” (15), they purchased from the Indians a settlement in the State just named. They found a situation to their mind, commodious for trade, and capable to entertain those that were to follow them, to the south-west of Connecticut river. The town of New Haven was first established, followed by Guilford, Milford, Stamford, and Brainford. After some time they crossed the bay, and made several settlements in Long Islands, erecting churches in all places where they came, after the Independent form (16). The historian Bancroft writes as follows of this interesting colony (17):

Its forms were austere, unmixed Calvinism; but the spirit of humanity had sheltered itself under the rough exterior. The colonists held their first gathering under a branching oak. It was a season of gloom. Spring had not yet revived the verdure of nature. Under the leafless tree the little flock were taught by Davenport that, like the Son of Man, they were led into the wilderness to be tempted. After a day of fasting and prayer, they rested their first frame of government on a simple planta tion covenant that all of them should be ordered by the rules which the Scripture held forth to them. When after more than a year the free planters of the colony desired a more perfect form of government, the followers of Him who was laid in a manger held their constituent assembly in a barn. There, by the influence of Davenport, it was solemnly resolved that the Scriptures are the perfect rule of a commonwealth; that the purity and peace of the ordinances to themselves and their posterity were the great end of civil order; and that church members only should be free burgesses. A committee of twelve was elected to choose seven men qualified for the foundation work of organising the Government. Eaton, Davenport, and five others were "the seven pillars" for the new House of Wisdom in the wilderness. In August, 1639, the seven pillars assembled, possessing for the time absolute power. Having abrogated every previous executive trust, they admitted to the court all church members. The character of civil magistrates was next expounded "from the sacred oracles," and the election followed. Then Davenport, in the words of Moses to Israel in the wilderness, gave a charge to the governor, to judge righteously; "the cause that is too hard for you," such was a part of the minister's text, "bring it unto me, and I will hear it." Annual elections were ordered, and 15. See Davenport and Eaton's joint letter to the Governor of New England in Waddington's "Congregational History," ii., 327.

16. Neal's "History of New England," p. 152. 17. History of the United States," i., 403.

God's word was established as the only rule in public affairs.

Simple and beautiful as this narrative reads, such a scheme could not be expected to meet the requirements of a new and a growing colony, consisting of those who had left their old homes in the search for freedom. Samuel Eaton could not agree with the regulation restricting the franchise to church members, and upon its being publicly read and adopted he rose in his place to express dissent therefrom (18). In his account of his reasons for returning to England, we have seen that no mention is made of this difference; but we are informed of it by Calamy and others (19).

Upon his dissent from Mr Davenport, says Calamy, about the narrow terms and forms of civil government then imposed upon that infant colony (by Mr Davenport), his brother advised him to a removal. Calling at Boston on his way, the church there gave him a pressing invitation to settle with them, but he was full bent upon coming back to old England, where God had most work for him to do.

ȧ Wood says that before leaving New England he studied at the University (Harvard College) and preached among the brethren there.

The reasons which he assigns for his speedy return were destined, however, quickly to disappear. Tyranny had reached the high water mark of endurance. The people were goaded to madness by restrictive oaths and retributive pains and penalties. The year in which he returned (1640) was made famous by the assembling of the Long Parliament. All important events followed each other in rapid succession. After a severe struggle the Puritan party gained the ascendancy. The Star Chamber and Court of High Commission were abolished; the bishops were excluded from Parliament, and Laud was condemned to the Tower. Petitions against and in favour of the Episcopate were being numerously signed all over the country; and on April 9, 1642, an ordinance was passed abolishing the Episcopal Government and liturgy of the Church.

From the following it would appear they had their prodigies of strengthand nerve fifty years ago. But what a stomach Mr Azemas what-do-they-call-him must have had to swallow four swords in addition to such small fry as hen eggs, and a flint stone six by four! But here is the "bill of the play":

18. Palfrey's "History of New England," i., p. 532. 19. Calamy's "Nonconformist Memorial," edited by Palmer; also "Notes and Queries," second series, vol ii., p.

138.