England Sacrament Certificates, Compton Census 1676 (National Institute)

Sacrament Certificates
One of the requirements of the Test Act, in force from 1672-1828, was the production of a sacrament certificate recording when and where the bearer took Holy Communion as testified by the clergyman, churchwarden and two witnesses. Some relating to the Home Counties are at the PRO but most will be with Quarter Sessions at the county level. I possess copies of three such certificates for my 8th great grand uncle Zachary Dashwood, necessary for his position as an officer of HM Customs in Exeter, Devon:


 * 18 May 1673 in St. Martin’s parish (shown below). 11 Jul 1680 in St. Sidwell’s parish. 13 Jul 1689 in Holy Trinity parish.

Chart: Sacrament Certificate for Zachary Dashwood 1673  [Courtesy Devon Record Office]

Compton Census 1676
Fears about the resurgence of Catholicism, as well as the need to assess the true extent of nonconformity after the relaxation of conditions in 1672 led to the taking of the Compton Census in 1676. It was authorized by Archbishop of Canterbury Sheldon who wanted to show that the extent of Nonconformity was not as great as was commonly supposed.

The Compton Census of 1676 was carried out under the supervision of Bishop Compton of London. It asked for the total number of parishioners or families, recusants (Catholics) and Nonconformists in each parish of the province of Canterbury. As the question regarding total number of inhabitants was not very clear it is not surprising that it was interpreted differently in the returns. Some gave number of families, others the number of persons over 16 (a standard estimation in those days), and others the total population. Some subtracted the recusants and Nonconformists and gave number of Anglicans for this answer. There were likewise problems in differentiating popish recusants and those suspected of being so, and probably other groups as well. That said, the surviving returns are considered to at least reflect the local distribution of dissidence, if not the actual numbers in each parish (Chalklin). An example of numbers occurring in some Diocese of Rochester, Kent parishes is shown below. During 1678 the eccentric Titus Oates was responsible for a supposed Popish Plot to kill Charles II, replace him with his Catholic brother James. It created a wave of anti-Catholic hysteria which influenced legislation for years. The 1683 the Rye House Plot to murder Charles II and his brother James implicated a number of Whigs, regarded as friends of Dissenters, and thus once again hindered the progress of toleration.

Chart: Compton Census of Kent Parishes

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