Rev. Henry Hatton - Hucknall 1650

[skill]

I am trying to find out more about the early life of Rev. Henry Hatton (b1615, dc1669), son of Christopher Hatton, gent. of Sulby Abbey, Northants., and later Prebendary of Clone, Diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in 1662 (Wexford, Ireland). He was awarded his BA in 1637/8 and his MA in 1641 from St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was admitted as a foundress fellow in 1643 at the express request of Charles I, partly on account of his relations to Sir Christopher Hatton, 1st Baron Hatton of Kirby (I am not sure exactly how they are related yet - any suggestions welcome).

According to Venn (a source quoted by St. John's librarian), he signed the Attestation of the Cheshire Presbyterian Ministers as Minister of Overchurch in Cheshire in 1648. He was subsequently listed in the Parliamentary Survey of 1650 as vicar of Hucknall, Notts.

Does anyone know whether any parish or other relevant records for Hucknall survive from this period ? I am particularly interested to find out who Rev. Henry's first wife was, where and when they married and whether they had any children.

Many thanks

skill

[charlotteCH]

Hi skill, Were Fellows of Colleges allowed to marry then?

charlotte

[skill]

I don't know, Charlotte. However, I omitted to mention that Henry Hatton was ejected as a fellow from St. John's in 1644. Does this help, anyone ?

Thanks

skill

[charlotteCH]

Skill, was he  "ejected "  and if so what's the story behind that... or is that a typo and it's "elected" as a Fellow ?... much duller if the latter


charlotte

[skill]

No, definitely "ejected" and it appears that this term is common one (try a Google search) so it must have had a precise meaning, although I am afraid I do not know what it is. I would speculate that there was a limit on the number of fellows in a college and that, in order to allow admission of new fellows, others had to give way, presumably by a voting procedure of some sort.

skill

[charlotteCH]

I'm not sure that that is the way the Colleges worked... Once elected a Fellow it is unlikely that you'd be shuffled out to make way for newbies... Certainly doesn't work like that now. 
There may be something quite interesting about your man tucked away in all this.
Will  google to see what's there. 

charlotte

[Brie]

Hi,

As I understand it ejected ministers were turned out of the church.

In 1662 there was a mass ejection of about 1,800 ministers who refused to accept the Act of Uniformity. This Act required the use of all the rites and ceremonies of The Book of Common Prayer. There were a large number of Presbyterian Ministers who could not accept this. (3 of them were my 9x g grandpas)

I suspect that the Rev. Hatton probably disagreed with some current teaching of the church. With Charles and the Commonwealth it was quite easy to suddenly find that your religious views were no longer acceptable.

Brie

[charlotteCH]

1644, the time of his ejection,  was Cromwell's time and the Commonwealth wasn't it?

charlotte

[skill]

Thanks, Brie and Charlotte.

In view of your comments, I sought clarification from the Librarian at St John's College, Cambridge, who has replied:

"Ejected simply means that Henry Hatton was removed from his fellowship i.e. he ceased to be a fellow of St John's. This followed a 1643 Parliamentary ordinance that allowed for the removal from office of those whose religious or political beliefs were not in line with the Parliamentarians."

Which seems to have been borne out subsequently by his signature of the Attestation of the Cheshire Presbyterian Ministers in 1648 (see my original e-mail).

Interesting stuff. Now, I just need to find out who his siblings were, who his first wife was and who their children were ....

skill