Judith, This came about as a result of two acts of Parliament that were passed in the late 17th century to protect and promote the English wool trade. The first in 1660 prohibited the use of any material other than wool for burial. The second in 1678 required "No corpse of any person shall be buried in any shirt, shift, sheet or shroud or anything whatsoever, made or mingled with flax, hemp, silk, hair, gold or silver, or in any stuff or thing other than what is made of sheeps wooll only" and imposed a fine of £5 for defaulters. It introduced an affidavit which had to be signed, stating that the deceased was buried in woollen. The fine could be imposed not only on the estate of the deceased but also on the family and even on the householder in whose house the person expired! Those who could afford to sometimes made provision in their will for the £5 to be paid so that they would not suffer the ignominy of being buried in wool. Each year the register had to be presented to a magistrate by the cleric. These acts were not repealed until 1814. I have this information in my OPC web site for Gerrans & St Anthony. If I copied the text from someone else then I offer them my apologies! Regards, Bill OPC (Genealogy) for Gerrans, St Anthony & St Just in Roseland : www.rootsweb.com/~enggerop Cornwall Parish Records Database : http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/ Cornwall Census : http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kayhin/ukocp.html -----Original Message----- From: cornish-gen-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cornish-gen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Collins Sent: 06 September 2010 07:58 To: cornish-gen@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] Parish Registers Burials 1770's I am interested to know the significance of the statement appearing after a batch of burials thus: "All buried in woollens as statute directs in the case." These registers free online are wonderful to have and although the writing is challenging at times well worth the time and effort. Thanks Judith -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription information http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CORNISH-GEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Bill many thanks for your reply. It is the first time i have seen it written down on the Registers and I was looking at Parish of Tywardreath. I thought there must be something interesting behind it but didn't know what it was. I would have thought wool was quite an expensive item for those days and some families might have struggled to oblige the written law. You learn something new everyday if you keep your mind open.!! many thanks Judith -------------------------------------------------- From: "Bill O'Reilly" <bill.or@btinternet.com> Sent: Monday, September 06, 2010 5:08 PM To: <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] Parish Registers Burials 1770's > Judith, > This came about as a result of two acts of Parliament that were passed in > the late 17th century to protect and promote the English wool trade. The > first in 1660 prohibited the use of any material other than wool for > burial. > The second in 1678 required "No corpse of any person shall be buried in > any > shirt, shift, sheet or shroud or anything whatsoever, made or mingled with > flax, hemp, silk, hair, gold or silver, or in any stuff or thing other > than > what is made of sheeps wooll only" and imposed a fine of £5 for > defaulters. > It introduced an affidavit which had to be signed, stating that the > deceased > was buried in woollen. The fine could be imposed not only on the estate of > the deceased but also on the family and even on the householder in whose > house the person expired! > > Those who could afford to sometimes made provision in their will for the > £5 > to be paid so that they would not suffer the ignominy of being buried in > wool. > Each year the register had to be presented to a magistrate by the cleric. > > These acts were not repealed until 1814. > > I have this information in my OPC web site for Gerrans & St Anthony. If I > copied the text from someone else then I offer them my apologies! > > Regards, > Bill > > > OPC (Genealogy) for Gerrans, St Anthony & St Just in Roseland : > www.rootsweb.com/~enggerop > Cornwall Parish Records Database : http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/ > Cornwall Census : > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kayhin/ukocp.html > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: cornish-gen-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:cornish-gen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Collins > Sent: 06 September 2010 07:58 > To: cornish-gen@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] Parish Registers Burials 1770's > > I am interested to know the significance of the statement appearing after > a > batch of burials thus: > > "All buried in woollens as statute directs in the case." > > > These registers free online are wonderful to have and although the writing > is challenging at times well worth the time and effort. > > > Thanks > Judith > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ------------------------------- > Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com > > Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription information > http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CORNISH-GEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > ------------------------------- > Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com > > Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription information > http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CORNISH-GEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message