Ah. Found it! It was dumped in my junk box - how dare they!! So 1585 - Elizabeth's reign - Wiki "In 1575, a statute of Elizabeth I radically changed the effect of the benefit of clergy. Whereas before, the benefit was pleaded before a trial to have the case transferred to an ecclesiastical court, under the new system the benefit of clergy was pleaded after conviction but before sentencing, and it did not nullify the conviction, but rather changed the sentence for first-time offenders from probable hanging to branding and up to a year's incarceration." Interesting - his name was PERIGOE - do you know any more about him/his background? In my Huguenot studies, a family much involved with my Duterrau ancestors were the PERIGAL family (intermarriage and working partners). Is there any possibility that the family were of French origin? The Massacre of Vassy (Wassy) in 1562 started the (French) Wars of Religion, slowed up by the Edict of Nantes in 1598 and reactivated in mid 17th century. THe Revocation of The Edict of Nantes in 1685 removed all support for the Protestants (Huguenots) and effectively turned then into outlaws - officially to be exterminated. Jean Wood http://www.cheziris.eu/index.htm http://www.cheziris.eu/Duterrau.htm http://www.saintes-fleur-de-sel.fr/index.htm > From: cliveden@iinet.net.au > To: SUSSEX-PLUS-L@rootsweb.com; SFHG-L@rootsweb.com > Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 17:14:58 +1000 > Subject: [SXP] Benefit of the Clergy > > Greetings Listers > > I think I asked this question some years ago, but have recently changed computers and am now using Windows 7 which I don't yet understand regarding searching the database! > > One of my ancestors - Robert PERIGOE - is listed in the Assize Rolls of Kent in 1585 as follows (the entry seems a bit truncated): > > ASSIZE ROLLS (Kent) > > Elizabeth I, no. 1363 (p. 228). Robert Perygoe of Sevenoaks, smith - theft on > > 1 Feb 1585 found guilty, but allowed benefit of the clergy. > > > > I'm in the process of writing his story - it won't be very long, just a page or so - and want to get details correct. > > > > Can someone enlighten me about the 'benefit of the clergy' please? Robert wasn't a clergyman - he listed here as as smith and elsewhere as a gunsmith (which fits very well with his grandfather's (we thin) occupation of cannonier - so how would 'benefit of the clergy' apply to him. > > > > Many thanks. > > > > Pam > > Beaudesert, Queensland, Australai. > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SUSSEX-PLUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message