Matlock & Matlock Bath Lists Through the Centuries: The Seventeenth Century

Charles II became King of Great Britain immediately after the execution of his father, Charles I, in 1649 but he lived in exile in Europe after the Civil War. His return to Britain, and subsequent coronation, marked the end of the period known as The Commonwealth. It was the prospect of the gift of money, known as The Free and Voluntary Present, that enabled Charles II to return to London to be crowned. As he was without sufficient funds himself, Parliament gave him an additional £70,000 to pay for his coronation. Charles II was crowned on 23 April 1661 (St. George's Day).

David Clay's transcript*, from PRO document reference E179. 245/6 Free and Voluntary Present, Derbyshire, covers the whole county of Derbyshire

There are 45 Matlock names on the list and the sum they individually gave towards the gift to King Charles II is recorded against their name.

The subscription of the inhabitants of the hundred of Wirksworth for a free present for his Majesty, taken before us his Majesties Commissioners whose names are subscribed the sixteenth day of December in the thirteenth year of his Majesties Raigne. Anno Dom. 1661 as followeth.

Matlock

Surname	First Name	Status	Sum given
ADAMS	George		10/-
BADSLEY	John		8/-
BECKE	John		2/6d
BOLLINGTON	Anthony		2/-
BOWDEN	John		2/-
BOWN	Henry		8/-
BOWNE Snr	Anthony		2/-
BOWNE De Lyntree	Anthony		2/-
BOWNE Sen	John		2/-
BOWNE	Ralph		2/6d
BUNTING	William		2/-
CLIFFE	Robert	Gent	10/-
COCKAINE	John		£1/-/-
COLLOMBELL	Francis		2/-
FLYNT	Henry		5/-
HASLAM	Anthony		2/-
HASLAM	Edward		2/-
HEATH	William		2/-
HENSTOCKE	Edward		2/6d
JOHNS	Edmund		5/-
JOHNS	Thomas		2/6d
JOHNS	William		5/-
KNOWLES	Henry		2/-
MARTEN	John		2/-
MOUMFORD	Francis		2/-
OGDEN	George		2/-
OXLEY	Henry		2/-
OXLEY	John		2/-
PIDCOCKE	William		2/-
RAGG	Rowland		2/-
SPENCER	Thomas		2/-
STEERE	Thomas		2/-
STEPHENSON	William		£1/10/-
TAYLOR	Anthony		2/-
TAYLOR	George		2/-
TAYLOR	John		2/-
WALKER	John		2/-
WARD Snr	William		2/6d
WIGLEY	Henry	Gent	£1/10/-
WIGLEY	John	Gent	10/-
WOOD	Thomas		2/-
WOODWARD	Thomas		4/-
WOOLLEY Sen	John		5/-
WOOLLEY Jun	John		10/-
WOOLLEY	William	Esq	£10/-/-

The collectors for the Wirksworth Hundred, which included Matlock, were:
William Fitzherbert, Jo: Milward, Jo: Lowe.

Transcribed by Clay, David (1992) "The Free and Voluntary Present 1661 Derbyshire"
© Derbyshire Family History Society* - ISBN 0 947964 20 7
List typed by Ann Andrews, June 1999
Extract reproduced here with David Clay's kind permission and the permission of the publishers, Derbyshire Family History Society, who have books of the full transcript for sale.
PRO document reference E179. 245/6 Free and Voluntary Present
© Crown Copyright. See link to Copyright at the National Archive