Quarter Session Records of Somersetshire 1646 - 1660 on CD ROM. People used to take others to court for the most trivial & ridiculous of reasons. If you have ancestors in Somersetshire whom you suspect may have lived in the area for many generations then you have every chance of finding them on this CD ROM.
THIS CD ROM OPENS WITH ADOBE WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS FULLY SEARCHABLE If you don't have an ADOBE reader on your PC then just go to
www.adobe.com and follow the download instructions, it's free!
Lets remember we are not suggesting your ancestors were muderers or theives, but simply in many cases these were petty quarrels. Here are some examples.
INFORMATION OF EDWARD COOMBE OF WINSHAM THAT SEEING FIRE COMING FROM THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE OF WALTER QUIBB ON MONDAY NIGHT LAST HE CALLED TO HIM OF HIS DANGER TO WHICH HE REPLIED "THE BULL ROARS & THE COW BELLOWS"WHICH WAS ALL HE COULD GET FROM HIM, AND HE BELIEVES THAT THE SAID SQUIBB WAS IN DRINK. GIVEN TO THOMAS CURREY 7TH MAY 1659
EVIDENCE OF JOHN BROWNINGE OF QUEEN CHARLTON THAT ON 3RD JANUARY 1657 HE SAW JOHN MILKINS OF BRISTILTON CARRY A HAND GUN UNDER HIS CLOAK, AND PRESENTLY HE SHOT IT OFF AND RAN TO TAKE UP A BIRD. THE SAID MILKINS BEING EXAMINED DECLINED TO SAY OUGHT THEREUNTO. BEFORE ROBERT LONG 7TH JAN 1657
INFORMATION OF MAUD, WIFE OF THOMAS COLLAR OF WOOLAVINGTON GIVEN TO EDWARD SEALY 2ND AUGUST 1659. AS SHE WAS RETURNING HOME BY HERSELF FROM BRIDGWATER MARKET ON OR ABOUT 7TH JULY 1659 ADRIAN TOWERS OF MARKE OVERTOOK HER AND CALLING HER AN UGLY TOAD DEMANDED HER NAME, THEN HE KNOCKED HER DOWN AND DEMANDED HER PURSE TO WHICH SHE REPLIED SHE HAD BESTOWED ALL HER MONEY IN THE MARKET. HE THEN SAID"I THINK YOU ARE A QUAKER" AND SHE DENIED IT, HE COMPELLED HER TO KNEEL DOWN ON HER BARE KNEES AND SWEAR BY THE LORD'S BLOOD THAT SHE WAS NOT, WHICH TO SAVE HER LIFE SHE DID. ANOTHER WOMAN THEN CAME UP AND REBUKED THE SAID TOWERS WHEREUPON HE STRUCK HER DOWN"ATWHART" HER SADDLE INTO ONE OF HER PANNIERS.
This CD ROM is packed with cases that will keep you laughing for hours, we like to look upon such works as potentential brick wall busters. If you have got back to the early 1800s or late 1700s in Somersetshire especially with a more unusual surname but have now got stuck in a rut, then this CD ROM might provide you with a breakthrough.
Happy ancestor hunting !
