Witheridge High Constable, Humphrey Gudamore

30 August 1642 House of Commons Journal: Gudamore's Delinquency.

Resolved, That Humphrey Gudamore, High Constable of the Hundred of Witheridge, in the County of Devon, shall be forthwith sent for, as a Delinquent, for being very active in executing the Commission of Array, and granting out his Warrants to the Petty Constables of that Hundred to hinder the Appearance of the Trained Bands, upon the Ordinance of the Militia.

Ordered, That the Sheriff, the Committee of this House, and the Deputy Lieutenants of that County, be required to take Order for Apprehending of these Delinquents likewise, and sending them up to the Parliament.

Delinquents

It was common of this period that the sequestration of the estates of those deemed by Parliament to be delinquents, i.e. recusant Catholics (Roman Catholics who did not attend the services of the Church of England) and royalists. After the seizure of their estates most royalists and non-combatant Catholics could appeal or 'compound' to have their lands restored to them in return for the payment of a fine which was valued at a fraction of the capital value of their property. In compounding, the delinquent would produce evidence of the condition of the estate, the charges upon it and hope to convince the committee to reduce the fine. Evidence of this delinquency was based upon the word of an informant rather than by detection and it is in the nature of the seventeenth century that neighbours informed upon each other. Once delinquency was proved and the estate was seized the owner was allowed back a fifth of the estate for the maintenance of his family and another fifth went to the informant (who is also named in the records).

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