Cuthbert Sanderson

  Death Notes:

Can anyone explain why a burial record included these words?
> "... affidavits received from ye hands of Sr Robert Edene, Thomas Snath, & Garerd Staineson."
> This was the entry for Cuthbert SANDERSON in 1679 in the parish of Hamsterley, DUR

The wool industry until the end of the 18th century was 'the flower and strength and revenue
and blood of England'. In 1660 laws were (again) passed to prohibit the export of wool. Whilst
this was in part to stimulate native industry the laws had serious effects. Production exceeded consumption. Extraordinary efforts were made to stimulate demand including the passing of a bill in Charles II reign in 1666 requiring the dead to be buried in shrouds of pure wool. - Plague victims were excepted.The custom continued into the 1680s. In fact the bill remained law (but not enacted) until the late eighteenth century.
It was further required that affidavits had to be sworn before a Justice of the Peace that this
had happened. The affidavits were given to the incumbent who, in the parish register, might
note the word affidavit (or simply note 'A'), and may give further details.
I suppose in this case Sir Robert Edene was the local Justice and the other two names would be folk of some standing or relatives of the deceased. The Edens were, as you may know, gentry in South Durham for centuries.

>From time to time the poor could not afford the woolen shroud then occasionally the words
'buried naked' appear in the burials register....

Cuthbert married Margrett Ramshaw on 1 May 1669 in Hamsterley, DUR, England, UK.