1820 Shearsby signatories to The Loyal Declaration

Date: 1820 to 1821
Location: Shearsby, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom
Surname/tag: Loyal_Declaration

THE LOYAL DECLARATION OF THE COUNTY OF LEICESTER

^[1][2]

We, the undersigned Noblemen, Gentlemen, Clergy, Freeholders and others, of the County of Leicester, deeply feeling it to be the Duty of Englishmen to avow their Principles, whenever the welfare of the Country may demand it, and observing that the present State of the Nation imperiously calls upon every TRUE BRITON solemnly to declare himself, do make the following DECLARATION.

That we, as faithful and loyal subjects, maintaining an inviolable allegiance to the THRONE of the REALMS and the person of our most glorious SOVEREIGN, behold with the deepest abhorrence the attempts which factious and designing men have long been making, in an infinite variety of ways, to excite disaffection in the Country; and that we consider it the first duty of Loyal Subjects and Honest Men, to Honour and Support the CROWN and GOVERNMENT under which we enjoy the blessings of Liberty, Protection and Comfort, of which no other Nation under Heaven can boast.

That we hold the fearless, just, and equal maintenance of the Laws to be the great safeguard of every National and Private Blessing;- that it ought to be the Pride and Glory of every Englishman, not only to Venerate our Legal Institutions (lately so disgracefully insulted) but by every Means of his Power, to assist both in honouring and obeying these Laws, which are so wise in their Enactment, and so equitable in their Administration, as to be an object of Imitation to many other Nations, and the Envy of all.

That we see with horror and detestation the venerable and sacred fabric of the Christian Religion, attempted to be thrown down by unparalleled Art and diabolical Industry; and we are grieved to find these Evils inflicted through a blasphemous, abandoned and licentious Press- which, indifferent to the Miseries, both Temporal and Eternal, it may be creating, insults the Majesty of Heaven, and outrages everything that Man, in a civilised state, has been used to hold in awe and veneration. With this conviction on our minds, we feel it our duty, and Men and Christians, to express our utmost detestation of the many blasphemous and seditious Publications of the present day, wherein Religion is defamed – our Sovereign openly insulted and reviled – and the Authority of the LAWS defied. We pledge ourselves to discourage, and, to the utmost of our Power, to suppress such Publication; and we earnestly call on our Fellow Subjects, to discountenance the Dissemination of Sentiments alike injurious to Domestic Morals and Public Peace,

Leicester 9th December 1820

Signed by:

James Tindall

William Walker

Thomas Ward

Thomas Read

Job Walker

Richard Messenger

Ralph Hobill

Thomas Simons

William Simons

Joseph Read

Joseph Jelley

Thomas Ward

Thomas Weston

Thomas Weston

John Williams

George Hardey

1. ↑ "Original forms of the Declaration of 1820 with signatures from Parishes of Ashby Folville, Barsby, Bushby, Countesthorpe, Gaddesby, Hallaton, Harborough, Hinckley, Hose, Kibworth Harcourt, Mowsley, Shearsby, Sileby, Smeeton, Snarestone and Thurnby; and also form listing names of Peers and Justices of Peace who subscribed", National Archives Catalogue Description (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/7d14f6a1-1c82-4bbc-963a-39a4366a29b6 : Accessed 8 Feb 2022), Signatures of members of the parish of Shearsby, QS115/19; Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland.
2. ↑ "Loyal Declarations, 1819 And 1820", Record office for Leicestershire, leicester and Rutland Archive Catalogue ( http://record-office-catalogue.leics.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=QS%2f115&pos=9  : Accessed 8 Feb 2022), Signatures of members of the parish of Shearsby, QS115/19; Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland.