Part 13 (1/2)
”Orate pro anima,” or ”of your charite pray for the soul of ----” were usual inscriptions.
It is somewhat difficult for the unpractised eye to read inscriptions on bra.s.ses, owing to the contractions and omissions of letters. Thus _m_ and _n_ are often omitted, and a line is placed over the adjoining letter to indicate the omission. Thus a=ia stands for _anima_, leg=u for _legum_. The letter _r_ is also left out. Z stands for _que_, and there are many other contractions, such as D=ns for _Dominus_, D=s for _Deus_, E=ps for _Episcopus_, g=ia for _gratia_, m=ia for _misericordia_, and many others.
The study of the emblems and devices is full of interest. Of ecclesiastical emblems we have the symbols of the Holy Trinity--G.o.d the Father represented as an aged person, holding a crucifix on which the dove, an emblem of the Holy Spirit, is alighting--representations of our Lord, angels, saints,[5] evangelists, the fylfot cross, roses, and figures of Death. Sometimes the figure on the bra.s.s holds a heart in his hand, which indicates a response on the part of the deceased to the old invitatory ”Sursum corda.”
The armorial bearings of the deceased are usually represented on bra.s.ses, and also personal or professional devices. The founders of churches hold representations in miniature of the churches which they founded. Bishops and abbots have a pastoral staff; priests, a chalice, or a book; wool merchants have woolpacks beneath their feet, and other tradesmen have similar devices denoting their special calling.
Merchants' marks also frequently appear; and the mediaeval taste for punning is shown by frequent rebuses formed on the names of the deceased, _e.g._ a peac.o.c.k, for one named Pec.o.k; a fox, for a Foxley; four tuns and a cross, for Master Croston.
England may well be proud of the bra.s.s memorials of her worthy sons and daughters. It is, however, terribly sad to see the destruction which fanatical and greedy folk have wrought on these beautiful monuments.
As we have already noticed, the spoliators of the Reformation period accomplished much wanton destruction, and removed tombs ”for greedinesse of the bra.s.se.” Cromwell's soldiers and commissioners did a vast deal more damage, violating sepulchres and monuments, and destroying bra.s.ses everywhere. A third cause of the defacement and loss of these valuable memorials has been the gross carelessness of churchwardens and inc.u.mbents, who during any alterations or restoration of their churches have allowed them to be sold, destroyed, or appropriated by the builders. Truly we have entered upon a diminished inheritance. It behoves us to preserve with the utmost vigilance and care the memorials which fanaticism, greed, and carelessness have spared.
[5] The following are the princ.i.p.al emblems of the Apostles:-- St. Andrew, a cross saltier; St. Bartholomew, a knife; St. James the Great, a pilgrim's staff, wallet, escallop sh.e.l.l; St. James the Less, a fuller's bat, or saw; St. John, a chalice and serpent; St. Jude, a boat in his hand, or a club; St. Matthew, a club, carpenter's square, or money-box; St. Matthias, a hatchet, battle-axe, or sword; St. Paul, a sword; St. Peter, keys; St. Philip, a tau cross, or a spear; St. Simon, fishes; St. Thomas, an arrow or spear.
CHAPTER XVII
THE PARISH CHEST
Contents of the parish chest--Parish registers--Effect of Civil War-- Burials in woollen--”Not worth 600”--Care bestowed upon registers-- Curious entries--Astrology--Gipsies--Jester--Heart-burial--Plagues--Royal visits--Licences for eating flesh, for to be touched for king's evil-- Carelessness of custody of registers--Churchwardens' account books--Their value--Curious entries--Sports and pastimes--Paschall money--Brief books--Strange entries in registers and account books--Dog-whippers-- King's evil--Treating bishops and poor scholars of Oxford.
The parish chest in the vestry usually contains many doc.u.ments, which are of profound interest to the student of village antiquities. It contains the old churchwardens' account books, the parish registers, lists of briefs, and often many other papers and records which bear on the history of the parish. The old register books record the names of past generations of villagers, and many curious facts about the parish and its people, which are not found in the dull dry columns of our modern books.
Parish registers were first ordered by Thomas Cromwell in the year 1538, and from that date many of our registers begin.[6] But all vicars did not obey the injunctions of Viceregent Cromwell; they were renewed by Edward VI. in 1547 and by Queen Elizabeth in 1559, and most of our old register books begin with this date. James I. ordered that the registers should be written over again in a parchment book, the entries previously having been recorded on paper. Hence many of our books, although they begin with the year 1538, are really copies of the paper records made previous to 1603.
The disturbances of the Civil War period caused much neglect in the keeping of the registers. The inc.u.mbent was often driven away from his flock, and parish registrars were chosen by the paris.h.i.+oners and approved and sworn before a justice of the peace. Here is a record of this business taken from the books of this parish:--
”Whereas Robtr Williams of the prish of Barkham in the County of Berks was elected and chosen by the inhabitants of the same prish to be there prish Register, he therefore ye sd Ro: Wms was approved and sworne this sixteenth day of November 1653. Ri: Bigg, J.P.”
Henceforth the children are registered as having been _born_, not _baptised_, until the Restoration brought back the clergyman to his flock again, and the entries are written in a scholarly hand, and the disorder of the previous years ceases.
In 1679 an Act was pa.s.sed requiring that the dead should be buried in woollen, the purpose being to lessen ”the importation of linen from beyond the seas, and the encouragement of the woollen and paper manufacturers of this kingdom.” A penalty of 5 was inflicted for a violation of this Act; and as frequently people preferred to be buried in linen, a record of the fine appears--_e.g._ at Gayton, Northamptons.h.i.+re, where we find in the register--
”1708. Mrs. Dorothy Bellingham was buryed April 5, in _Linnen_, and the forfeiture of the Act payd fifty s.h.i.+llings to ye informer and fifty s.h.i.+llings to ye poor of the parishe.”
Pope wrote the following lines on the burial of Mrs. Oldfield, the actress, with reference to this custom:--
”Odious! in woollen! 'twould _a_ saint provoke (Were the last words that poor Narcissa spoke); No, let a charming chintz and Brussels lace Wrap my cold limbs, and shade my lifeless face.”
Sometimes after the name in the register is added the words, ”Not worth 600.” This refers to the Act of William III. in 1694, which required that all persons baptised, married, or buried, having an estate of that value, should pay a tax of twenty s.h.i.+llings. The money was required for carrying on the war with France, and the Act was in force for five years. This description of the personal estate was not intended to be invidious, but was of practical utility in enforcing the Act.
The parish registers reflect with wonderful accuracy the life of the people, and are most valuable to the student of history. Clergymen took great pride in recording ”the short and simple annals of the poor.” A Gloucesters.h.i.+re rector (1630 A.D.) wrote in his book the following good advice which might with advantage be taken in many other villages:--
”If you will have this Book last, bee sure to aire it att the fier, or in the Sunne, three or four times a yeare--els it will grow dankish and rott, therefore look to it. It will not be amisse when you find it dankish to wipe over the leaves with a dry wollen cloth. This Place is very much subject to dankishness; therefore I say looke to it.”
A study of the curious entries which we occasionally find conveys much remarkable information. Sometimes, in the days of astrology, in order to a.s.sist in casting the nativity, it is recorded that at the time of the child's birth ”the sun was in Libra,” or ”in Taurus.” Gipsies were evidently numerous in the sixteenth century, as we constantly find references to ”the roguish AEgyptians.” The domestic jester finds his record in the entry: ”1580. March 21, William, fool to my Lady Jerningham.” The suicide is ”infamously buried.” Heart-burial is often recorded, as at Wooburn, Bucks: ”1700. Cadaver Edi Thomas, equitis aurati, hic inhumatum fuit vicessimo tertio die Junii.”
Records of the visitations of the plague are very numerous in all parts of England, as at Egglescliffe, Durham: ”1644. In this year there died of the plague in this towne one and twenty people; they are not all buried in the churchyard, and are not in the Register.” Sometimes ma.s.ses of human bones are found buried in fields outside towns and villages, memorials of this devastating plague.
Parish clerks have not always had very musical voices when they shout out the ”Amens.” The Rector of Buxted, Suss.e.x (1666 A.D.), records with a sigh of relief the death of his old clerk, ”whose melody warbled forth as if he had been thumped on the back with a stone.”