Part 13 (2/2)

Sometimes royal visits to the neighbourhood are recorded, even a royal hunt, as when James I. hunted the hare at Fordham, Cambridges.h.i.+re. The register of Wolverton gives ”a license for eating flesh on prohibited days granted to Sir Tho. Temple, on paying 13s. 4d.” Storms, earthquakes, and floods are described; and records of certificates granted to persons to go before the king to be touched for the disease called the king's evil.

The Civil War is frequently mentioned, and also caused the omission of many entries. At Tarporley, Ches.h.i.+re, there is a break from 1643 to 1648, for which the rector thus accounts:--

”This intermission hapned by reason of the great wars obliterating memorials, wasting fortunes, and slaughtering persons of all sorts.”

Parish registers have fared ill and suffered much from the gross carelessness of their custodians. We read of the early books of Christ Church, Hants, being converted into kettle-holders by the curate's wife.

Many have been sold as waste paper, pages ruthlessly cut out, and village schoolbooks covered with the leaves of old registers. The historian of Leicesters.h.i.+re writes of the register of Sc.r.a.ptoft:--

”It has not been a plaything for young pointers--it has not occupied a bacon scratch, or a bread and cheese cupboard--it has not been scribbled on within and without; but it has been treasured ever since 1538, to the honour of a succession of worthy clergymen.”--_O si sic omnes_!

The churchwardens' account books are even of greater value to the student of history than the registers, priceless as the latter are for genealogical purposes. The Bishop of Oxford states that ”in the old account books and minute books of the churchwardens in town and country we possess a very large but very perishable and rapidly peris.h.i.+ng treasury of information on matters the very remembrance of which is pa.s.sing away, although their practical bearing on the development of the system of local government is indisputable, and is occasionally brought conspicuously before the eye of the people by quaint survivals.... It is well that such materials for the ill.u.s.tration of this economic history as have real value should be preserved in print; and that the customs which they ill.u.s.trate should be reclaimed by History from the misty region of folklore, whilst they can.” Many of these account books date from pre-Reformation times, and disclose the changes which took place in the fabric of our churches, the removal of roods and other ecclesiastical furniture, during the Reformation. They are usually kept with great exactness, and contain an accurate record of the receipts and expenditure for each year. Some of the entries are very curious, and relate to the sports and pastimes of our ancestors, the mystery plays, and church ales, which were all under the patronage of the churchwardens. The proceeds of these entertainments were devoted to the maintenance of the church, and were included in the accounts, as well as the necessary cost of the merry diversions. Thus in the books of St. Lawrence's Church, Reading, we find such items as the following:--

s. d.

”1499. Paid for a coat for Robin Hood 5 4 ” for a supper to Robin Hood and his company 1 6 ” for making the church clean against the day of drinking in the said church 4”

”1531. Paid for five ells of canva.s.s for a coat for Maid Marian 1 6-1/4”

”Bells for the Morris dancers,” ”liveries and coats,” ”bread and ale,”

”horse-meat of the horses for the kings of Colen on May Day,” are some of the items which appear in these books.

Another book tells us about the ”Gatherings” at Hock-tide, when on one day the men stopped the women, and on the next the women the men, and refused to let them go until they gave money. The women always succeeded in collecting the most money.

s. d.

”It'm. receyved of the men's gatherynge 7 3 ” ” ” women's gatherynge 37 5”

Traces of this custom are still found in many country places. The practice of ”hocking” at Hungerford and ”lifting” in Lancas.h.i.+re subsist still, but the money collected is no longer devoted to any pious uses.

The item ”Paschall money at Easter” frequently occurs. This was originally a collection for the Paschal taper, which burned before the high altar at Eastertide. When, in the reign of Elizabeth, the taper was no longer used, the money was devoted to buying the bread and the wine for the Easter Communion. Another item which often appears is a payment of ”Smoke farthings” to the bishop of the diocese at his Visitation Court. This is another name for Peter's pence, formerly given to the Pope. In the accounts of Minchinhampton we find the entry under the year 1576: ”For Pentecost money, otherwyse peter pence, sometyme payed to Antecryst of Rome xvi'd.” After the Reformation the tax was collected, but given to the bishop.

There are very many other points of interest which a study of the churchwardens' books presents. In more recent times we find constant payments for the slaughter of sparrows, and many other items which scarcely come under the head of ecclesiastical charges.[7] But of course the vestry was then the council chamber of the parish, which managed all the temporal affairs of the village community. Possibly, in these days of Poor Law Unions, District and County Councils, our affairs may be managed better; but there is much to be said in favour of the older system, and Parish Councils are not much of an improvement on the old vestries.

Another book which our parish chest contains is the Brief Book. Briefs were royal letters which were sent to the clergy directing that collections be made for certain objects. These were very numerous and varied. The building of St. Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire, a fire at Drury Lane Theatre, rebuilding of churches, the redemption of English slaves taken by pirates, the construction of harbours in Scotland, losses by hail, floods, French refugees, Reformed Episcopal churches in Great Poland and Polish Prussia, Protestants in Copenhagen, loss by fire, colleges in Philadelphia--these and many other objects were commended to the liberality of Churchmen. The sums collected were usually very small, and Pepys wrote in his _Diary_, June 30th, 1661:--

”To church, when we observe the trade of briefs is come now up to so constant a course every Sunday that we resolve to give no more to them.”

The granting of briefs gave rise to much abuse, and they were finally abolished by the advice of Lord Palmerston.

The contents of the parish chest afford an unlimited ma.s.s of material for those who love to study the curious customs of our forefathers and their strange usages. Here is a record of a much-married person:--

”Mary Blewitt, ye wife of nine husbands successively, buried eight of ym, but last of all ye woman dy'd and was buried, May 7th 1681.”

In the margin of the register is written, ”This was her funeral text.”

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