p'ishioners of ye p'ish of St. Nicholas did goe ye
perambulacon, and did remarke ye p'ticular places and bounds of
ye said p'ish, viz., from the church to Mr. Stirrop's parlour
window in Angel Lane, over against a stone in Mr. Savage's
wall, from thence back again round by the Cross to Mrs.
Powell's house, widd., now inhabited by Nichs. Nash, mercer, at
the hithermost part of the shop where the ground-sill of the
house will show an old passage or dore case, at which place
there was formerly an entry, and the p'ishioners in ye yeares
'61-2-3 and 4 did passe throw ye said entry, at which time one
Mrs. Cooksey lived there, to Mr. Huntbatche's, farther parte
of ye house, then to that parte of ye house next the Crosse,
being the back parte of Mr. Millington's house, then to the
hithermost parte of the White Harte, then down the Trinity to
the marke in a wall neare ye old goale, from thence throw Mr.
Blurton's garden, then to the joynt in Mr. Blurton's malthouse,
then up Sansonie Field from that joynt, and soe throw to ye
liberty post, then downe ye Salt Lane to the stile at Marten's
workehouse and soe back to the church."
Besides the large sums spent on the processioning day, the day of
accounts, the election of officers, and assessing the rolls, charges
were constantly made which would sound oddly enough in the ears of
the present generation, for even services in the cause of charity
and religion were not deemed complete without the unction of large
quantities of drink swallowed at the parish expense. Here are specimens:
1687.--"Spent at the Ffish after the French Protestants' money
was gathered," 6s. 8d.
"Ditto, ditto, when the money was paid in," 2s. 4d.
"Spent at Ffish with severall p'ishioners abt ye comandments,"
1s. 6d.
Among other curious sources of expenditure are the following: /#
1681. "Paid Mr. Lea for howsling pence (or huslinge money, as it is
elsewhere called), 11d."
This probably means what is now called Sacrament-money. Howsel, an
ancient name for bread, was in former times applied to the sacrament of
the eucharist, as before the Protestant Reformation the sacrament of
both kinds was restricted to the clergy, and the sacramental cup was
forbidden to the laity. In the certificates of colleges and chantries
for Worcestershire, 2 Edward VI, the persons who received the holy
communion are called "howsling people"; and in the line in Hamlet,
where the Danish prince, after complaining that his father had been
sent out of the world before his time, adds--
"With all his imperfections on his head,
_Unhouselled_, unanointed, unannealed,"
he evidently means that his royal sire had not received the last
offices of religion; "unhouselled" meaning that he had not received the
sacrament of the eucharist; "unanointed" that he had not received the
Roman Catholic sacrament of extreme unction; "unannealed," or as it
should be _unanknelled_, that he had not had the passing bell tolled
for him as he was dying, to cause all pious Christians to pray for his
soul.
1679.--"For a warrant to take the names of the Papists," 6d.
This was probably in consequence of the excitement following the
discovery of Titus Oates's Popish plot.
A subsequent allusion to the Romanists occurs many years afterwards,
when it was "agreed that Papist Franks' child be put on the roll," as
though it had been a matter of grave deliberation first. I suppose
this means, that belonging to Popish parents precluded children from
the benefit of being put on the rolls for parochial relief, but that
after some discussion this single case (perhaps a pressing one of
destitution) was admitted.
1682.--"For paceboard for the excomunicated p'sons," 4d.
1683.--"Charges of the excomunication," £6. 10s.
The above charges were probably for a list of Papists and others who
had been excommunicated in the Ecclesiastical Court here, and which
list was fixed to the church door. Excommunication may still in some
cases form part of the sentence of our ecclesiastical courts, but is
now regulated by the statute 53 George III, chap. 127.
The most recent remarkable instance of excommunication was that of
the celebrated Mr. Michael Scales, who, in Trinity Term, 1829, was
excommunicated for brawling in the church of St. Mary, Stratford
Bow, in the county of Middlesex; and in this case Dr. Lushington, in
delivering judgment said, "In the year 1813 an act was passed effecting
an alteration by changing the punishment annexed to the penalty of
excommunication; the court, however, is not released from passing a
sentence of excommunication, but the consequences of that sentence
are very different from what they were before the passing of the 53
George III, chap. 127. Since the passing of that statute the ancient
punishment of excommunication is taken away--the person excommunicated
incurs no civil penalties except such imprisonment as the court, in the
exercise of its discretion, may think proper to direct, not exceeding
six months."
Mr. Scales was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, but the King's
Advocate (Sir Herbert Jenner Fust) said that he would rest contented
with the sentence of the court without proceeding to enforce its
further execution.
A full account of this case will be found in Dr. Haggard's "Consistory
Reports," vol. ii, p. 566. /#
1691.--"Spent at 2 ffaires for the arresting of Wormington and
p'cureing a bond," 18s. 8d.
1693.--"Paid for the prayers for their ma'ties fleete," 6d.
This was probably during an expedition of William III against France.
1703.--"Paid Mr. Cook for printing his sermon," £4. 15s.
1708.--"Ordered (in December) that £5 be paid to Mr. Taylor,
the curate, for preaching a sermon every sacrament day in the
afternoon since Easter last."
1720.--"Paid for the use of a pillion," 1s. 6d.
"For a litter from Oxon," 2-1/2d.
Rosemary and bayes were very regularly distributed about the church at
Christmas. The bread for the communion for the whole year 1678 amounted
to but 1s.; the wine, £1. 5s. 6d. Money collected at the communion in
1680, about £2, in seven collections. In 1684--bread, 3s. 6d.; wine,
£4. 14s. 7d. Mr. Stephen Ashby, in 1737, "gave 20s. to the rector for
preaching a sermon on Good Friday, suitable to the great subject of
the day; and it is desired that the inhabitants of St. Swithin's may
have liberty to attend the service and sermon, and that the blessed
sacrament of the Lord's Supper may be administered that day, if there
shall be a sufficient number of communicants." An inventory of the
furniture belonging to the church in 1680 included "one English Bible,
eleven service books, a book of homilies, Paraphrase of Erasmus, one
book Jewell's works, one book called Musculus, one book of the Whole
Duty of Man [two years previously three books of the Whole Duty of Man
were entered as having been given to the parish], four books given by
Mr. Griffith, the rector, being the Companion to the Temple, two parts,
the Companion to the Altar, and the Occasional Office of Matrimony, a
book of cannons, a book concerninge God and the Kinge," besides books
for the poor, communion plate, green carpet, &c. A charge of 1s. 8d.
for chaines and staples for the books in the church was made about the
same time. In the year 1680 an old vestry order was revived, "That the
clerk should buy and maynteyne sufficient ropes whenever required,
and to have the benefit of the ringing the bells." The clerk was also
discharged from keeping the clock, and it was ordered that some skilful
person should be chosen for the purpose and paid 20s. yearly; but some
twenty years after that a much more economical arrangement was made
with one John Cox, who was paid 25s. "for mending the clock, upon
his promise to keep it in order 21 years at 5s. a year." A new ring
of bells for this church was cast at Bromsgrove in 1715. Patching up
the old church was a frequent source of great outlay for some years
before it was determined to build a new one. In 1682 the "pillar near
the great door" being much decayed, and endangering the structure,
and other repairs being needed, they were ordered to be done. I find
that the cost of 400 tiles was 6s. 8d., 20 bushels of hair 6s. 8d.,
400 Wyer brick 6s. 8d., 5 loads of sand 7s. 6d., eight loads of stone
(from Ombersley) £2, lime 5d. a bushel; the workmen generally had 1s. a
day, while others had more or less. Green flannel was bought for "the
48 seats," (the corporation), and red tape to be nailed on it. Three
years afterwards an order was made to repair the church again at a cost
of £150, and two men named Allibone and Pascall "to have ye job," Mr.
Emes to give security for its proper performance. Malt was bought to
make drink for the workmen. Three and a half yards of damask for the
communion table were then charged £1. 2s. 9d. Next year the chancel was
out of order, and a buttress was put up. In 1690 the steeple underwent
reparation. Then it was found that the accommodation of the church was
not sufficient, and in 1697 it was ordered, "That my Lord Bishopp be
waited upon by the minister to desier his fyatt for the building a
new gallery." The four front seats of this gallery were "put in order
and matted fitt for ye gentlewomen to sit in." Only two years elapsed
when the old vestry was ordered "to be taken down and removed to next
pillar, and to be put in decent order for the parishioners to meet on
all parish accounts." Then, in 1707, a new gallery was ordered to be
erected under the west window, "in the most decent and workmanlike
manner that can be found out and advised by able workmen, and that
the pulpit, seats, and font, be removed and made more convenient." At
length the old fabric was found not to be worth any further outlay,
and it was pulled down in 1728. The vestry meetings were then held in
the Berkeley chapel, also at several inns and private houses. [The
Hop-pole is first mentioned in 1742, and the Star and Garter in 1748.
Mr. G. Woodcock was the landlord of the former, and Mr. William Dyer
of the latter.] The trustees appointed under the act for taking down
and rebuilding the church were Mr. Thomas, Mr. Weston, Alderman Weston,
Martin Sandys, Alderman Vaughan, Alderman Floyer, Mr. Hayles, Mr. John
Nichols, Mr. Ashby, Mr. Mence, Alderman Hopkins, Dr. B. Purshall, and
the churchwardens. Captain Wingfield, Mr. Sambach, and Mr. Garway, were
afterwards chosen trustees to act with the others in carrying on the
building. It was ordered that all gifts to the parish should be paid
to the treasurer of the trustees, and the parish to pay the interest
as directed by the wills of the respective donors. [I mention this in
consequence of the bearing it has on a recent church-rate discussion
here.] When the trustees should be reduced to thirty, any nine of the
survivors were to fill up the number. Sums were borrowed at common
interest and others as annuities, and heavy rates were levied. Great
difficulty was experienced in raising the amount, the whole expense of
the church being £3,345. It was ordered to prosecute all defaulters
in the Ecclesiastical Court, except Quakers, who were to be brought
before the magistrates; and among other modes of raising funds were the
following: Alderman Weston gave £20 for a seat under the south window
next the tower; Mr. Sandys and Mr. Mence £100 each for having conveyed
and assured to them the two galleries on each side of the tower; and
an order was made that the £20 given by Mr. Ashby for preaching a
sermon on Good Friday be laid out on building a wall and enclosing the
churchyard. The first vestry was held in the new church in 1730, when
it was ordered that the seats should have numbers or figures put on
them; "the persons to sit in them according to their weekly payments
to the poor; and if any one should sit in a seat above his weekly pay
he or she shall be immediately charged according to the figure on the
seat."
The Salt Market was held in the parish of St. Nicholas. At a parish
meeting in 1792 it was agreed "That whereas there is a stage erected
before the Salt Market, to the great prejudice and forestalling of
the p'ish tenants, who pay considerable rents to the use of the poor
of St. Nicholas, that all and every person," &c., should be proceeded
against as counsel should advise. The site of the Salt Market was what
is now the garden in front of the rectory house, close by the church.
There was a stonemason's yard behind, and in the rear of that yard was
a house which, by the addition of a new front, has been converted into
the present rectory. Mr. Young, who is now living at the age of about
eighty-three, informs me that he can recollect a man regularly selling
salt at a small open shop or stall on the site in question. Three or
four centuries ago the Salt Market was at "the well of Allhallow,"
near All Saints' church. In 1692 the parishioners were "p'sented for
ye repaire of the way from Foregate to the Pound, in St. Martin's,
lying near the town ditch," which had hitherto been repaired by the
inhabitants living there, or else by the chamberlain of the city, the
churchwardens therefore were instructed to litigate the point, and no
further entry occurs on the subject. There was also much disputation
about some property in the Butts, and at length "Wm. Lygon, Esq.,
John Price, chancellor, James Nash, of Martley, gentleman, and John
Appletree, Esq., were requested to be arbitrators for the parish in a
matter between ye p'ishioners and Mary Solley, widow, concerning the
retakeing of the gravel butts and setting forth ye said butts and ye
boundaries thereof." In 1770 a lease of "the rector's ten tenements at
the bottom of Gaol Lane" was granted for fifty years, at a rental of
£21. 10s., for a workhouse. This Gaol Lane was the present Nicholas
Street, where also were several almshouses, repaired by the parish. The
lane led to the old city gaol, which was situate on the site of the
gardens and property now belonging to the Avenue House (Mr. Powell's)
and cottages adjacent in Trinity Gardens. The entrance to the old gaol
was near the premises in St. Nicholas Street, till recently occupied
as a savings-bank. St. Nicholas Street--now the principal thoroughfare
to and from the railway station--was at that time no street at all,
there being no outlet to Lowesmoor except for foot passengers, who had
to go through a narrow entry with turnstile. A public house called the
Dolphin stretched across the street from the present police station
to the point where Mr. Finch's house now stands, and the entry was
at the left of that public house, close adjoining Mr. Finch's. The
last house which then stood in the lane is still in existence, being
occupied by a broker. Its old doorway and timbers speak for themselves.
Mr. Finch's premises were then a workshop and timber-yard belonging
to a Mr. Powell. The ten tenements above alluded to, as belonging to
the rector, were on the opposite side of the lane, and were probably
used as a parish workhouse only from 1770 till the building of the
present House of Industry, about twenty years later. These tenements
are now about to be sold, under an act passed a few years ago, enabling
incumbents to sell dilapidated property for its _bona fide_ value, the
proceeds to be deposited in Queen Anne's Bounty fund, and the annual
value to be paid to the incumbent. The cattle market was held in Gaol
Lane within the recollection of aged persons now living. A by-law
was made in the time of Henry VII, setting forth that, as the cattle
market in Broad Street was a great annoyance, thenceforth the Welsh
cattle should be brought to Dolday, and English cattle to Anger (Angel)
Lane, and to the "old gayle." The garden and butter markets were also
formerly held in front of St. Nicholas' church, having been removed
thither from All Hallows Well. A great part of the area in front of
St. Nicholas' church is consecrated ground, the boundary being still
defined by a line of pavement. At the corner of the churchyard the
old watchman's box was formerly placed. Richard Hill, the late beadle
of St. Nicholas church, had the honour of being the "last man" of the
ancient dynasty of Charleys in this city. He received a concussion
of the brain in a night assault, but after lying by for some time he
recovered and became beadle of the church. The first mention of public
lamps in the churchwardens' books is in 1698; when it was ordered "Yt
the lamps in the parish, and to be putt up in the parish, be fedd with
oyle, and trimmed and cleaned at the charge of the parish, and that the
churchwardens doe take care to have them lighted all dark nights in the
winter season." Mention of a Sunday school is made in 1786, when it was
agreed that the expense of it should be paid out of the money collected
for the poor, and a committee was appointed to manage the affairs of
the school. [I find that Sunday schools were ordered to be established
as early as 1570, by the Council of Malines.] Present rector of St.
Nicholas, the Rev. W. H. Havergal; churchwardens, Mr. F. Shrimpton and
Mr. T. B. Burrow. Population in 1851, 2030.
St. Peter's.
The oldest register now in this church commences with 1686; but this
book is No. 2, and it is written at the commencement that "No. 1
contains entries from 1560 to 1686." No. 1 is, however, missing. In
the early part of the eighteenth century, the entries of the births of
dissenters' children are placed apart by themselves, as in some other
registers which I have inspected. The spirit which dictated this is,
unhappily, not yet defunct amongst us. There is an entry in 1716 of the
name of "Gibbon, son of Mr. G. Bagnall," who was probably a descendant
of that loyal gentleman who facilitated the escape of Charles II from
the battle of Worcester by lending him his horse when the king was
nearly captured in Sidbury. Several instances of adult baptism are
recorded here, among which is the following: "Rebecka Nicholas, aged
23, born and bred a Quaker, was baptised Sep. 3, 1759." Not a few names
are to be met with, both in the registers and churchwardens' books a
century or one hundred and fifty years or more ago, which are still
familiar in the parish--such as Burlingham, Gorle, Jenkins, Darke, John
Dent, Daniel George, Luke Wells, Coney, Hartwright, Hickman, Roger
Moore, Luke Lench, &c. It is probable that many of the poor fishermen's
families here have been identified with the parish for a succession of
several centuries, and in particular the name of one of them (Leonard
Darke) seems never to have been missing, as far back as the records
go. No doubt, among these humble followers of a calling which has been
handed down from father to son for many generations, as also with
innumerable instances of agriculturists, if they possessed the ambition
or the means, they might trace as ancient if not as distinguished a
pedigree as any Norman or Saxon lord of the soil.
A few notes from the churchwardens' books will suffice. The oldest
of them now to be found begins with the year 1739, and the next with
1770. In the latter, one Charles Geary exhibits his anxiety to acquaint
posterity with the fact that the holding a churchwardenship is not
incompatible with the loftier aspirations of the poetic muse, thus--
"I bought this book,
And in him the p'ishoners may look
And thear they may see
That he
Was bought by me,
Charles Geary."
On the cover of the same book is the following memorandum:
"I have perused the pleadings in a case between John Berkeley,
Esq., plaintiff, and John Sparrow and Thomas Butler,
churchwardens of St. Peter's, defendants, and find that the
inhabitants, owners, and possessors of lands and tenements
within the chapelry of Whittington, in the said parish, are,
by the verdict given in the said cause, to pay one fourth part
only of all levies and charges for repairing of the said parish
church of St. Peter's and the ornaments thereof, and also one
fourth of all charges for bread and wine used at the communion
there.--John Farmer. July 4, 1752."
Among the charges pertaining to the church, in the same year, a new
clock and dial, three feet square, by Mr. John Steight, cost £13.
10s.; and three years afterwards the vestry made an order to "buy
a new pulpit of the Dean and Chapter for eight guineas, that they
had lately made and was not then in use." No such heavy expenses
were incurred in this parish as in St. Nicholas's for perambulation
purposes or other feasting, and indeed the scale of the disbursements
generally betokened St. Peter's to be much the poorer parish of the
two. £3. 9s. was charged in 1761 for "going the bounds." In 1774, I
find that the turnpikes to Feckenham cost 3d. for a horse; hire of the
animal, 2s.; hay and corn, 6d.; dinner and drink for the rider, 1s.
6d. The lamps first put up in this parish were under the care of the
churchwardens, who were ordered to appoint a person to trim them. Mr.
Nathaniel Wilkinson--who has been rendered famous by his erection of
the beautiful spire of St. Andrew's church--was an inhabitant of St.
Peter's; and in 1750 I find an order that Mr. Wilkinson's accounts
should be examined, "and if he do not submit them for inspection an
attorney be employed." It ever seems the fate of genius to contend with
pecuniary difficulties.
I now come to the management of the poor. As in all other parishes to
whose records I have had access, the greatest vigilance was exercised
to pass on tramps and get rid of paupers, especially that class of
females who evidently contemplated an increase of the population, and
these are invariably designated by a term which will not exactly suit
the fastidious readers of the nineteenth century. In 1739 Leonard
Darke is ordered "to have the badche (badge) put upon his sleeve as
the act of Parliament directs, before the churchwarden relieves him
or his wife; and that all other people that receive reliefe from
the parish be obliged to wear the badge." In the same year--"Paid
to gett a stranger out of the parish troubled with fitts, 1s." In
1746--"Ordered that the churchwardens do agree with the London carryer
in the best manner that he can to take Ann Nelson back to Christ Church
parish in London, from which she was sent by a pass directed to the
churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the city of Worcester." See
how the authorities of those days enforced seducers to make the _amende
honourable_:
1780.--"Paid to Ann Williams, examination and oath relative to
her parish, 2s.
"Her examination and oath touching the father of the child, 2s.
"A warrant to apprehend the father, and expenses of constables
and assistants in taking him, £1. 18s.
"Paid for the ring, 4s.
"Licence, £1. 8s.
"Pd parson, clerk, and sexton, 8s.
"For the wedding dinner and drink, 11s. 6d."
There was no middle way left for this description of sinner but a long
incarceration in gaol or a procession to the hymeneal altar in company
with her whom he had outraged. The prospect of the gratuitous "dinner
and drink" no doubt decided the point. Lunatics were treated in an
equally characteristic manner.
1753.--"Paid for necessaries for Rd. Strayne, 1s. 6d.
"Two hopsacks for a bedtick for him, 3s. 4d.
"Straw for him, 6d.
"A nurse to look to him, 1s. 6d.
"Paid a man to help to chain him, with expenses, 3s.
"Two staples, a chain, and a lock, 8d."