Archbishop of Canterbury, interesting, though trivial, as applicable to
the affairs of Worcester Cathedral.
"May it please your Grace,--Tandem aliquando I present your
grace with all the papers that make (and as with humble
submission, I conceive) are requisite in Mr. Deane of
Worcester's defence against Mr. Hathaway's pretences and
allegations about the choire organ made and fixt, and the
great organ to be made, but now bargained for. And the reason
I sent these papers up no sooner was my longing hope and
endeavour to have made Mr. George Dallow's testimonie more
pregnant and evident touching the promise of Hathaway and Dr.
Gibbons to help him to this organ-worke at Worcester, but,
to my satisfaction, there is more than probabilitie there
had been monie enough to have satisfied Gibbons and Hathaway
and Talbott, had it been in the Deane's power to have made
a bargain, they well knew Mr. Deane's (Dr. Warmstrey) utter
ignorance in re musica. They knew he was, as it is in the Greek
proverbe, #onos pros lyran#, had no more skill in an organ than
a beast that hath no understanding, and 'tis very considerable
that Hathaway should dare to addresse a complaint at Council
Board, when for above a whole yeare, Mr. Deane having forbidden
him to proceede to the worke of the great organ, he never
applied himselfe neither to Mr. Deane nor to the Chapter, nor
to the Visitor, continuing his visitacion for nine months at
least, no complaint all this while ever heard of, and for ye
materials provided it signifies nothing, unlesse it did appeare
they were provided for this organ, when soone after he had
made the choire organ he was forbidden to proceed any farther.
With Mr. Harrison (who was old Dallow's servant and married
his daughter) I twice conferred about his testimonie, and he
told me he would make good all he said upon oath, and make it
good to all the organists in England, and if your grace shall
secretly object, old Hesiod's testimonie in ye case, #kai
kêramius kêramei phthoneuei#, an artist malignes his brother
artist. I rely very much on Mr. Tomkin's skill, bred in his
cradle and all his life among organs, who is an excellent
organist, and has ever maintained an organ in his house, his
letter will show what his judgment was before this difference
was started. Little reason have I had to interpose in the least
in Mr. Deane's case, but I cannot forbear to stand up for
innocence, though joyned with much follie. I have returned a
certificate to his Majestie's instructions about hospitalls,
and by the grace of God shall returne a full answer to your
grace's instructions about church affaires in ye due time.
The Lorde in the meane time preserve your grace in health and
safetie and ye comforts of his blessed spirit.
"May it please your grace, I am your grace's most obliged and
most obedient humble servant,
"RO. WIGORN.
"Worcester, Aug. 5, 1665."
The Bishop was cousin of Richard Skynner, of Cofton Hackett, the eldest
son of Edward Skinner, of Ledbury, who purchased that manor for him
from the Dyneley family, upon his marriage with his first wife, Miss
Dyneley; and of Dr. William Skynner, his brother, fellow of All Soul's,
Oxford; 1612, LL.D. March 31; 1625, chancellor of Hereford, April 29,
1626; rector of Beckenham, Kent, 1628; and in 1650 deprived of his
living by the Parliament in favour of John Soter, and never restored,
as he died at Ledbury, 1657, aged 66. This Richard's will showed, by
his selection of his executors, and the course pursued by them in the
Civil Wars, how friendships were broken; two, his brother-in-law, Sir
Edward Lyttleton, Baronet, and Sir Edward Sebright, Baronet, were fined
by Parliament as Royalists, and one was Humphrey Salwey, also married
to a Miss Lyttleton, whom he styles his dear brother Humphrey Salwey,
and whose son sat as one of the judges on the trial of King Charles
I, and was M.P. for Worcestershire in the Long Parliament. A younger
son of the Bishop's, William, was by his father appointed rector of
Hartlebury, and there is a monument to his memory in that church. There
was also another member of the Ledbury family connected with this
county, as having been a member of the Oxford circuit, the Right Hon.
Sir John Skynner, Knight, Lord Chief Baron. He was grandson of Edward
Skynner, of Ledbury, and Margaret, his wife. On the 15th March, 1757,
he was one of the counsel present in court, at the Worcester Assizes,
when, between two and three o'clock, p.m., as Sir Eardly Wilmot began
to sum up in the last cause, a stack of chimneys fell through the roof,
killing many. The counsel then in court, being five in number, saved
themselves under the stout table, and of these, four--Aston, Nares,
Ashurst, and Skynner--after became judges; the fifth dying a king's
counsel. We find traces of this old Ledbury family in this county,
for in Nash's History of Worcestershire, vol. 2, we read that in the
east window of the south aisle of Little Malvern Church are the arms
of John Alcock, who was Bishop of Worcester from 1476 to 1486, and,
in the south part of the same window is written "Orate pro animabus
Roberti Skinner et Isabellæ, uxoris ejus, et filiorum suorum et
filiarum." Richard Skinner, of Cofton, served the office of sheriff
of Worcestershire in the 4th of Charles I (1628), and Edmund Skinner,
of Wichenford, in the 12th George I (1726). The arms of Skinner are
"Sable, a chevron or, between three griffins' heads argent."
DODDINGTREE HUNDRED TWO CENTURIES AGO.
In Sir Thomas Winnington's library at Stanford is a bundle of
manuscripts, being a survey of the parsonages and other church livings
in the Doddingtree hundred of Worcestershire, date 1665, or returns
made to a visitation by order of the Lord Protector Cromwell. These
returns include thirty-three parishes or places, namely, Bockleton,
Pensax, Knighton-on-Teme _alias_ Kington, Lindridge, Alfrick, Suckley,
Little Kyre, Hanley Child, Orleton, Hanley William, Eastham, Tenbury,
Cotheridge, Edwyn Loach, Shelsley Walsh, Lower Sapey, Clifton-on-Teme,
Acton Beauchamp, Great Witley, Shelsley Beauchamp, Abberley _alias_
Abbotsley, Stanford, Kyre Wyard, Aka _alias_ Rock, Bewdley, Ribsford,
Stockton, Martley, Bayton, Mamble, Dodenham, Astley, and Shrawley. As
an abstract of some of the details may be interesting, I here present
them.
The warrant from the Commissioners, dated October 20th of the above
year, required "fower or five sufficient inhabitants of every parrish
to enquier by all good wayes and meanes to finde out the trueth and
worth of the true value, by the yeare, of church lyvinges, and the
qualityes of the severall incumbants," &c. Accordingly the presentments
are signed by constables, churchwardens, and, as it is quaintly
expressed in some instances, by "other knowinge men of the said
parrish." The Commissioners were "the Right Worship'le Edward Pits,
Esq., William Jeffreys, Esq., Nicholas Acton, Esq., John Lathum, Esq.,
Henry James, Gent."
BOCKLETON.--John Barneby, Esq., had recently obtained a lease of the
parsonage house, glebe lands, and tithes, for the lives of his three
sons, paying a yearly rent of £8 for the same to the treasurer of
Hereford Cathedral. Mr. Timothy Harris was curate at £10 a year, paid
by Mr. Barneby. "Hath a very spacious church and seaventy-three houses
and ffamilyes within itt." Tithes worth about £50.
PENSAX.--Church "supplied by Richard Wilkes, minister of gods
holy word, who is an able pracher and doth for the most pte prach
twise every Lords day; and hath for his sallary all the profits
ecclesiasticall yssuing out of Pensax aforesaid wch doth amount unto
eleven pounds p. ann. or thereaboute; and the reason why it is soe
small is; because all the tyeth corne and graine (except home closses)
formerly belonging to the Deane and Chapiter doth not come to the
minister but is leased out to one Henry Pennell worth 20 pounds p. ann.
or there aboute; and as for our minister we are very well contented
wth him and he wth us and doe desire we may continue as we are, and
wee desire the greate tythes may come in for the maintaineance of the
minister when the leasse is expired. Item. Our church is scituate
wth very great conveniency as neere as may be iudged about the midst
of the p'ish where the congregation may come twise in the day in due
and seasonable times to heare Gods word taught and prached and is an
auncient place of buriall; and yf it should be united to any other
church some of our congregation would have two miles and a halfe to the
neerest church to us; or there aboute; and besides we have a populous
congregation insoemuch that our church is very full upon most Lords
dayes; and we have many aged many lame and impotent p'sons of our
congregation; wch (yf our church should be annexed to any other p'ish)
would be deprived of hearing the word of God the spirituall food of
their soules wch is the onely ordinary meanes of salvation."
KNIGHTON.--Chapel appendant to Lindridge; Dean and Chapter of
Worcester, patrons; the tithes which came to the minister's share
were £20 per ann. "Our mynister is Mr. Edward Shawe whoe preacheth
and expoundeth constantly uppon the lords dayes." "The teyth corne
and grayne are leased out to on Maior Inet for a terme yet endurynge
at a c'teyne yearly rent wch goeth to pay augmentacon in this county
as we are informed; the value is aboute thirty pounds a-yeare." "Our
townshipp of Knighton and the villages thereunto belonginge are
distant from Lindridge church about two myles and some pts thereof
three myles and the wayes thereof verry fowle and deepe in the tyme
of wynter neyther is the church of Lyndridge large enough to hould or
conteyne the one half of Knighton and Lindridge prishioners as hath
been heretofore c'tified to the p'liamt[4] by Mr. Jon. Gyles mynister
of Lyndridge and div'rs others p'ishion'rs there. Moreover our chappell
of Knighton hath all p'ochial rytes belonginge unto it and our chappell
is larger then the church of Lyndridge and besydes we have a very
fayre gallary therin. There are also in Knighton above threescore
ffamylies and div'rs of them very aged, And furthermore Knighton by
p'porcon (proportion) is the one half of a towne of oyer, And our
chappell standeth neere aboute the middest of Knighton aforesaid and
therefore we conceave that o'r chappell is fitt to be made a p'ish
church in regard the place is very populous & large as aforesaid, And
therefore we conceave if the teyth of corne and grayne might be annexed
to the said chappell it would be a considerable meanes to mayteyne a
preachinge mynister in regarde it goeth to pay augmentation to other
places."
[4] "Parliament" probably.
LINDRIDGE.--"The Dean and Chapter of Worcester had the presentation
thereof, but now wee know not in whose presentation it is." Mr. John
Gyles present incumbent; "profits" received by him £70 a year.
ALFRICK.--The Lord Protector patron; tithes, great and small, £30.
"Wee p'sent that the cure is carfully supplyed twice ev'y Lords day,
dayes of thanksgiveing and humiliation, by Mr. John Slade, a preaching
minister, and hath from the (now) Incumbent Mr. Litleton for his
sallery xxiv. marks p. ann." Hamlet consisteth of three score and ten
families (beside other) at present uninhabited and most of them being
aged people. "Lastly wee p'sent, that wee have a decree for a resident
minister to bee amongst us." Chapel distant two miles from parish
church.
SUCKLEY.--Lord Protector patron. Tithes, great and small, of Suckley,
Alfrick, and Lulsley, £90. "The cure carefully supplyed twice every
Lord's day, dayes of thanksgiving and humiliation, and that Aufricke
is supplyed we believe with a preachinge minister at the charge of Mr.
Thomas Littellton the now persone." Lulsey by one William Doughty, not
a preaching minister; salary £5 paid by Mr. Littleton.
LITTLE KYRE.--In the gift of Lord Protector, and united to Stoke Bliss;
glebe worth £5; tithes, £10; Edward Russell, incumbent.
HANLEY CHILD.--Sir Gilbert Cornwall patron; glebe worth £4; tithes,
£10. Edward Benson, incumbent.
ORLETON.--Chapel to Eastham; patron, Sir _G._ Cornwall; tithes, £16;
Mr. Benson incumbent, who paid a preaching curate £8 yearly.
HANLEY WILLIAM.--Sir G. Cornwall patron; Mr. Benson incumbent; tithes,
£15. Mr. John Phillips, "an able preacher, doth supply the cure."
Orleton is represented as fit to be united to Hanley William:
EASTHAM.--In gift of Sir G. Cornwall. Glebe and tithes worth £67. 17s.
2d. Minister, Mr. Edward Benson, "an honest man and a preacher of the
gospel." Hanley William, Hanley Child, and Orleton, are chapels. Parish
very populous. Two curates, Mr. John Phillipps, who received £20 for
serving the two Hanleys; Orleton curate, £8; the tenths £3. 8s. 5d.
TENBURY.--Robert Lucy, of Charlcote, patron; Joseph Smith the preaching
minister. "That there is belonginge to the sayd vicar the vicaredge
house and backside, and the churchyard, worth by the year £2;" tithes,
£38. "That there is a p'sonage impropriate, wch was for the most part
soulde by the ancestors of the sayd Robert Lucye long since, and the
rest leased out for lives, worth by the yeare £40." Tithe of corn and
grain in Tenbury town and foreign, and Berrington, which Robert Lucy
received, £50. Rochford, a member of Tenbury church, worth £30.
COTHERIDGE.--Appropriated to William Berkeley, Esq., "who doth hire Mr.
Theophilus Cooke to supply the cure there, who is an able preaching
minister;" salary, £4; tithes, £40.
EDVIN LOACH.--Fitzwilliam Coningsby, Esq., patron; Richard Jay,
minister, "and an able painfull man in his office." Glebe, £5; tithes,
£10. Tedston Wafer is united to Edvin Loach.
SHELSLEY WALSH.--Patron, Thomas Foley, Esq.; Mr. Edward Lane,
incumbent, "who pracheth duely and constantly at convenyent tymes;"
house, glebe, and tithe, £17. 10s.
LOWER SAPEY.--John Cliff, minister and patron; glebe, _£_9; tithes, £30.
CLIFTON-ON-TEME.--This place is called "the borough and parish of
Clifton," it being a place of some importance, and constituted a
borough by Edward III, when it was privileged with fairs (now again
revived, 1855), a weekly market on Thursday, and many other franchises
and immunities, by a charter granted to Mortimer. The house, glebe,
and tithe, worth £26. 6s. 8d. William Jeffreys, Esq., patron. "Also
since the sequestration of Mr. John Greene, the late minister, one
Mr. Samuell Ffiler was by the order of the comittee of the county of
Worcester made minister thereof, who is an able preaching minister, and
Mr. John Hill doth in his absence supply the cure and preacheth duely
every Lords day twice, and receaves the proffitts." Shelsley Walsh
worth £17. 10s., and Sapey Pritchard £39; both fit to be united to
Clifton.
ACTON BEAUCHAMP.--Rectory, endowed with all tithes, and hath glebe.
No chapels annexed; nor any payments but the tenths, being 8s. a year.
W. Berkeley, Esq., patron; Mr. George Fyncher, preaching minister,
who received the profits and dues of tithes, and was also rector
of Thornbury, Herefordshire, of which place, as also of Stanford
(a chapel belonging to Bromyard), he likewise received the profits
and tithes. One Mr. Richard Todd, a young man, was employed by the
rector to preach at each of those places, but what salary the poor
hard-worked curate obtained from the wealthy pluralist the deponents
knew not; "but betweene them both wee at Acton Beachamp aforesayd have
preachinge some tymes in the morninge onely, and nothinge at all in
the eveninge, and some tymes noe excercise in the morning nor eveninge
of the Lords day or dayes of humiliation; but are forced to goe to
other places."--Profits and tithes of Acton Beauchamp worth £37, but
the house greatly decayed. Glebe, £13. "We humbly desier that wee may
not bee constrayned to goe to any other parish or chappell for the
causes aforesaid, and in regard it hath cure of sowles and wee are at
least fower and ffortie familyes, poore, aged, and weake people, and
the soyle very hilley and durtie in the winter tyme and the out side
of Worcester Shire and dioces, and remote from Thornebury aforesayd,
which is in the county and dioces of Hereford, or any other church in
the county or dioces of Worcester. Suckley is the nearest, which is two
miles distant at least from church to church in our estimations."
GREAT WITLEY.--Thomas Russell, Esq., patron; Francis Marshall the "very
able minister for the cure of soules." Living worth £50. No chapel.
The inhabitants of Hilhampton, a hamlet in Hartley parish, had been in
the habit for some years of coming to Witley church on the Lord's day,
burying their dead there, and receiving the sacrament.
SHELSLEY BEAUCHAMP.--A rectory in the patronage of Mr. John Travell,
merchant, of London; incumbent, Mr. Charles Nott. Glebe lands and
tithes, £60, whereof £4 paid yearly to a free school at Stourbridge.
ABBERLEY.--"A rectory in the presentation as we suppose of on Mr.
Joseph Walsh esquier whose ancesters were wont to pr'sent. That our
present minister is on Mr. John Dedicott an able constant preacher of
the word and a man of unblameble life and co'versation." Profits of
the rectory £50, which would be more if the lord of the manor had not
detained some of them. Only an acre of glebe.
STANFORD.--Tithe, glebe, and profits, £30, out of which 16s. 8d. paid
yearly to the vicar of Clifton. Patron, Edward Salwey, Esq.; Thomas
Steadman, incumbent, by whom the cure was "sufficiently served."
KYRE WYARD.--Edward Pytts, Esq., patron. The parsonage is reported to
have "alwaies ben an entire thinge of it selfe and not united unto any
other, beinge distant from any other church one mile and a halfe."
Glebe, £10; tithes, £20. Hugh Thomas, the minister, "preacheth twice
every Lord's day."
ROCK.--Parish is three miles and a half in length and two and a half
in breadth. Tithes, £120; glebe, £8. 6s. 8d. Chapelry of Heighington
belonging to it, which, containing thirty families, it was desired,
should be made a parish of itself. "The p'sent incumbent is Edward
Partington m'r of Artes and minister of the Ghospell hee was p'sented
by the right and title of John Newce, Esq., late lorde of the ma'or of
Rocke. The p'sente patrons (as wee conseave) are Edward Partington,
Clearke, and Charles Cornwalis, Gent. in right of theyre wives Mary
and Edith dawteres and coheires of the said John Newce, Esq. The cure
at Highingeton chappell is supplied by George Boraston m'r of Arte
for w'ch he is allowed by Edward Partington Rector all the tithes
belonging to that hamlet, both small and greate, to the value of £30."
BEWDLEY.--"The presentment or certificate of the constables,
churchwardens and burgesses of the borrough of Bewdley given in ye 7th
Novem. 1655. Wee p'sent and certify yt neere the middle of the towne of
Bewdley afforesad wee have a decent chappell w'ch was heartofore (as
wee are informed) a free chauntery and had revenewes belonging to it,
to the value of £200 p. ann. untill the same was transferred to the
Crowne by Acte of Parliament, made in the raigne of King Edward the
Sixte; since w'ch time the minister of the said chappell hath had an
allowance of eight pounds p. ann. heartofore paied by the Auditors or
Receivors (out of the King's revenue) and now paied out of the Rectory
of Ombersley.
"That the said minnister before the incorporation of the said towne
was elected by the townesmen there, as wee are informed, and since the
incorporation theareof by the Bayliffe and Capital Burgesses. That Mr.
Henry Oseland is our present minnister there in such sorte elected,
who of right can onely claime the said annuity of eight pounds, forth
of w'ch alsoe is deducted and the said minnister is forced to allowe,
for portage and taxes two and twenty shillings and eight pence now by
the yeare, and when assessments are more the disbursement is greater
(besides w'ch) he hath an augmentation of fifty pounds p. ann. graunted
to him soe longe as hee officiats there.
"That the said towne is a populous markett towne, whearein there are
fifteene hundred or more fitt to be taught; that it hath been reputed
to be within the parrish of Ribsford, that the parrish church is
allmost a mile distant from the towne, that Mr. John Borraston is
rector theareof, and hath out of our said borrough to the value of £48.
15s. 8d. p. ann. or thereabouts. And the said Mr. Borraston nor his
predecessors have not given any mainetenance to the minnisters of the
chappell aforesaid, neither have had the choice of the minnisters to yt
place as wee have heard.
"Alsoe we humbly conceive there is a necessity that wee should have
both places continued and minnisters to supply them for these reasons
following:
"1. Because neither of the places will contayne the whole people of the
towne and parrish.
"2. Because of the inconveniences yt a whole towne should goe neare a
mile to the publick ordinance many being aged sicke and weake, when
there is a convenient chappell in the midst of the said towne, that
will contayne most of the people there.
"3. Because the chappell hath had for neare 60 yeares past praching
minnisters successively (as we are credibly informed) And now wee
have in the chappell a very godly man, well affected to the p'sent
government, whom the Lord hath made an instrument to bring in many
soules (wee hope) to Christ.
"4. Because of the greatness of the number of the people the worke of
the minnistery will be too much worke for one man and the incombes of
the p'sonage to little for the maintenance of two minnisters, thearfore
we shall humbly pray that the augmentation of £50 p. ann. alreaddy
graunted with the stipend of £8 p. ann. may be made up a competent
mainetenance for the present minnister of the chappell and soe for
succession of minnisters there, w'ch being done will conduce much to
the glory of God and good of the place.
"Furthermore wee humbly desire that both the meetinge places at Bewdley
and Ribsford be kept up and each have its p'ochall bounds fixed, the
fittest and most convenientst way (as we humbly conceive it) for the
parrish of Ribsford to conteyne the whole Lordship of Ribsford entire,
and the division to be onely in the borrough as followeth.
"To begin at Seavern side where the towne liberties end; w'ch is at the
lower end of the Lady meadowes, and soe along by Bewdley parke wall
as its bounded by the Lordship of Ribsford and soe about the parke
end to John Monnop his house at Blakemans Sitch; and from his house
crossing the way to the outside bounde of the lande belonging to John
Clare called Blakeman's Sitch; and soe from thence to Goodwater Brooke,
and then downe the brooke to Dowles Brooke to the bounds betweene the
Borrough and Dowles, down to Seaverne-side to the bottome of the Lady
meadowes where we began.
"The tithes of yt parte w'ch belonge to the borrough wee conceive
fittest to be settled one ye minnisters at the chappell (after ye
decease of the p'sent incumbent at Ribsford), and the tithes belonging
to the parrish w'ch is cutt of from the borrough may be continued to
the minnister of Ribsford.
"Our reasons for the division thus made (amongst others) are these.
"1. In this way provision will be made for each auditory to have two
sufficient congregations for two able men to preach unto and allow for
private inspection and oversight.
"2. In this way provision may be made for a competent maintenance for
two approved preachers in both parrishes if the augmentation and the
other supplies before-named be continued and settled one the minnister
at the said chappell.
"3. By this way the people that are devided from the borrough and
settled in Ribsford parrish are all (within a very few houses) as nigh
to Ribsford meetinge place as Bewdley chappell and many neerer.
"4. In this way there is no devision of houses yt are contiguous but
those yt are united in one parrish and those yt are scattered in the
other parrish.
"THO. BOYLETON }
"WALTER ABOLER }
"FRANCIS BROMWICH } all sworne."
"HUMFREY WATMORE }
"JOHN SOLEY }