It is an ancient remark, "The world is a farce." Every generation, and
perhaps every individual, acts a part in disguise; but when the curtain
falls, the hand of the historian pulls off the mask, and displays the
character in its native light. Every generation differs from the other,
_yet all are right_. Time, fashion, and sentiment change together. We
laugh at the oddity of our fore-fathers--our successors will laugh
at us.
The prosperous anvil of Walter de Clodshale, a native of this place, had
enabled him to acquire several estates in Birmingham, to purchase the
lordship of Saltley, commence gentleman, and reside in the manor-house,
now gone to decay, though its traces remain, and are termed by common
people, _the Giant's Castle_. This man, having well provided for the
_present_, thought it prudent, at the close of life, to provide for the
_future_: he therefore procured a licence, in 1331, from William de
Birmingham, lord of the see, and another from the crown, to found a
chantry at the altar in St. Martin's church, for one priest, to pray for
his soul, and that of his wife.
He gave, that he might be safely wafted into the arms of felicity, by
the breath of a priest, four houses, twenty acres of land, and
eighteen-pence rent, issuing out of his estates in Birmingham.
The same righteous motive induced his son Richard, in 1348, to grant
five houses, ten acres of land, and ten shillings rent, from the
Birmingham estates, to maintain a second priest, who was to secure the
souls of himself and his wife. The declaration of Christ, in that pious
age, seems to have been inverted; for instead of its being difficult for
a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, it was difficult for him to
miss it. We are not told what became of him who had nothing to give! If
the profits of the estate tended the right way, perhaps there was no
great concern which way either _Walter_ or _Richard_ tended.
The chantorial music continued two hundred and four years, till 1535,
when Henry the Eighth closed the book, turned out the priests, who were
Sir Thomas Allen and Sir John Green, and seized the property, valued at
5_l_. 1s. per annum. Permit me again to moralize upon this fashionable
practice of ruining the family, for the health of the soul: except some
lawful creditor puts in a claim, which justice ought to allow, a son has
the same right to an estate, after the death of his father, as that
father had before him.
Had Walter and Richard taken _equal_ care of their souls, and their
estate, the first might have been as safe as in the hands of a priest,
and the last, at this day, have been the property of that ancient, and
once noble race of Arden, long since in distress; who, in 1426, married
the heiress of their house.--Thus, a family, benefited by the hammer,
was injured by the church.
Had the hands of these two priests ministered to their wants, in the
construction of tents and fishing-nets, like those of their
predecessors, St. Paul and St. Peter, though their pride would have been
eclipsed, their usefulness would have shone, and the world have been
gainers by their labour. Two other lessons may be learnt from this
little ecclesiastical history--
The astonishing advance of landed property in Birmingham: nine houses,
and thirty acres of land, two hundred and fifty years ago, were valued
at the trifling rent of 4_l_. 9s. 6d. per annum; one of the acres, or
one of the houses, would at this day bring more. We may reasonably
suppose they were under-rated; yet, even then, the difference is
amasing. An acre, within a mile of Birmingham, now sells for about one
hundred pounds, and lets from three pounds to five, some as high
as seven.
And, the nation so overswarmed with ecclesiastics, that the spiritual
honours were quickly devoured, and the race left hungry; they therefore
fastened upon the temporal--hence we boast of two knighted priests.