here was affected. The Chantry foundation of this Chapel, like all
others, had to go. Chantries being founded by the pious rich to have the
souls of their dear departed prayed for, could not be tolerated by the
Protestant reformers, and were all rigidly suppressed. Here is the
valuation formally taken in the reign of Henry VIII. (1526), as before
mentioned:--
CHANTRY OF WYLNALL.
Hugh Bromehall, chaplain, hath a house with lands 8 marks
pertaining to the same, value per annum
s. d.
And prays to be allowed for rents of assize, 3 3
payable to the Dean
And for Capitation rents, paid annually to William 10
Leveson, Prebendary of Wylnall
And so their remains due 102 7
The tenth part thereof 10 3
The Chantry, being regarded as one of the abhorred institutions of
Romanism, thus came to an end under the reforming zeal of our Protestant
legislators in the early years of the reign of Edward VI.
All the possessions of the Colleges of Wolverhampton and Tettenhall, with
their Prebends, together with the Chantry lands of Willenhall, Bilston,
and Kinver, when they passed from the Crown in 1552, fell into the hands
of the notorious John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who contrived to
grab no end of church property in this immediate locality. When
Northumberland came to the block shortly afterwards, there was a great
redistribution of this property, that of Wolverhampton being once more
annexed to the Royal Free Chapel of St. George at Windsor.
XI.--How the Reformation Affected Willenhall.
As recorded in the last chapter, the Willenhall Chantry, in common with
all others throughout the country, was finally suppressed by Edward VI.
and his Protestant ministers (1547). It had been in existence upwards of
200 years, the name of its first Chantry Priest being given (1341) as
"William in the Lone."
The Prebendal lands also, as we have seen, were leased in the fourth year
of this reign to John Leveson, for the sum of 6 pounds 6s. per annum.
All the other lands belonging to the Deanery of Wolverhampton then passed
into the hands of the King, but did not long remain in the Crown, being
conveyed, with much more ecclesiastical property hereabouts, to John
Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. On his attainder in the reign of Mary
(1553), the Deanery lands reverted to the Crown, to be again restored to
their original use by that most pious queen.
In 1547 the zeal of the Protestant reformers induced the Government of
Edward VI. to send Commissioners round the country to make inquiry in
every parish and every church as to the ecclesiastical appointments used
in ritual, with orders to suppress all that made for "idolatrous Popish
practices."
The Commissioners for this locality were all men of high standing in the
county, as will be seen from their names. They were sworn to make--
A juste, treu, and parfett survey and inventorie of all goods, plate,
juelles, vestements, belles, and other ornaments, of all churches,
chappells, brotherhoddes, gyldes, fraternities, and compones within
the Hundred of Offeley, in the Countie of Stafford; taken the seventh
day of October, in the sixte yere of the Rayne of our Sovereyn Lord,
King Edward the Sixte, by Thomas Gyffard and Thomas Fytzherbert,
knyghts; and Walter Wrottesley, Esquier, by virtue of the King's
commissein to them, directed in that behalf, as hereafter
particularly appereth.
On one hand, they had to put a stop to the embezzlement, concealment, and
appropriation by private persons of the condemned church property, and to
recover as much of it as possible for the King's Exchequer. For, under
pretence of a burning zeal for the reformed faith, there had been much
sacrilegious spoliation--church plate finding its way on to the table of
the neighbouring gentry, marble coffins being utilised as horse-troughs,
altar cloths serving as tapestry for parlour walls, and similar
malpractices by those who ought to have known better. This property was
to be retrieved, and the detected offenders were to be heavily fined.
The Return made for Willenhall Church by the Commissioners and their
official "Surveyor," or assessor, runs, verbatim:--
WYLNALL.
Fyrste one challes of sylver with a paten parcell gilte weyinge by
estimacon viij ounces; iij vestement one of whyte fustian another of
blacke chamlett and the thyrd of bleu sarsynet; iij alter clothes; ij
cruetts of ledde; a bucket of brasse; iij candelstyks of maslyn; a
paxe of brass; a corporas with the case; ij towells; one cheste; a
lampe of latynn; ij small bells.
Mem.--That all these parcells before rekened were delyvered unto
Richard Forsett, Surveyor to the Kynge's Majesti, as shall appare by
his acquytance, except ij belles the whyche remayne still within the
sayd chapell.
A few words in explanation of the above terms may, perhaps, be necessary
for the general reader. The chalice and the paten were the vessels used
at the Sacrament, the former being the wine cup, which was of silver, and
the latter the bread dish, partly gilt. The priestly vestments were
those forbidden by the reformed church, and were of different textures
for different parts of the Roman ceremonial; the fustian was a coarse
piled fabric, or kind of cotton velvet, imported from the East; chamlett,
or camlett, was a cloth so called because originally woven from camel
hair; and the sarsnett was a thin kind of silk. The altar cloths had to
be discarded when the "Mass" was reformed into the "Holy Communion." The
cruets were pairs of metal jars for containing the wine and the water
previous to their admixture in the sacrament of the Mass. The bucket was
for use at the font. The candle-sticks were for the lighted tapers upon
the altar and in this case were made of maslin, an alloy like brass, but
with a harder grain; latten, of which the altar lamp was made, was a
similar alloy resembling brass. The pax was a tablet (sometimes of wood,
sometimes of bread, though this Willenhall example was of durable brass),
on which was a figure of the crucifixion; it was presented in the
ceremony of the Mass for the faithful to kiss. The Corporas was the
cloth placed beneath the consecrated elements in the service of the Mass.
The towels were napkins used in the celebration of the sacred office; it
must be borne in mind that all textile fabrics, as well as metals, were
far more costly in those days, and the chest was to keep all these
valuables in safety.
It is difficult to decide the nature of the "two small bells"; because,
if they were the sanctus bells used at the most solemn parts in the
performance of the Mass, one a hand-bell rung inside, and the other as a
signal outside, they would have been abolished. So, as they were left by
the Reformers, they were probably small bells in the steeple or turret.
So much for the changes materialistic brought about at this great
religious upheaval of the sixteenth century. Now let us inquire into the
more serious and essential changes which occurred in the religious life
of the nation at that time.
From a little known Return made in 1586 we are enabled to gather the
conditions of the Church of England, as it was found to exist, only 28
years after it had been by law established.
At the Reformation, after the annulling of all "Popish ordinations," the
state of the English clergy became very deplorable. Some of the basest
of the people were permitted to become parish priests, a circumstance
that gave point to the arguments and contentions of the Puritans.
The Reformers were divided upon the subject, Queen Elizabeth expressing
herself as being perfectly satisfied if in each county three or four
clergymen could be found capable of preaching to their congregations.
The Puritans, on the other hand, laid great stress on the admonitory
value and spiritual importance of sermons and homilies.
By 1586 the condition of the newly-formed Protestant Church of England
had become so scandalous in respect of its priesthood that a national
"Survey" was undertaken. Of the remarkable facts disclosed by this
Return we select from the summaries the following few which relate to
this immediate locality:--
WOLVERHAMPTON.--A Collegiate Church; impropriate to the King's
Majestie or the Dean of Windsor; value of lands belonging to it is
600 pounds per annum. There be seven Prebends and a Sexton under
them; seven stipendiaries; the allowance for four of them is ten
nobles apiece; for the other three 6 pounds apiece. Six of the
Prebends be held by Sir Gualter Levison; the other is held by
another. The rent reserved to the Dean of Windsor, 38 pounds.
People 4,000. Many Popish; many Recusants.
Chappells 3:--
1. Pelsall; curate's stipend 4 pounds; no preacher.
2. Willenhall; curate hath no stipend reserved; no preacher.
3. Bilston; curate hath no stipend reserved; no preacher.
These curates, especially two of them, Mounsell and Cooper, be
notorious and dissolute men.
Such was the lamentable state of the local clergy at that time, when the
population of Wolverhampton, with all its outlying parts, is set down at
4,000 only. A few words of explanation will perhaps be necessary to make
the foregoing extract more intelligible to the general reader.
A "noble" was a coin of the value of 6s. 8d.; a "recusant" was one who
disputed the authority and supremacy of the Crown in matters
ecclesiastical, whether Papist or Puritan; while to "impropriate" church
property was to place it in the hands of a layman.
Four or five more extracts from this interesting Survey, relating to
other parts of this neighbourhood, may not be out of place to quote
here:--
BYSHBY.--Parsonage, impropriate; worth 40 pounds per annum; vicarage
worth 30 pounds; patron, Sir Edward Littleton; many Popish; many
Recusants. Incumbent a mere worldling; no preacher.
TETNALL.--A college dissolved; five prebends and a deane; impropriate
to the King's Majestie; worth 300 marks. One prebend is held by Sir
Richard Leveson; one by Mr. Gualter Wriotesley; two by Richard
Cresswell. Curate's stipend, 20 marks; no preacher.
CODSALL.--Prebend of Tetnall. Curate-prebendary a loose liver; no
preacher.
WOMBOURNE.--Parsonage, impropriate, held by Hugh Wriotesley, Esquire;
worth 40 pounds; vicarage worth 26 pounds; patron, Edward L. Dudley.
PEN.--Parsonage; impropriate to the vicars of Lichfield; worth 20
pounds; vicarage worth as much; patrons, the Vicars of Lichfield.
Vicar --; no preacher.
This selection of extracts will serve to enlighten the reader upon two
important points in the history of the Church; the first is the amount of
church revenue which had already found its way into the pockets of the
laity; and the other is the lamentable necessity there was at that period
to provide the English clergy with ready-made Homilies. These Homilies
were ordered (as the Prayer Book informs us, in the XXXV. Article), to be
read "diligently and distinctly" in the churches by the Ministers.
XII.--Before the Reformation--and After.
It may be assumed that Willenhall Church has been dedicated to St. Giles
from the first, because the period for holding the dedicatory Wake
synchronises with St. Gile's day (September 1st), making allowance for
the eleven days' difference effected in 1752 between the Old Style and
the New Style calendars. As the Protestant Reformers took objection to
non-Biblical saints (West Bromwich Church was altered from St. Clement's
to All Saints'), a dedication to St. Giles may safely be accepted as a
pre-Reformation one; and as St. Giles was the patron saint of cripples,
he doubtless retained his popularity here on account of the reputation
for healing qualities acquired by the Willenhall "Holy Well"--of which
more anon. But in addition to its Wake, the town seems to have possessed
in mediaeval times a much frequented Summer Fair, held on Trinity Sunday.
Our knowledge of this interesting fact is derived from the records of the
Court of Star Chamber.
This court was established by Henry VII. to deal with routs, riots, and
all other cases not sufficiently provided for by the common law; but the
oppression practised by the unscrupulous abuse of its indefinite
jurisdiction led to its summary extinction in the reign of Charles I.
The case to be quoted is one of an alleged riot in the year 1498 (13
Henry VII.), in which the men of Wednesbury were deeply involved. These
turbulent townsmen seem to have made themselves notorious for riotous
behaviour at various times; as witness the historic Wesley Riots of 1744,
their march on Birmingham to regulate the price of malt in 1782, and
their attack on the same town during the Church and King Riots in 1791.
It would appear that a company of Mummers, made up of performers from
Wolverhampton, Wednesbury, and Walsall, were regularly in the habit of
going round to the neighbouring Fairs, and performing to the
accompaniment of pipe and tabor a Morris-dance, in which the characters
were dressed up for the then popular dramatic interlude of "Robin Hood,"
including Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, and all the rest of them.
The hobby-horse doth hither prance,
Maid Marian and the Morris-dance.
It would be interesting to discover why, in this local version, the
character called the "Abbot of Marham" was introduced into the
play--Marham nunnery was situated in Norfolk, a long way from the usual
forest scenes of Sherwood and Needwood.
The money collected at these al fresco performances was applied to
maintaining the fabric of the three parish churches; but, for some reason
unknown, there had evidently grown up a deadly feud between the
Wednesbury and the Walsall contingents. This was the cause of all the
trouble.
The "John Beamont" mentioned was John Beaumont, Esquire, lord of the
manor of Wednesbury, a benefactor of the parish church there, and a
patron of a Walsall Chantry. It will be noticed that the quoted document
speaks of the "Church of the lordship," not "of the parish"; and also,
that the prefix "Sir" was then used to a parson's name, as we should now
use the prefix "Rev."
Here is the text of the plaints entered by the terrorised "orators" of
Walsall, together with the affidavits put in as rejoinders; the archaic
spelling is retained only in a few places just to indicate the style of
English then employed in the law courts; and it is interesting to note
that Midlanders had those peculiar vowel sounds in olden times, and
pronounced "fetch" as "fatch," and "gather" as "gether"--just as the
illiterate among them still do:--
TO THE KING OUR SOVEREIGN LORD--
Humbly sheweth unto your highness, your faithful subject and true
liegeman, Roger Dyngley, Mayor of Walsall; and Thomas Rice, of the
same town--That whereas your said orators on Wednesday next before
Trinity Sunday, the 13th year of your reign, were in God's peace and
yours, in your said town of Walsall--thither came one John Cradeley,
of Wednesbury, and Thomas Morres, of Dudley, in your said county; and
then and there made affray upon the said Thomas Rice, "and hym soore
wounded and bett" [beat], so that he was in peril of his life.
Whereupon the said Mayor, with other inhabitants, did arrest John
Cradeley and Thomas Morres, and there did put them in prison
according to your laws, there to remain till it were known whether
the said Thomas Rice should live or die.
And incontinent thereupon one John Beamonde, "Squyer," Walter
Levison, of Wolverhampton, Richard Foxe, priest, of the same town,
and one Robert Marshall, of Wednesbury, "arreysed" and riotously
assembled themselves at Wednesbury with other riotous persons to the
number of 200 men, arrayed in manner of war, that is to say, with
bows, arrows, bills, and "gleves" [long daggers], with other unlawful
weapons there gathered and assembled, to the intent to have come to
have destroyed your said town of Walsall, saying openly that they
would "fache" out of prison the said John Cradeley and Thomas Morres,
and destroy your said town of Walsall.
And thereupon William Harper and William Wilkes, Justices of the
Peace, charged the said riotous persons to keep the peace upon a
great pain to be forfeited to your grace. By reason whereof the said
rioters for that time ceased from further riot.
And whereas the said Justices of the Peace, knowing the said rioters
intended to make more riot, and to execute their malice in doing some
mischief or hurt to the said town or to the inhabitants thereof, for
eschewing any riot or breach of the peace commanded the inhabitants
of Walsall, Wednesbury, and of divers other towns, their adherents,
that they should not assemble together out of the said town, and
should not come to a Fair that should be holden at Wilnale on Trinity
Sunday, then next following.
And the inhabitants of Walsall the same day kept at home.
Notwithstanding, came one from Hampton, whose name is William Milner,
calling himself the Abbot of Marram, and one Walter Leveson with him,
with the inhabitants of Hampton to the number of four score persons
in harness [armour] after the manner of war, to Wilnall to the said
Fair. And also one Robert Marchall, of Wednesbury, calling himself
Robyn Hood, and Sir Richard Foxe, priest, with divers other persons
to the number of 100 men and above, in harness, came in likewise, and
met with the said other rioters at the said town of Wilnall, and then
and there riotously assembled themselves, commanding openly that if
any of the town of Walsall came therefrom, to strike them down, and
in the said town continued their said riotous assembly all the same
day; and if any man of Walsall at that day had been seen at that
Fair, they should have been in jeopardy of their lives.
Please your highness to grant your Letters of Privy Seal to be
directed to the said John Beamonde, Walter Leveson, Sir Richard Foxe,
priest, and Roger Marchall, to commanding them to appear before your
Council to answer to the premises.
1st July, in the 13th year, to appear.
[Endorsed].
Three several letters issued to Walter Leveson, Richard Foxe, and Roger
Marchall, to appear.
MICHAELMAS TERM IN THE 14TH YEAR. THE MAYOR AND INHABITANTS OF
WALSALL AGAINST JOHN BEAMONDE, ESQUIRE, AND OTHERS. ANSWER FOR SIR
ROGER MARCHALL--
The Bill is only "feyned a yenst hym in pure males" [malice] for his
great trouble and vexation, and loss of his goods. He did not
riotously assemble with any persons in arms, nor is he guilty of any
riot. As for the coming to the said Fair at Wylnahale "hit hath byn
of olde tymes used and accustumed in the said Fere day that with the
inhabitants of sede townes of Hampton, Wednesbury, and Walsall have
comyne to the said Fere with the capitanns called the Abot of Marham
or Robyn Hodys, to the intent to gether money with their disportes to
the profight of the chirches of the said lordshipes," whereby great
profit hath grown to the said churches in times past.
Whereupon the said Roger Marchall and his Company at the special
desire of the Inhabitants of Weddesbury, come in peaceable manner to
the said Fair, according to the said old custom, and these met with
one John Walker, of Walsall, and divers others of the said town, and
then and there "they make as gud chere unto them as they should do to
ther lovying neyburs." And he denies that they came riotously.
THE ANSWER OF WALTER LEVESON--
He heard say at Hampton, where he dwells, that a "rumour and
mysdemenying" against the King's peace was had in Walsale, and that
the inhabitants were riotously disposed against John Beamont.
Whereupon the said Walter with two of his servants, in peaceable
manner, and without any harness, came to the said John Beamont to his
place at Weddesbury, to know how the Mayor and Inhabitants of Walsale
would entreat him.
John Beamont said that he knew of no hurt that they willed to him.
It has been of old time used and accustomed on the said Fair day that
the inhabitants of Hampton, Weddesbury, and Walsale have come to the
Fair with such Captains as they have of old time used, to the intent
to gather money with their disports to the use of the said churches
of the said lordships.
And this is all we know of that lively "Whitsun Morris" at Willenhall
Fair in the year of grace 1498. It all reads like a delightful chapter
in the vein of Shakespeare's Dogberry and Verges; and it will be noted
that the priests are among the captains or ringleaders in this Sunday
revelling.
* * * * *
After the Reformation came the Puritans, who severely discountenanced all
Sunday revelry. And so the lampoon of their enemies ran:--
There dwells a people on the earth
That reckons true religion treason,
That makes sad war on holy mirth,
Count madness zeal and nonsense reason;
That think no freedom but in slavery,
That makes lyes truth, religion, knavery;
That rob and cheat with "yea" and "nay,"
Riddle me, riddle me, who are they?
Yet, when religious differencies had brought on civil war, it had to be
confessed of this Puritan people (so says Sir Francis Doyle in "The
Cavalier"):--
That though they snuffled psalms, to give
The rebel dogs their due,
When the roaring shot poured thick and hot
They were stalwart men and true.
And so the mighty struggle for liberty of conscience against the
pretensions of a dominant Church had proceeded for over century, when we
find the incumbency of Willenhall held by the Rev. Thomas Badland.
Thomas Badland was born in 1643, matriculated at Pembroke College,
Oxford, 1650, and took his B.A. degree, 1653. He was one of the noble
band of ministers who relinquished their livings on August 24th, 1662,
rather than conform to the requirements of the Act of Uniformity, passed
on the Restoration of Charles II.
On his ejectment from Willenhall, this conscientious Puritan divine
returned to his native city, Worcester, where "he formed a distinct
congregation of Christians, who assembled for worship in a small room" at
the bottom of Fish Street. His family was an old one in Worcester, the
name Badland occurring in a charter of James I.
According to Noake's "Worcester Sects," he was minister of that
congregation for 35 years; but before his death the Declaration of
Indulgence by James II. was made (1687), and immediately thereupon Mr.
Badland's church was regularly constituted by the adoption of the
Covenants of church membership which had been drawn by Richard Baxter--he
was a personal friend of the eminent divine--in terms sufficiently
general to include almost all denominations who might choose to make it a
point of common agreement.
From Nash's "History of Worcestershire" we learn that on a monument on
the south wall of the south aisle of St. Martin's church, Worcester, it
was set forth:--
Under these seats lies interred the body of the Rev. Thomas Badland,
a faithful and profitable preacher of the Gospel in this city for the
space of thirty-five years. He rested from his labours, May 5th, A.D
1698, aet. 64.
Mors mihi vita nova.
When St. Martin's Church was pulled down in 1768 this marble tablet was
carelessly thrown aside, and soon got broken into fragments. Happily the
pieces were rescued and put together again with loving care for erection
in the vestibule of Angel Street Chapel, at the expense of the
congregation worshipping there. In the new Independent Chapel, which has
taken the place of that older building (registered at Quarter Sessions in
1689 as a Presbyterian place of worship), the memorial has been placed
near the pulpit.
From a MS. history of Angel Street Church, written by Samuel Blackwell in
1841, it would appear that Mr. Badland had as one of his assistants a Mr.
Hand, who had been ordained at Oldbury. At Fish Street Chapel (the site
of which was occupied in later times by Dent's Glove Factory), there were
120 Communicants in February, 1687; and the Declaration of Faith drawn up
and signed by the church members that year bears first the name of Thomas
Badland, pastor, and among many others that follow is that of "Elizab.
Badland," presumably his wife. Such, briefly, is the life history of the
good man who relinquished the living of Willenhall, and repudiated its
"idolatrous steeple-house," at the Black Bartholomew of 1662, rather than
stifle the dictates of his conscience.