Still confining our attention to Sussex and Kent, we come to Berwick:
“1594, Dec. 22. Baptized Continent, daughter of Hugh Walker, vicar.
“1602, Dec. 12. Baptized Christophilus, son of Hugh Walker.”—Berwick, Sussex.
I think the father ought to be whipped most incontinently in the open market who would inflict such a name on an infant daughter. They did not think so then. The point, however, is that the father was incumbent of the parish.
A more historic instance may be given. John Frewen, Puritan rector of Northiam, Sussex, from 1583 to 1628, and author of “Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion,” had two sons, at least, baptized in his church. The dates tally exactly with the new custom:
“1588, May 26. Baptized Accepted, sonne of John Frewen.
“1591, Sep. 5. Baptized Thankful, sonne of John Frewen.”—Northiam, Sussex.
Accepted[33] died Archbishop of York, being prebend designate of Canterbury so early as 1620:
“1620, Sep. 8. Grant in reversion to Accepted Frewen of a prebend in Canterbury Cathedral.”—“C. S. P. Dom.”
One more instance before we pass on. In two separate wills, dated 1602 and 1604 (folio 25, Montagu, “Prerog. Ct. of Cant.,” and folio 25, Harte, ditto), will be found references to “More-fruite and Faint-not, children of Dudley Fenner, minister of the Word of God” at Marden, in Kent.