The font belonging to this chapel stood originally on the north side of it, opposite the desk and pulpit. In 1763 it was removed to the south-east end of the chapel; and in 1773, when the north end of the corn cross was inclosed for the purpose of a vestry, the font was again removed to the north-east end of the building. Although baptism was not permitted to be administered in the old chapel, yet it was always performed in this chapel from the time it was erected. Elizabeth, the daughter of Samuel Darkin, was baptised here on the 29th December, 1699, and was the first baptised in the chapel. The font was the gift of Mr. John Jex, merchant of this town. It is not clear from what place the font was brought. The town book, belonging to this parish, says it came from Easton Bavent; but the late John Jex of this town, used to declare that it was brought from Gisleham, and was digged up by accident on the lands in that parish, belonging to the above John Jex, merchant, his father. Probably the latter is the fact, as Mr. Jex had lands at Gisleham, but none at Easton Bavent. However, be that as it will, Mr. Jex was undoubtedly the benefactor.
Prayers were read at this chapel every Wednesday, Friday, and holidays throughout the year. On Sundays, divine service was always performed here in the morning, except when the sacrament was administered, when it was always at the church. Sometimes, in very bad weather, the service was at the chapel on Sundays, both parts of the day.
It is not improbable, but that before the reformation there was another chapel in the town besides those two already mentioned. This chapel (if there ever really was such a place appropriated to sacred purposes) was situated on the west side of High street, about thirty yards to the north of Swan Lane. It was an old Gothic building, faced with black flint; was about sixteen feet in height, and twelve in breadth; and had the appearance of a very antient building. What tends to strengthen the conjecture of its being a place originally designed for sacred uses is, that the Rev. Tanner, who was vicar of the parish (and who published his brother’s “Notitia Monastica,” and consequently was a competent judge of those matters) used to say, that if ever there was a religious house in this town, it was situated opposite to this building. If so, probably this building was the chapel belonging to that religions society. The buildings supposed to have been originally a religious foundation, carry with them, some resemblance of an institution of that nature. They are divided by a passage (which was entered by a large door-space, in the Gothic style), having spacious rooms on each side, whose venerable appearance demonstrates their having been formed neither after a modern nor a mean original.
SECTION VII.
VICARS OF LOWESTOFT.
In consequence of there not having been any regular registers of the institutions to church benefices before the year 1299, it is impossible to obtain any information respecting those appointments prior to that period; but after the keeping of those registers, much light has been thrown on the ecclesiastical history of this country: and it is from the assistance derived from these registers that the regular succession of vicars of this parish can be given from the year 1308.
Thomas Scrope, surnamed Bradley, from the town where he was born, descended from a noble family, and very much adorned the honour of his birth by his learning and virtues. He was first a monk of the order of St. Benedict; after that, aspiring to a greater perfection of life, he took upon him the profession and rule of a Dominican; and afterwards he submitted himself to the discipline of the Carmelites. He became Bishop of Dromore, in Ireland, but in the year of his age one hundred, he died in this town of Lestoffe, the 15th January, 1491, the 7th of Henry VII, and was buried in the chancel of Lowestoft Church. On the stone over his burial place was a stone upon which was the effigy of a Bishop in his episcopal habit: his crozier in one hand and his pastoral staff in the other, with several escutcheons of the arms of his family etc., and ornamented with a border, all in brass; but, scarce any remains of them are now to be seen, and the matrices wherein they were placed are almost empty.
In 1540 John Blomewyle, was on the presentation of Thomas Godsalve, Esq., instituted vicar. He resigned in 1555, in the beginning of the reign of Queen Mary. Probably he could not conform to the alterations in religious matters made by the Queen at that time; or possibly he might be a married man, and therefore under the necessity of resigning, to prevent being ejected, as was the misfortune of a great number of the clergy in that unhappy reign.
The Rev. Jacob Rous appears to have been minister of this parish during the whole usurpation of Oliver Cromwell. He was vicar, on June 12, 1644, when Francis Jessope was sent with a commission from the Earl of Manchester to disrobe the grave stones of the brasses that had the inscription “Orate pro anima, etc.”
The Rev. Whiston, on the 19th August, 1702, resigned Lowestoft, to succeed Sir Isaac Newton in the mathematical professorship, at Cambridge. He was a divine of great abilities and uncommon learning. In 1694 he was appointed chaplain to Dr. Moor, Bishop of Norwich, which he held till 1698, when the Bishop presented him with the living of Lowestoft with Kessingland. A parish (Mr. Whiston said) of 2,000 souls, but not worth more than £120 a year clear. The care of souls was rightly esteemed by him as a concern of the highest importance; he, therefore, set himself sincerely and in good earnest to that great work, discharging the several duties of a parish priest with distinguished piety and unwearied diligence. Notwithstanding that his income was so small, he kept a curate, allowing him £30 a year, and the curate made £30 a year more by teaching a small school. Mr. Whiston set up public prayers morning and evening, everyday, at the chapel within the town. He constantly preached twice on Sundays; and at the summer season, at least, had a catechetic lecture at the chapel in the evening, designed more for the benefit of the adult than for the children. To these lectures came many dissenters. This may easily be accounted for when it is considered that the noted Mr. Emlyn had officiated as minister to the Dissenters of the town eighteen months, about ten years before. Mr. Emlyn had adopted the Arian principles, and probably had introduced the same sentiments among many of his hearers, who consequently, were pre-disposed to attend lectures that were given by a minister of the establishment who entertained opinions similar to those of Mr. Emlyn, as was the case with Mr. Whiston. There appears to have been the most intimate friendship between these two divines: for when Mr. Whiston, in 1715, held a weekly meeting for promoting primitive Christianity, the third chairman of those meetings was Mr. Emlyn. Mr. Whiston resigned the livings in 1702, and being, by the interest of his friend, Sir Isaac Newton, appointed to succeed him in the mathematical chair at Cambridge, he went and resided in that university; but continuing to retain and propogate Arian principles, he was for his heterodox opinions expelled the university on the 30th October, 1710. In 1747 he left the communion of the Church of England, and joined the Baptists. After engaging in various schemes, and experiencing many vicissitudes of fortune, he died on the 22nd August, 1752, in London, after only a week’s illness. His body was interred at Lyndon, near Stamford, Lincolnshire. The inscription placed over him says he died in the 85th year of his age. Endued with an excellent genius, and indefatigable in labour and study, he became learned in divinity, antient history, chronology, philosophy and mathematics.
Jacob Smith, vicar in 1702, was a native of Scotland, and for conscientiously refusing to take the oaths of King William, he was (with a large family) reduced to all the hardships and miseries of an obscure and necessitous life; but on the resignation of Mr. Whiston, Bishop Moor presented him to Lowestoft. He was buried in the churchyard, close by the north side of the chancel, where a tomb was erected to his memory. And tradition reports that he was the first person ever buried on that side of the church. There was formerly a great partiality respecting burying on the south and east sides of the churchyard at Lowestoft. Many years after the interment of Jacob Smith there was not more than two or three graves on the north side of the church, though subsequently it became as general to inter on one side as on the other. This partiality may, perhaps, at first, have partly arisen from the antient custom of praying for the dead; for as the usual approach to this and many other churches is by the south, it was natural for burials to be on that side, that those who were going to divine service, might, in their way, by the sight of the graves of their friends, be put in mind to offer up a prayer for the welfare of their souls; and even now, since the custom of praying for the dead is abolished, the same obvious situation of graves may excite some tender recollection in those who view them, and silently implore the passing tribute of a sigh.