Parish Priests and Their People in the Middle Ages in England

by Edward Lewes Cutts

There are indications of the subdivision of parishes, probably as a consequence of the subdivision of properties by inheritance or sale. Thus St. Mary Aldermary seems to have been the original church of a parish which was afterwards subdivided, the original dedication being retained in the new churches, but with some distinctive affix, as St. Mary le Bow, St. Mary Abchurch, St. Mary Woolnoth, St. Mary Woolchurch, St. Mary Bothaw, St. Mary Colechurch, St. Mary Aldermanbury, and St. Mary Staining; All Hallows the Great and the Less already mentioned; St. Nicholas Olave, and St. Nicholas Cole Abbey; St. Katharine Colman, and St. Katharine Cree.

There is a church dedicated to St. Botolph at each of four of the city gates: Aldersgate, Bishopsgate, Aldgate, and Billingsgate.

Wm. FitzStephen, in his biography of Becket, states that, in his time, London possessed 13 conventual, and 126 parish churches.

Fabyan’s “Chronicle,” A.D. 1516, gives the sum of the parish churches within London as 113; houses of religion and others being not parish churches, 27; in Westminster and other places around the city, including Southwark, without the walls, 28; the sum of all the Divine houses within the city and without, 168.

Lastly, we get valuable suggestions as to the source of the incomes of the town clergy. In London, the parochial clergy had no tithe and glebe land; their incomes were derived from customary payments, called donations, which had been paid time out of mind from the houses and shops in proportion to their rent. In consequence of some disputes, they were inquired into and confirmed by Bishop Roger, about A.D. 1230, and amounted to about 3s. 6d. in the pound of the rent. The clergy received, besides, fees for services on many occasions; what these were we learn from some proceedings in the Star Chamber in 1534—

For Weddings: Laid on the book, 8d.; three tapers, 3d.; and the whole offering at mass. If married before high mass, 20d., or 40d., or 60d., or more. For a certificate when the man dwelt in another parish, 12d., or 20d., or 40d., according to ability.

For Burials: 12d. or more, and every priest in the church, 8d. or more, or they do not sing him to his burial. At every month’s mind, year’s mind, or obit, the curate has 8d. or 12d., all the wax tapers and wax branches used at the funeral; for privy tithes, 20d., or 40d., or 5s., or 20s., or 40s., or more. To the high altar as much for personal tithe. If buried out of his parish, the corpse must first be presented in his own church with dirge and mass. For burial in the chancel or high quire, 10s. to 40s., or more.

For Churchings: For every Sunday when the woman lieth in for saying a gospel, 1d. or 2d.; at purification the taper, 1d., with the chrisome, and the whole offering by all the women at mass, 2d.

Beadroll: If any will have his friends prayed for in the beadroll, the curate hath by year 4d., or 8d., or more.

At Easter: Of men’s wives, children, and apprentices, for their communion at Easter, for every head, 2d.