A History of Horncastle, from the earliest period to the present time

by J. Conway Walter

It is remarkable that the two cases, above quoted, should have occurred at the same date, August 22. An explanation of this has been suggested in the fact that an old calendar shows that August 22 was a day sacred to St. Zaccheus; and as that saint set the example of restoring four-fold what he had unlawfully taken, that day may have been selected for the robber to surrender his chattels in reparation of his offence. A not improbable explanation, however, may be found in the fact that the great August fair, established by Royal Charter, closed on August 21st, and unruly characters were often left, as dregs of such gatherings in the place, murders even being not uncommon. By charter of the same king the Bishop of Carlisle had power to try felons at Horncastle, and a spot on the eastern boundary of the parish is still known as

“Hangman’s Corner,” where those who were capitally convicted in his court were executed.

We give elsewhere a list of the Incumbents of St. Mary’s, but we may here refer to probably the most distinguished of them all. A Patent Roll, of date 11 June, 1344 (18 Edward III.), states that Thomas, Bishop of Lincoln (N.B. This was Thomas Bec, consecrated July 7, 1342, died Feb. 1, 1346, buried in the north transept of the Cathedral), “by command of the Most Holy Father, Pope Clement VI., reduces the taxation of the church at Horncastle, with the chapels of Askeby (West Ashby), Upper Tynton (High Toynton), Maring (Mareham-on-the-Hill), and Wod Enderby, to the same church annexed, to the sum of 50 marks (£33 6s. 8d.), which were previously taxed at the immoderate sum of £77 sterling.” This is stated to be done “of the sincere love with which we value our very dear clerk, Master Simon de Islep, parson of the church aforesaid.” This is also confirmed to “his successors, parsons or rectors, of the said church. Witness the King, at Westminster.” The merits of this worthy, so valued by the Holy Father, not long afterwards received further recognition, since in 1350, only 6 years later, he was promoted to the highest dignity in the land, next to the sovereign himself, as Archbishop of Canterbury. [46] An earlier Rector, John de Langton, had been made Bishop of Chichester, A.D. 1305. These are the only incumbents of Horncastle who have attained the Episcopal Bench, (Horncastle Register Book, edited by Canon J. Clare Hudson, 1892).

The promotion of the Rector, Simon de Islep, led to more than one lawsuit. The Bishop of Carlisle, being at that time heavily in debt, as Lord of the manor, to which, as has already been stated, the advowson of the church of St. Mary was attached, had in January, 1347–8 granted the manor to Hugh de Bole, and others, on their annual payment of £129 19s. 2½d, for three years. On the vacancy thus occurring the Bishop was summoned to appear at Westminster, before Justice John de Stonor, and others, to answer to William Widuking, of Saundeby, executor of the will of the said Hugh de Bole, who claimed, as tenant of the manor, the right to nominate to the vacant benefice. The Bishop resisted this claim, and the case was argued before the King’s Bench, in Hilary term, 1350, when the Bishop was defeated, the claim of William Widuking being allowed. (County Placita, Lincoln, No. 46. Pleas at Westminster, 24 Ed. III., roll 104.)

Seventeen years later, on the death of John de Kirkby, Bishop of Carlisle, who had presented Simon de Islep to Horncastle, the temporalities of the bishopric for the time lapsed to the King; and Thomas de Appleby, the succeeding Bishop, with John de Rouceby, clerk (who afterwards became Rector of Horncastle), were summoned to answer to the King, that the King be allowed, through the said lapse, to appoint to the vacant Benefice of St. Mary. The Bishop and John de Rouceby brought the case before the court, but they admitted the justice of the King’s plea, and judgment was given for the King. (De Banco Roll, 41 Ed. III., in. 621.) Apparently, as a compromise, the King appointed John de Rouceby. This John de Rouceby, while Rector of Horncastle, was murdered on the high road to Lincoln in 1388, (Horncastle Register Book, p. 2).

We may here observe, that in the above documents, the Incumbent of

St. Mary’s Church is styled “Parson” or “Rector,” not, as he is at the present day, “Vicar.” On this change of status we are able to give the following particulars. Among the Bishop “Nicholson MSS.,” which are in the custody of the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle, and consist of extracts from the old “Bishops’ Registers,” it is stated (vol. iv, p. 349) that Bishop Stern of Carlisle, under agreement with the Bishop of Lincoln (Dr. Robert Sanderson) in 1660, appropriated the Rectorial appurtenances of the Benefice of St. Mary to the See of Carlisle. This, however, would seem to be only a confirmation, or renewal, of what had been done long before, since as far back as 1313, the Bishop of Carlisle petitioned the Pope, to allow the church revenues of St. Mary, Horncastle, to be appropriated to that See, which had been “wasted by war and other calamities;” the Rector of the day only stipulating for a pensio congrua being reserved to him for his lifetime. (Carlisle Episcopal Registers, xix, p. 181 b). This was repeated about 1334 (Ibid., p. 187, a. Quoted Horncastle Register Book, p. 2). The title Rector accordingly disappears and from about 1400 only that of Vicar is used, the Bishops of Carlisle themselves having become the “Rectors.” Early in the 19th century (21 March, 1803) the Bishop of Carlisle leased the manor, with appurtenances, to Sir Joseph Banks, and his representatives are now Lay Rectors.

The appointment of one of the early Rectors is a sample of the abuses connected with Papal supremacy in those times. Peter de Galicia was nominated Rector in May, 1313, he was a foreigner and probably drew his income without ever residing at Horncastle. Having influence at the Papal Curia, he negociated for the Bishop of Carlisle the transfer of the Rectorial appurtenances of Horncastle to that See; only, as has been stated, taking care that he had his own pensio congrua. Becoming dissatisfied with the benefice he ultimately exchanged it for the Rectory of Caldbeck in the diocese of Carlisle. These proceedings are given at length in Bishop de Kirkby’s Register; his Italian name was Piero de Galiciano. He was succeeded in 1334 by Robert de Bramley, Rector of Caldbeck. (Carlisle Episcopal Registers, quoted Lincs. Notes & Queries, vol. v, pp. 244–5).

Horncastle was one of the centres of disturbance at the time of the “Lincolnshire Rising” (already referred to) or “Pilgrimage of Grace,” in 1536, and St. Mary’s Church was the main cause of the local agitation. William Leche, brother of the parson of Belchford, was a ringleader in the town. The plundering of churches, by the King’s “visitors,” for the “valor ecclesiasticus,” on the plea of regulating ceremonial, but more really with a view to replenishing the royal coffers, was the great grievance with the people. Much evidence on the subject is found among State Papers Domestic, vol. xi, 28 Henry VIII. One witness, Edward Richardson of Thimbleby, states that William Leche, on Tuesday, 2nd Oct., “stirred the people to rise to save the church jewels from the Bishop’s officers,” who were acting by the King’s orders, the Bishop being the King’s confessor. Robert Sotheby of Horncastle, being sworn before Sir Anthony Wyngffeld and Sir Arthur Hopton, says that “David Benet, a wever, rang the comon bell,” to rouse the people. The said Robert stated that he and William Bywater, being churchwardens, were going to see the work of the plumbers, and in the meantime the said Davy rang the common bell; and that “William Leche was the first begynner and sterer of the whole rysinge there.” The mob marched about with a standard, carried by Philip Trotter, clad in the armour of Lionel Dymoke, which he had taken

from the church of St. Mary. The devices on the standard were “a plough,” to encourage the husbandmen; the “challice and Host,” because the church plate and jewellery were to have been taken away; the “wands” were to encourage the people “to fight in Cristis cause;” the “horn” betokening Horncastle.