Notes and Queries for Worcestershire

by John Noake

A full account of this case will be found in Dr. Haggard's "Consistory Reports," vol. ii, p. 566.

1691.—"Spent at 2 ffaires for the arresting of Wormington and p'cureing a bond," 18s. 8d.

1693.—"Paid for the prayers for their ma'ties fleete," 6d.

This was probably during an expedition of William III against France.

1703.—"Paid Mr. Cook for printing his sermon," £4. 15s.

1708.—"Ordered (in December) that £5 be paid to Mr. Taylor, the curate, for preaching a sermon every sacrament day in the afternoon since Easter last."

1720.—"Paid for the use of a pillion," 1s. 6d.

"For a litter from Oxon," 2-1/2d.

Rosemary and bayes were very regularly distributed about the church at Christmas. The bread for the communion for the whole year 1678 amounted to but 1s.; the wine, £1. 5s. 6d. Money collected at the communion in 1680, about £2, in seven collections. In 1684—bread, 3s. 6d.; wine, £4. 14s. 7d. Mr. Stephen Ashby, in 1737, "gave 20s. to the rector for preaching a sermon on Good Friday, suitable to the great subject of the day; and it is desired that the inhabitants of St. Swithin's may have liberty to attend the service and sermon, and that the blessed sacrament of the Lord's Supper may be administered that day, if there shall be a sufficient number of communicants." An inventory of the furniture belonging to the church in 1680 included "one English Bible, eleven service books, a book of homilies, Paraphrase of Erasmus, one book Jewell's works, one book called Musculus, one book of the Whole Duty of Man [two years previously three books of the Whole Duty of Man were entered as having been given to the parish], four books given by Mr. Griffith, the rector, being the Companion to the Temple, two parts, the Companion to the Altar, and the Occasional Office of Matrimony, a book of cannons, a book concerninge God and the Kinge," besides books for the poor, communion plate, green carpet, &c. A charge of 1s. 8d. for chaines and staples for the books in the church was made about the same time. In the year 1680 an old vestry order was revived, "That the clerk should buy and maynteyne sufficient ropes whenever required, and to have the benefit of the ringing the bells." The clerk was also discharged from keeping the clock, and it was ordered that some skilful person should be chosen for the purpose and paid 20s. yearly; but some twenty years after that a much more economical arrangement was made with one John Cox, who was paid 25s. "for mending the clock, upon his promise to keep it in order 21 years at 5s. a year." A new ring of bells for this church was cast at Bromsgrove in 1715. Patching up the old church was a frequent source of great outlay for some years before it was determined to build a new one. In 1682 the "pillar near the great door" being much decayed, and endangering the structure, and other repairs being needed, they were ordered to be done. I find that the cost of 400 tiles was 6s. 8d., 20 bushels of hair 6s. 8d., 400 Wyer brick 6s. 8d., 5 loads of sand 7s. 6d., eight loads of stone (from Ombersley) £2, lime 5d. a bushel; the workmen generally had 1s. a day, while others had more or less. Green flannel was bought for "the 48 seats," (the corporation), and red tape to be nailed on it. Three years afterwards an order was made to repair the church again at a cost of £150, and two men named Allibone and Pascall "to have ye job," Mr. Emes to give security for its proper performance. Malt was bought to make drink for the workmen. Three and a half yards of damask for the communion table were then charged £1. 2s. 9d. Next year the chancel was out of order, and a buttress was put up. In 1690 the steeple underwent reparation. Then it was found that the accommodation of the church was not sufficient, and in 1697 it was ordered, "That my Lord Bishopp be waited upon by the minister to desier his fyatt for the building a new gallery." The four front seats of this gallery were "put in order and matted fitt for ye gentlewomen to sit in." Only two years elapsed when the old vestry was ordered "to be taken down and removed to next pillar, and to be put in decent order for the parishioners to meet on all parish accounts." Then, in 1707, a new gallery was ordered to be erected under the west window, "in the most decent and workmanlike manner that can be found out and advised by able workmen, and that the pulpit, seats, and font, be removed and made more convenient." At length the old fabric was found not to be worth any further outlay, and it was pulled down in 1728. The vestry meetings were then held in the Berkeley chapel, also at several inns and private houses. [The Hop-pole is first mentioned in 1742, and the Star and Garter in 1748. Mr. G. Woodcock was the landlord of the former, and Mr. William Dyer of the latter.] The trustees appointed under the act for taking down and rebuilding the church were Mr. Thomas, Mr. Weston, Alderman Weston, Martin Sandys, Alderman Vaughan, Alderman Floyer, Mr. Hayles, Mr. John Nichols, Mr. Ashby, Mr. Mence, Alderman Hopkins, Dr. B. Purshall, and the churchwardens. Captain Wingfield, Mr. Sambach, and Mr. Garway, were afterwards chosen trustees to act with the others in carrying on the building. It was ordered that all gifts to the parish should be paid to the treasurer of the trustees, and the parish to pay the interest as directed by the wills of the respective donors. [I mention this in consequence of the bearing it has on a recent church-rate discussion here.] When the trustees should be reduced to thirty, any nine of the survivors were to fill up the number. Sums were borrowed at common interest and others as annuities, and heavy rates were levied. Great difficulty was experienced in raising the amount, the whole expense of the church being £3,345. It was ordered to prosecute all defaulters in the Ecclesiastical Court, except Quakers, who were to be brought before the magistrates; and among other modes of raising funds were the following: Alderman Weston gave £20 for a seat under the south window next the tower; Mr. Sandys and Mr. Mence £100 each for having conveyed and assured to them the two galleries on each side of the tower; and an order was made that the £20 given by Mr. Ashby for preaching a sermon on Good Friday be laid out on building a wall and enclosing the churchyard. The first vestry was held in the new church in 1730, when it was ordered that the seats should have numbers or figures put on them; "the persons to sit in them according to their weekly payments to the poor; and if any one should sit in a seat above his weekly pay he or she shall be immediately charged according to the figure on the seat."

The Salt Market was held in the parish of St. Nicholas. At a parish meeting in 1792 it was agreed "That whereas there is a stage erected before the Salt Market, to the great prejudice and forestalling of the p'ish tenants, who pay considerable rents to the use of the poor of St. Nicholas, that all and every person," &c., should be proceeded against as counsel should advise. The site of the Salt Market was what is now the garden in front of the rectory house, close by the church. There was a stonemason's yard behind, and in the rear of that yard was a house which, by the addition of a new front, has been converted into the present rectory. Mr. Young, who is now living at the age of about eighty-three, informs me that he can recollect a man regularly selling salt at a small open shop or stall on the site in question. Three or four centuries ago the Salt Market was at "the well of Allhallow," near All Saints' church. In 1692 the parishioners were "p'sented for ye repaire of the way from Foregate to the Pound, in St. Martin's, lying near the town ditch," which had hitherto been repaired by the inhabitants living there, or else by the chamberlain of the city, the churchwardens therefore were instructed to litigate the point, and no further entry occurs on the subject. There was also much disputation about some property in the Butts, and at length "Wm. Lygon, Esq., John Price, chancellor, James Nash, of Martley, gentleman, and John Appletree, Esq., were requested to be arbitrators for the parish in a matter between ye p'ishioners and Mary Solley, widow, concerning the retakeing of the gravel butts and setting forth ye said butts and ye boundaries thereof." In 1770 a lease of "the rector's ten tenements at the bottom of Gaol Lane" was granted for fifty years, at a rental of £21. 10s., for a workhouse. This Gaol Lane was the present Nicholas Street, where also were several almshouses, repaired by the parish. The lane led to the old city gaol, which was situate on the site of the gardens and property now belonging to the Avenue House (Mr. Powell's) and cottages adjacent in Trinity Gardens. The entrance to the old gaol was near the premises in St. Nicholas Street, till recently occupied as a savings-bank. St. Nicholas Street—now the principal thoroughfare to and from the railway station—was at that time no street at all, there being no outlet to Lowesmoor except for foot passengers, who had to go through a narrow entry with turnstile. A public house called the Dolphin stretched across the street from the present police station to the point where Mr. Finch's house now stands, and the entry was at the left of that public house, close adjoining Mr. Finch's. The last house which then stood in the lane is still in existence, being occupied by a broker. Its old doorway and timbers speak for themselves. Mr. Finch's premises were then a workshop and timber-yard belonging to a Mr. Powell. The ten tenements above alluded to, as belonging to the rector, were on the opposite side of the lane, and were probably used as a parish workhouse only from 1770 till the building of the present House of Industry, about twenty years later. These tenements are now about to be sold, under an act passed a few years ago, enabling incumbents to sell dilapidated property for its bona fide value, the proceeds to be deposited in Queen Anne's Bounty fund, and the annual value to be paid to the incumbent. The cattle market was held in Gaol Lane within the recollection of aged persons now living. A by-law was made in the time of Henry VII, setting forth that, as the cattle market in Broad Street was a great annoyance, thenceforth the Welsh cattle should be brought to Dolday, and English cattle to Anger (Angel) Lane, and to the "old gayle." The garden and butter markets were also formerly held in front of St. Nicholas' church, having been removed thither from All Hallows Well. A great part of the area in front of St. Nicholas' church is consecrated ground, the boundary being still defined by a line of pavement. At the corner of the churchyard the old watchman's box was formerly placed. Richard Hill, the late beadle of St. Nicholas church, had the honour of being the "last man" of the ancient dynasty of Charleys in this city. He received a concussion of the brain in a night assault, but after lying by for some time he recovered and became beadle of the church. The first mention of public lamps in the churchwardens' books is in 1698; when it was ordered "Yt the lamps in the parish, and to be putt up in the parish, be fedd with oyle, and trimmed and cleaned at the charge of the parish, and that the churchwardens doe take care to have them lighted all dark nights in the winter season." Mention of a Sunday school is made in 1786, when it was agreed that the expense of it should be paid out of the money collected for the poor, and a committee was appointed to manage the affairs of the school. [I find that Sunday schools were ordered to be established as early as 1570, by the Council of Malines.] Present rector of St. Nicholas, the Rev. W. H. Havergal; churchwardens, Mr. F. Shrimpton and Mr. T. B. Burrow. Population in 1851, 2030.