"Memor. That Thomas Baker, of the parish of Daderhill, and Ann Wallford, of the parish of Sallwarpe, both in the countie of Worcester, weare married the 26th daye of Maye, 1656, by Mr. John Nash, on of the justises of the pease of the cittie of Worcester, being publiclie proclaimed 3 severall market dayes, in 3 severall weekes, in the market plase of the sayd cittie, accordinge to the actt of parliment."
John Roberts signs himself the "register of Martin's." The above description of marriages ceased with the close of Cromwell's protectorate. In 1772 occurs the following:
"N.B.—Through the omission of Mr. John Giles, curate, no regular register was kept from this time till Mr. Pearkes, clerk of the parish, in Oct. 1772, began a private account, from whose copy the following extracts are taken. The intermediate time, from Dec., 1769, to October, 1772, is very imperfectly supplied by a few alterations delivered to the churchwardens in consequence of notice of the above omissions having been given publicly in the church, and by advertising in the Worcester Journal."
All the old account books belonging to this parish have been either destroyed or removed into the custody of private persons who have not the honesty to restore them. Vestry orders from 1718 and churchwardens' account books from 1783 are the earliest records, and very little of any interest is to be gleaned from them. Enough, however, remains to prove that the parish of St. Martin was no exception to the general rule observed by men in office of immoderately and shamelessly feasting at the public charge. In 1732 an order was made that no more public money should be spent at the perambulations—or "possessionings," as they were sometimes termed; and the managers of the workhouse were prohibited from spending more than 2s. at any meeting, and that not oftener than once a month. The sum of £5 was frequently paid to avoid serving the office of churchwarden, which in those days drew pretty largely upon the time and attention of the holder. An instance occurred in 1739 of a strangely perverted feeling in reference to the equality of worshippers in the house of God, as an order was made "That the two next seats to the mayor's seat be locked up, and that the clerk of the parish do attend the said seats upon every day of divine service, and not permit any person or persons that do not pay to the poor to seat themselves therein till after the persons who do pay as aforesaid are first seated." How does this agree with the spirit of Christianity, as expounded in the Epistle to James, c. ii, v. 2, "For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in a goodly apparel?" &c.
Great disputes subsequently arose in reference to the free use of seats in the church; and in 1744 an order was made that the seat in the first aisle, occupied by Captain Richard Hemming and his family, should be declared void, and to be used by the parishioners, and that Mr. B. Russell, the churchwarden, should take off all locks from the seats in the church, except such as were held under a faculty. It forms no part of my purpose to expose parochial abuses, or I might fill up a large section of this book with the details of the shameful mismanagement and peculation which in former years prevailed in the finances of St. Martin's. Much however has been rectified by the judicious care and public spirit of Mr. Clapton, one of the churchwardens, but much yet remains to be done. Among other matters, it appears that sufficient property has been at various times bequeathed for the purpose of repairing the church and providing for the celebration of divine worship, but this property has been let on long leases for nominal rents, and thus a source of income which should amount to about £100, and cover all the necessary expenses of the church, has been allowed to dwindle away to a bare trifle. It has often been my misfortune to witness the most unseemly exhibitions of dissention, mob oratory, and hatred to the church, within the walls of this fabric, on the occasion of demanding a new rate. How much would have been spared to the feelings of the incumbent and to the friends of the Establishment if the then churchwardens had faithfully and conscientiously discharged their office in the stewardship of the church property!
Present rector of St. Martin's, the Rev. T. L. Wheeler; churchwardens, Mr. Clapton and Mr. Hyla Holden. Population in 1851, 4718.
