"1650.—John the sonne of John Somers, gent., and Katherine his wife, was born the fourth day of March."
"1653.—Mary, daughter of John Somers, gent., and Katherine his wife, was born 15th Oct."
"1655.—Katherine, daughter of John Somers, gent., and Katherine his wife, born 7th April."
Here, then, are the means of deciding a fact which has long been the subject of dispute. Mr. Cooksey, in his "Life of Lord Somers," asserts that he was born at the White Ladies; but Dr. Nash mentions the tradition that the famous Lord was born in the College Churchyard, in a house since pulled down, adjoining the south side of the old church of St. Michael; "but as during the Civil Wars (says that veracious and painstaking chronicler, Chambers) the registers were discontinued, or very irregularly kept, though the Doctor diligently searched, his birth could not be found, either in the parishes of Severn Stoke, St. Michael, St. Helen, St. Peter, or the Tything." The "diligence" of the Doctor's search must now be a matter of doubt, as the four entries copied above are not only easily observed, but are somewhat prominent. The "John Somers, gent.," whose marriage with Katherine Seaverne is recorded in 1648, was unquestionably the attorney who resided for some time at the White Ladies, and afterwards within the Cathedral precincts; and their first-born, who was introduced to the world on the 4th of March, 1650, was afterwards the celebrated nobleman who became the head of the Whigs and Lord High Chancellor of England—whose eloquence, knowledge of the law, inflexible integrity, and great capacity for public business, made him an ornament to his country—and whose defence of the seven bishops, in opposition to the tyranny of James II, entitles him to a place in the foremost rank of the defenders of our constitutional liberty. The death of his parents is not entered in St. Michael's register, as they both died and were buried at Severn Stoke. Lord Somers himself was buried in Hertfordshire.
The period of the Civil Wars is distinguished by blank pages, but regularity again commences in 1660. The burial of "Sir Gilbert Jerrard, governor of Woster," is recorded on the 20th of January, 1644; and that of John Cox, master of the College school, on the 30th Dec., 1663. The prisoners and debtors who died in the Castle (the old prison stood on the site of the Castle, near the Cathedral, now converted into gardens) were buried at St. Michael's. It appears likewise that St. Michael's was considered the parish church for the whole of the College precincts, and that if any marriages were performed at the Cathedral, they were duly entered in St. Michael's register, and the incumbent of course received the fees.
"Mr. Richard Smith, minister, and Mrs. Anne Foulks, were marryed in ye Cathedrall on ye 13 day Feby., 1676."
"Jonathan Dixon of Kidderminster and Mary Henzey of this parish were married at the College by me, Oct. 7, 1737, by license. Thomas Smith."
An archdeacon was also married in the chapel of the Bishop's Palace at Worcester, and an entry in this register duly records the fact. Marriages were solemnized here between persons belonging to almost every town or place in the county, and entries of those occurrences are more numerous than in any other register of the city. The list of marriages closes with this note:
"See a marriage register book from the year 1754, in pursuance of an Act of Parliament passed in the 26th year of King George III, which restriction commences from the 25th March, 1754."