But before these men were chosen, or this letter written, the "Committee" in Kendal had already interfered in church matters in Grasmere, and had suspended the parson. The Rev. Henry Wilson had served the king's cause in other ways than by preaching; and it is probable that the sums of money he began to borrow from 1643 from the Rydal Hall estate (whose coffers all the needy Royalists had recourse to) were used upon journeys to and fro as an emissary, or were expended in some other way for the cause.[112]
| li | s | d | |
| Lent to P'son wilson upon his bill & Sr. Chr: Rawlings 13th of August for 6 weekes or els to Allow in his wages at Martinmas | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* * * * * *
| Lent to Mr. Wilson P'son of Gresmire the 16 July upon his bill to be allowed in his sty. pd. at martinmas next 1644 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
By September he had borrowed £4 more, and on December 30th, £2 10s. But the Parliamentary party had by this time determined to put a curb on the Royalist parson's excursions. There exists among the MSS. of the Corporation of Kendal, a bond, dated November 16th, 1644, entered into by him to Colonel James Bellingham, "that the said Henry Wilson shall appear and render his body into the hands of the Provost Marshall of Kendall, at the end of twenty dayes next after the date hereof, and in the mean tyme shall not travell forth of the County of Westmorland nor hold any intelligence nor send any message by word or writeing to any of that party now in armes against the parliament, but in all things demeane himselfe well, and not indeavour in any wise to seduce or withdrawe the affections of any of his parishioners or others from the service of King & Parliament."
Attested by James Bellingham, Thomas Brathwaite, and Thomas Kelver.[113]
Under the pressure of military force he was constrained to appear before the Parliamentary tribune at Kendal; and he must have been then formally inhibited from duty; for the Rydal account-book shows:—
| li | s | d | |
| pd to Mr. Benson who serues at Gresmire put in bythe Committee & ordered to pay the stypend to him that was due to Mr. Wilson for Halfe A yeare ended at penticost last 1645 | 9 | 5 | 91⁄2 |
| pd to mr. benson by an order from the Committee for Halfe A yeares wage for serving the Cure at Gresmire ended at Martinmas last 1645 | 9 | 5 | 91⁄2 |
It is singular that in the Committee's report of its action to the Parliament, in the letter already given, it makes no mention of Mr. Benson's supersession of the rector. It was not destined to stand however; and possibly there was opposition in the parish. For Harrison enters, under February, 1646:—
| li | s | d | |
| pd. to Sr. Chr: Rawling in pt. of his wages for seruing the Cure of Gresmire for Halfe A yeare to end at penticost next & either to pay it again or els to stand in paymt. | 5 | 0 | 0 |