We have already seen that the rectory was disposed of, with the manor, by Henry the eighth, to Sir Edward and Dame Baynton. It thus became impropriate. [123]
But it was again appropriated; this time by a corporation sole. For, when the bishops of London claimed the rectory of Paddington as a “member and appurtenance” of the manor, did they not become the real rectors of the parish? Certainly, from time to time, since Bishop Sheldon’s day, if not before, they have leased the rectory with the manor, and exercised the right of appointing the curate here. Are they not, then, accountable for the proper application of the rectory revenues? And how have these revenues been applied?
We are informed that the fourth protestant bishop of London thought Paddington would make a comfortable retiring pension for his porter; and the enemies of Bishop Aylmer brought this misdeed as one of their many accusations against him. His faithful biographer, Strype, admitting the fact, thus defends the bishop:—
“As for the charge, that the bishop made his porter a minister; all things considered he thought it to be justifiable and lawfully done, and not to lack example of many such that had been after that sort admitted, both since the Queen’s coming to the crown, by many good bishops, and by sound histories ecclesiastical. That where churches, by reason of persecution, or multitudes of Hamlets and free chapels, had commonly very small stipends for their ministers, honest godly men, upon the discretion of the governors of the church, had been, and might be, brought in to serve, in the want of learned men, in prayer, administration of the sacraments, good example of life, and in some sort of exhortation. And this man therefore when the bishop found him by good and long experience to be one that pleased God, to be conversant in the scriptures, and of very honest life and conversation, he allowed of him to serve in a small congregation at Paddington, where commonly for the meanness of the stipend no preacher could be had; as in many places it came to pass, where the parsonage was impropriate, and the provision for the vicar or curate very small. And how that good man behaved himself there, time and trial proved him; for he continued in that place with the good liking of the people eight or more years till he grew dull of sight for age, and thereby unable to serve any longer.” [124a]
What Fletcher, Bancroft, Vaughan, Ravis, Abbot, and King did for Paddington, I cannot tell. But the truth is, that the protestant bishops, no more than the popish abbots, have applied the revenues of the church to their original purposes. It is true that much of the revenue of the church vanished at the Reformation. The great Reformers of the Church did not possess the princely fortunes of their predecessors; or of the present bishops. [124b] But the reformed bishops did not relinquish the old practice of receiving fines, for granting life-leases, when the impropriate leases dropped in. Rectory lands, and tithes, were still badly managed; and the fines raised by leasing them were appropriated, as heretofore, to individual uses. To such an extent was this “waste of church lands” carried that the people saw little good had been done, in this respect, by that revolution which had been sanctioned by Henry the eighth.
During the next reformation another survey of ecclesiastical property was made. Commissioners were appointed in 1649, by the parliament, to enquire into the nature of ecclesiastical benefices; and from their report we learn the condition of the “living of Paddington” at that time.
The following survey is printed from the original still existing with the Records in the Rolls’ Chapel. The portion in italics being so much defaced in the original document as to be illegible, I have been enabled to supply from the twelfth volume of the Lambeth Manuscripts, by the kind permission of the Archbishop’s secretary.
Survey of Church livings.
MIDDX.“Paddington.—Item there is a rectory and a mannor and Tythes and other oblations and gleabe Lands with certeyne houses thereto belonging of which a house for two tennants called the vicarage house all which is at the rate of fortie-three pounds per annu or thereabouts And Wee are informed that the Tythes houses and lands before mencŏned was let by George Mountaigne late Bishopp of London to Sir Rowland St John, and Sybyll his Wife and to Oliver St John their sonne for their lives and that the said Bishop bound them to noe certayne stipends or took any nor for the cure of souls butt left it unto his Tenants and that the said Sr. Rowland St. John had heretofore a reading minister or Reading ministers who served for ten pounds per annu in Paddington and Marybone at the like sallary of Mr. Forsett and that of late years Sr. Rowland St. John paid for a preaching minister twentie eight pounds per annu which is the Rent of the Tythes of that land in the parish that doeth not belonge to the Bisshopp And that there is a minister that preacheth twice every Lord’s Day one Mr. Anthony Dodd and that we humbly think that the Parish of Marybone and Paddington is very fitt to be united in one and that both the Churches may be pulled down and both made one and sett on Lisson Greene And that we verylie believe that the whole Tythes of Paddynton is worth one hundred pounds per annu if it were lett at the true value And we humbly desire that a godly able preaching minister may bee placed to serve for the Parish of Paddington and Maribone and settled with mointeynance not lesse than one hundred pounds per annu as you in your great wisdomes shall thinke fitt And that we are informed that there is a right of Presentation to the Rectory or vicearidge in one Mr. Browne that hath purchased the manner by vertue of a grant to him from the trustees appointed by Parliament for the sale of the Bishopps Lands.
Signed
William Roberts John Browne
Richard Dowton James Pascall
Edward Martin John Thorowgood”
This authentic record is something more than a mere curiosity. It establishes several important facts; and enables the reader to form a just estimate of the care taken of the cure of souls in Paddington, by bishop Mountain.
I think it not at all improbable that the “Vicarage House” had been made into “a house for two tenants,” by Sir Rowland St. John; for, so far as I can discover, he was the first lessee who resided on the Paddington estate. The lords of the manor had preferred to live in the monastery, and the episcopal palace; and their lessees were only middle-men, whose object was—as the object of this class very frequently has been—to get as much out of the land-workers as possible, and give as little as possible in return.