The Church of Grasmere: A HistoryArmitt, Mary L. (Mary Louisa)
History
The Church of Grasmere: A History
Armitt, Mary L. (Mary Louisa)
St. Oswald's Church (Grasmere, England)
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]
[112] The secret messengers who passed with despatches between
the king and his army endured great perils and sometimes lost
their lives.
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]
[113] Communicated by Mr. J. A. Martindale.
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 by
the 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 9-1/2
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 9-1/2
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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