The Elizabethan Parish in its Ecclesiastical and Financial AspectsWare, Sedley Lynch
History
The Elizabethan Parish in its Ecclesiastical and Financial Aspects
Ware, Sedley Lynch
Church of England -- Finance; England -- Church history -- 16th century; Parishes -- Great Britain
In Ashburton, Devon, in 1567 Christopher Wydecomb had to pay 20s. to
the wardens "because he refused the office of the drawer of the church
ale."[259] At Wing, Bucks, those refusing "to be lorde at Whitsuntyde
for the behofe of the church" were fined 35. 4d. apiece.[260] In some
places these masters of the revels were called Cuckoo Kings, and the
office seems to have gone in rotation like other parish offices.[261]
When invitations had been sent out to surrounding parishes,
interparochial courtesy seems to have required the attendance either
of the churchwardens or of some other more or less official
representatives of the neighboring communities. These representatives
carried with them some small contribution made at the expense of their
respective parishes ('ale-scot').[262]
Because of the alleged drunkenness and disorderly conduct attendant
upon some of these ales, the justices of assize and the justices of
the peace attempted in some shires to put them down on various
occasions.[263] More effective, perhaps, in doing away with them was
the gradual growth of Puritanism.
In conclusion it should be remarked that church-ales seem to have
obtained only in Central and Southern England. The huge and thinly
populated parishes of the North did not favor the development of an
institution so essentially social in its character.
_Church Plays, Games_ and _Dances_ were allied in a measure with
church-ales, partly because they were sometimes held concurrently with
them, partly because they served as a substitute for the ales when
these fell into disrepute. Miracle plays and other pageants were given
by certain parishes from time to time, too frequently in the churches
themselves, in which case the wrath of the ordinary was called down
upon the parish if he heard of them.[264] Some parishes kept various
costumes and stage properties, which were hired out to other parishes
when not in use.[265] May games, Robin Hood plays or bowers, Hocktide
sports and forfeits, morris-dances and children's dances were all
turned to the profit of the church, collections being taken up at
them.[266] Morris coats, caps, bells and feathers were frequently
loaned out for a consideration by wardens to other parishes.[267]
_Church-house_. Here were the brewing kettles and the spits, and here
was stored church grain or malt for beer making.[268] Here, too,
presumably, the pewter ale pots, trenchers, spoons, etc., which figure
in the accounts, were kept. These were hired out to other parishes for
their ales.[269] While ale was brewed and drunk in the church-house
for the benefit of the parish, and that apparently on other occasions
than church-ales, it does not seem probable that the place was often
allowed to degenerate into a common ale-house, even though in some
parishes it may have borne the name of "church tavern."[270] When not
required for parish purposes the church-house was rented out, and
rooms in an upper story were used for lodging.[271]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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