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
So close is the supervision of the ordinary over the churchwardens, so
effective the discipline of the church courts, that we seem to hear
occasionally a sort of dialogue going on between judges and wardens,
the former directing certain things to be executed, the latter
replying and reporting from time to time that progress is being made
on the work to be performed, or that the missing objects will be soon
supplied. Accordingly, at the archdeacon of Canterbury's visitation in
1595, we find the wardens of St. John in Thanet (Margate) reporting:
"The chancel[46] is out of repairs, for the repairing whereof some
things are provided."[47] Two years later they state to the court:
"For repairing of the churchyard we desire a day."[48] At the same
visitation the wardens of St. Lawrence in Thanet (Ramsgate) present:
"Our Church is repaired, saving that some glass by reason of the last
wind be broken, the which are [sic] shortly to be amended."[49]
As a final illustration on this score may be adduced the report of the
conscientious wardens of Kilham, Yorkshire, who certify to the judge
of that peculiar, August, 1602, "that there churche walles ar in suche
repaire as heretofore they have beyne. But not in suche sufficient
repaire as is required by the Article[50] for that effect ministred
vnto us."[51]
But the upkeep of the church and its requisites[52] was only one of
the churchwardens' many tasks. They had to look to it that the people
attended church regularly; that the victuallers and ale-houses
received no one while service was being held or a sermon was preached;
that each person was seated in his or her proper place, that each
conducted himself with decorum and remained throughout the service.
Accordingly the act-books tell their interesting story of ministers on
beginning service sending wardens and sidemen abroad to command men to
come to church. The churchwardens and their allies have all sorts of
experiences: they break in upon "exercises" or conventicles;[53] they
peep in at victuallers' houses or at inns where irate hosts slam doors
in their faces and give them bad words on being caught offending;[54]
they come across merrymakers dancing the morris-dance on the village
green during Sunday afternoon service,[55] or they surprise men at a
quiet game of cards at a neighbor's house during evening prayer.[56]
When admonished by the wardens to enter church, some merely gave
contemptuous replies, such as "what prates thou?";[57] others, when
the wardens approached, took to their heels and ran away.[58] Once
inside the church the wardens' task was by no means ended. They had
the care of placing each one in his or her seat according to
degree;[59] according to sex;[60] and, in case of women, according as
they were old or young, married or unmarried.[61] Finally, as has been
said, the wardens were expected to keep watch lest some one slip out
before the service was over or the sermon ended.[62]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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