By Mr. Edward Kite. 329 



1533. 14 June. William Dawson, 1 Priest; presented by Queen 



Catherine, on the resignation of Crapford. 



At the petition of the resigning Rector an annual pension of 26s. 8d. was 

 assigned by the Vicar-General to be paid him, at the Baptismal Font in the 

 Cathedral Church of St. Paid, London, on the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, 

 for the term of his life. 



1547. Oliver Boswicke ; presented by Queen Mary on the death 

 of Dawson. 



1566. John Beare ; presented by Queen Elizabeth on the resig- 

 nation of Boswicke. 



1570. Patric Blare; presented by the same Queen, on the depri- 

 vation of Beare. 



[Nicholas Stranguidge appears to have been the following 

 Rector.] 



1602. John Davis ; presented by the same Queen, on the resig- 

 nation of Stranguidge. 



He was buried in St. John's Church, July 22, 1644. 



1644. 9 Nov. John Prestwick, M.A. is instituted by the Bishop 

 of Sarum to the "Vicarage of St. Mary the Virgin." 



1648. 3 July. John Shepherd, clerk, was instituted to the 

 "Rectory of St. John, with the Chapel of the Blessed 

 Virgin Mary thereunto annexed," void by the death of 

 the last incumbent. 



The signature of "John Sheppard," styling himself "Minister'''' occurs, how- 

 ever, in 1647, and the following letter written by some of the inhabitants of 

 Devizes, to a Member of the House of Commons, will serve to show that he was 

 (although not instituted) acting in that capacity as early as 1646. It is taken 

 from " Edwards' Gangraena," part 3, p. 30. 



" Right Worshipful. — May it please you to be certified by us of certain pas- 

 sages this day at the Church in the time of divine service, that is : — our minister 

 Master Shepherd being in the pidpit, was commanded by one Captain Pretty, 

 who is under the command of Colonel Ireton, and who, with his soldiers, are, 

 to our great burden, quartered with us, to be silent and to come forth of the pulpit; 

 saying, in threatening terms, that he was unfit to preach, and that he was 

 yesterday (being Saturday) drunken ; which evidently can be proved to the 

 contrary, the gentleman being to our knowledge a very temperate and religious 

 divine. This Captain was assisted by one Master Ives, and Master Lambe, who 

 are, as they say, preachers, and divers soldiers armed, in a most irreverent 

 manner, to the abominable disturbance of the whole congregation, and, as we 



i In the " Wiltshire Institutions" — John Skott, — the Proctor, in whose 

 person Dawson was inducted. 



