ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



that of 1547) perambulated the diocese in order to enforce the working of 

 the new Uniformity and Supremacy Acts, and to administer the oath of 

 allegiance. Some details of this important visitation survive.^^' Sessions were 

 held at the largest churches in convenient centres, and the clergy were 

 summoned. There is some reason to believe that the services of Gilpin, the 

 most highly-respected clergyman in the neighbourhood, were enlisted to 

 influence the subscribers."^" But there was much reluctance to sign. The 

 chapter was probably more stiff than any other, and six canons were deprived 

 eventually. Some thirty-five clergymen were absent from the visitation out 

 of about 180, but of these the large majority sooner or later took the oath. 

 Tunstall, in London, heard with alarm of the work of the visitors, and wrote 

 in dignified protest to Cecil hoping that his own diocese might be spared such 

 scenes. °" Those words were his last recorded utterance in connexion with 

 the north. After his death the see remained vacant, and Home, restored to 

 the deanery, wrote more than once to Cecil with querulous accounts of the 

 condition of affairs, partly as regards morality in general,^^" and particularly 

 as to the lack of proper stipends for the clergy. ''^^ During the vacancy the 

 queen had confiscated more than a quarter of the Palatinate, much to the 

 indignation of the new bishop, Pilkington (1560-75), who found his 

 authority much impaired thereby, whilst attendance on commission to 

 administer the oath and such police work did not bring him into general 

 favour.-" He made a return of his diocese in 1563, from which we should 

 gather that the various churches in the present county of Durham were gener- 

 ally well served."" We also find that there were in the same district 1 1,772 

 households, and this suggests a population of about 58,860. Pilkington was 

 long remembered for his Puritan sympathies, in which he was supported by 

 Whittingham the dean, and Lever, a Swiss reformer, appointed prebendary in 

 1564. Whittingham, soon after his appointment, wrote to Cecil an account 

 of the cathedral and neighbourhood.^^' From this we gather that the 

 cathedral staff were busy enough in teaching and preaching, and that the 

 inhabitants ' begin to resort more diligently to the sermons and service.' 

 The people generally ' are very docile and willing to hear God's word,' 

 though hitherto ' the town is very stiff.' As for the clergy, conformable 

 for the most part, some of them began from 1564 to 'refuse the apparel.'^" 

 In 1568 KnoUys commends the bishop for the condition of his diocese as 

 regards conformity,**'^ though two months later a gloomy picture is drawn 

 of the general ignorance, lack of sermons and preachers.^'" It appears that 

 in many parishes the vicars had to serve from two to five chapels each, and 

 that in some cases these were served by ' vagabond Scots who dare not abide 

 in their country.' It is even said that they were better served when they 

 belonged to the abbeys."" 



"' See Gee, EUxabethan Clergy, 71, etc. The manuscript account is in S.P. Dom. Eliz. vol. 10. 



'■™ Gee, op. cit. 74. '" S.P. Dom. Eliz. vol. 6, No. 22. 



"=Mbid. vol. II, No. 16. 



"^ Ibid, vol 14, No. 45. , *" Ibid. vol. 20, No. 5. 



'" Harl. MS. 594, fol. 186, etc, but see another return below, note 270. 



'^ Lansd. MS. 7, fol. 24. 



'" Doubtless under the influence of Whittingham and Lever. Lansd. MS. 7. 



"^ Cal. S.P. Scot, ii, 829. 



"' S.P. Dom. Eliz. Add. vol. 14, No. 42. 



"° A return, perhaps of 1565 (alluded to in note 265), concerning vacant livings. 



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