A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



harbouring of persons of all sorts ill-affected to the state.' "° A return of the 

 same year speaks of i,ooo convicted recusants in the county of Durham.'*" 

 This report is connected with an inquiry for Recusants' Lands recently 

 ordered, which led to the drawing up of an ' estimate of the true value of 

 lands of recusants found by inquisition in co. Durham.' '" In 1628 an 

 important commission was issued to the President of the North and to others 

 for compounding with recusants in various counties (including Durham) for 

 forfeitures. The proceeds of the composition were to be employed in 

 maintaining six men-of-war to guard the coasts from the north-east to the 

 mouth of the Thames."^ The Romanist priests harboured by such bishopric 

 gentlemen as Sir Robert Hodgson confined themselves in the main to the 

 quiet performance of their sacred functions wherever they might prove to 

 be acceptable. A small volume of proceedings of the High Commission 

 survives for the years 1626—39.'" We have in it evidence of various clan- 

 destine marriages and secret baptisms. One such case will serve as an 

 illustration of many. Ralph Huntly, of Pittington, ' confesseth he was 

 married to Frances, his now wife, by one Flood an old man, whom he 

 thinketh was a Popish priest ; and hath had four children all privately 

 baptized in his own house.''** Huntly was fined £^0 with one month's 

 imprisonment, and was directed to bring a certificate of baptism for his 

 children from the vicar of Pittington. But about this time the attention of 

 the ecclesiastical authorities began to be taken up by other matters, as the 

 sequel will show, and recusancy was either suffered to maintain itself 

 unmolested, or to receive merely occasional warnings. 



Reverting to the point from which digression was made to survey the 

 fortunes of recusancy, a few words may be said about the episcopate of Bishop 

 James (1606—17). Its importance lies rather in the history of the town 

 than of the bishopric at large. It forms an epoch in the relations of the bishop 

 and the citizens. A feud broke out in 1609 over certain municipal rights 

 and led to a large amount of ill feeling.'*^ In 161 i the bishop was troubled 

 over the case of Arabella Stuart. He had been appointed by the king to 

 prepare lodging in Durham Castle for the reception of this young lady, whose 

 attachment to Lord William Seymour was thought to be a possible menace 

 to the succession. She left London with the bishop, but managed to make 

 her escape on the way to the north. Her custodian was so greatly perturbed 

 by the worry of his task that he fell ill in consequence.'*" Some few years 

 later Bishop James received the king at Durham Castle during his somewhat 

 memorable progress into Scotland in 1 6 1 7,'*^ the first royal visit which has 

 been recorded since the marriage feast of Princess Margaret in 1503. Bishop 

 James left no mark on the northern Church. The parish books of Pittington 

 and of St. Oswald's, Durham, which are more or less contemporary, throw 

 some little light on church life and practice in and near the city.'*^ Mention 



*" Dur. Univ. Mickleton MSS. 2, 394, quoted by Surtees, Hiit. Dur. ii, 75. 



"» Ca/. S.P. Dm. 1625-6, p. 420. "' Ibid. 488. "' Ibid. 1628-9, P- 205. 



'" Surtees Soc. Pui/. xxxiv. '" Quoted in Surtees, Hist. Dur. i, 1 1 8. 



'" These are described elsewhere, ' Political History '; cf. Ca/. S.P. Dom. 1603-1 1, p. 573. 

 '" The narrative is given in Gardiner, Hist. Engl, ii, 113 and 1 1 7. For the S.P. Dom. references, 1 603, 

 &c. There is an account of the expenses in Harl. MS. 7003, fol. 94, 96, 97. 

 "' Described in Gardiner, Hist. Engl, iii, 223—4. 

 "° Surtees Soc. Publ. Ixxxiv. See the summary, pp. viii-xv. 



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