A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



of erecting charity schools, which was so characteristic of the period in Lon- 

 don, was copied with effect in the bishopric, in 1701 at Gateshead, in 171 5 

 at Darhngton, in 17 18 at Durham, and in 172 1 at Stockton."* The last 

 three still exist, after various vicissitudes, and are doing good work. No 

 record exists of the formation of religious societies in the county at this time, 

 though Newcastle had its Society for the Reformation of Manners, founded 

 in 1700 among the keelmen. An excellent charity, still known as the Cor- 

 poration of the Sons of the Clergy, was first established in Newcastle in 

 1709,"° and took in later the southern end of the diocese. 



The disciplinary traditions of Archdeacon Grenville, of which some 

 mention has been made, were continued by his successors. In the registry 

 of the archdeacon of Durham an imperfect series of presentments survives 

 dealing chiefly with moral offences, and ranging over the latter part of Crewe's 

 episcopate. The returns give evidence of diligent inquiry at the visitations 

 of the archdeacon with the sentences of penance which seem to have been 

 carefully carried out."* No doubt the registries of archdeacons in other 

 dioceses would, if examined, yield similar results ; but, so far as is known, 

 such an examination has never been systematically carried out. At all events, 

 there is direct proof that during the first forty years of the eighteenth century 

 a system of strict church discipline was in use in the diocese of Durham. 



With Bishop Talbot (1721—30) commences a series of prelates who 

 were, with the one great exception of Butler, characteristic of the period, 

 and generally merit the appellation of the courtier prelates of Durham. 

 Talbot, in the words of Hutchinson, was magnificent in taste and temper, and, 

 if a liberal patron, was on more than one occasion embarrassed by his generous, 

 perhaps prodigal, inclination. His theology is said to have had something 

 of the Arian tinge which affected the writings of Clarke and others at this 

 time. His sermons, however, do not seem to bear out the assertion,"^ and 



"' The particulars are given in the Table Book under the years mentioned in the text. 



"' The society of the Sons of the Clergy was founded in 1 709 in order to help the widows and orphans 

 of the clergy, and such clergymen as might be in need of monetary assistance. It was very scantily supported 

 at first, but as its operations extended it met with some success, and at last, in 1 773, took in the county of 

 Durham as well as Northumberland. 



"° A large bundle of ' penances ' survives, the form being common to such documents elsewhere, and 

 running as follows : ' A declaration of Penance to be done and performed by 



is appointed to be present in the parish church of upon some Sunday before the where 



being in penitential habit, having a white sheet on and a rod in hand, and standing upon some 



form or other high place immediately after the Nicene Creed in the morning shall with a distinct 



and audible voice say after the Minister as followeth, to wit : Whereas I, good neighbours, forgetting and 

 neglecting my duty towards Almighty God, and the care I ought to have had of my own soul, have committed 

 the grievous and detestable sin of to the great danger of my own soul and the evil and per- 



nicious example of all sober Christians offended thereby, I do here in a most penitential and sorrowful man- 

 ner acknowledge and confess my said sin, and am heartily sorry for the same, humbly desiring Almighty God 

 to forgive me both this and all other mine offences, and so to assist me with the grace of His Holy Spirit that 

 I may never commit the like hereafter, saying "Our Father," etc' A note is then added : ' is to certify 



the performance thereof under the hands of the minister and churchwardens.' The particular document from 

 which the above is copied is endorsed by the parish clergyman : 'October 25, 174.1. Jane Brown this day 

 at the time and in the manner above described made the above declaration of penance.' The same person 

 appends a note : ' Sir, I have at length got one of our Excommunicated persons to perform her penance. If 

 you will be so good as to send me an absolution for her I shall be much obliged, and if you would please also to 

 send me a couple more of the forms of penance that if the others will submit I may have the declaration ready 

 for them you will much oblige.' This note shows that excommunication was sometimes neglected. As the 

 returns, which are scattered over the years 1705-49, are only those of persons who submitted to the sentence, 

 we are without accurate means of ascertaining the total number of those who came under the ban ecclesiastical. 



'" As bishop of Oxford and Salisbury, successively, Talbot had published various single and collected 

 sermons. After his translation to Durham he published nothing more. See his Twelve Sermons. 



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