ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Sir Henry Gates, and Dr. Harvey, proceeded to a place in the chancel duly 

 prepared (decenter ornatum) and caused the commission by the queen to be 

 read by Thomas Percy, notary public and registrar. Thereupon Robert 

 Cressy, official of the Archdeacon of Nottingham, produced the queen's 

 citatory mandate for summoning the clergy and people of the deanery of 

 Nottingham to undergo visitation at that time and place, together with certi- 

 ficate of its execution and the names and titles of all thus summoned. All 

 cited were publicly called by name, and the commissioners pronounced 

 contumacious all those who did not appear. After Sandys had addressed an 

 exhortation to the people, the commissioners directed the lay parishioners 

 and churchwardens of each parish, having laid their hands on the Holy 

 Gospels, to furnish (after dinner at two o'clock) their answers to the articles 

 of inquiry. The clergy of all kinds (whether with or without cure) were 

 instructed to appear at the same time, to exhibit letters of orders, dispen- 

 sations, and other like instruments, and ' to do further what justice and 

 equitable reason shall persuade.' 



At the appointed hour the churchwardens and parishioners exhibited 

 their bills of detection, together with the inventories of their church goods. 

 After this, diligent examination was made as to the condition, teaching 

 (doctrina), and conversation of the clergy, each being severally examined and 

 exhibiting letters of orders and other documents. An immediate result was 

 that the parish church of Adbolton, being found destitute of a curate, was 

 sequestrated, and William Lee and Thomas Clay, two of the parishioners, 

 were appointed administrators. 



On Thursday, 24 August, the commissioners were at Southwell holding 

 a visitation of the deanery of Newark, when three churches, namely Win- 

 thorpe, Edingley, and West Drayton, were sequestrated, as they lacked an 

 incumbent. On the following day the commissioners met in the chapter 

 house, Southwell, for the visitation of the collegiate church, when seven 

 prebendaries appeared by proxy, four prebendaries and four vicars-choral 

 appeared in person, four were absent without offering any excuse, whilst of 

 one no information was forthcoming. The most eminent of these prebendaries 

 who made no personal appearance was Robert Pursglove, the well-known 

 and much-esteemed suffragan Bishop of Hull ; he appeared, however, by 

 proxy. Those who made no appearance were William Mowse, George 

 Gudley, George Lambe, Robert Snell, and William Saxye. In the result, of 

 the sixteen prebendaries of Southwell, five were certainly deprived, and six as 

 certainly conformed ; of the remainder three were almost certainly deprived, 

 whilst definite information is lacking as to two. 



The commissioners took cognizance of morals, as at ordinary visita- 

 tions. Thus, at Southwell, Edward Baker of Winthorpe was presented for 

 living in adultery with Margaret Brewen. Baker made confession, and the 

 commissioners ordered him to appear in the market-place of Newark on 

 the Wednesday following, with bare feet and head, and in like manner on 

 the next Sunday in the parish church of Newark, plainly and distinctly 

 declaring before the people his confession according to a schedule delivered 

 to him. 



On 26 August the visitors were at Blyth for the deaneries of Blyth and 

 Laneham. Here, in addition to the particular parochial and clerical visitations, 



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