i6o History of the 



Mr Robert Dewhurst, an able Minister, ' hath no allowance at all 

 from the State but what the Inhabitants bestowe upon him on 

 their own accord.' They humbly desire that their Chapelry may 

 be made a Parish, and a competent maintenance allowed for a 

 Minister. (/) Here is no mention of the lands, which were 

 doubtless withheld from the Church at this time by the Trustees, 

 and not restored until the year 1724, which is the 'worse than 

 neglect' alluded to by Dr. Whitaker, (y) who observes that the 

 lands were valued at the latter end of last century but one, (the 

 seventeenth,) at the ;^50 per annum ; whilst Mr Baines, omitting 

 the words ' but one,' gives that as their value in the eighteenth 

 century." 



This clears up an obscure point in the history of the New 

 Church. It is satisfactory to know that it was not owing to their 

 being of a comparatively valueless character, that the lands were 

 left intact. 



The whole proceedings in respect to the Chantry possessions 

 were so arbitrary and unjustifiable, that we are pleased to be 

 disabused of the notion that in any one instance the King and the 

 Commissioners were disposed to act with generosity. It is quite 

 evident that exceptional causes alone prevented the possessions 

 of " the New Church of Rossendale " from being swallowed up 

 like others of a similar nature. 



The following is a list of the Incumbents of the New Church, 

 from its foundation in 151 1 (k). The first incumbent mentioned is — 



George Gregory. 

 Lawrence Ashworth, 1548. 

 James Kershaw, occurs 1607. 

 William Horrocks, 1622 ; died, 1641. 



Armistead. 



Brown. 



(i) Pari. Inq. Lamb. MSS. 



(i) Hist. Whalley, p. 224. 



(jt) An attempt has been made, on altogether insufficient grounds, to show 

 that between Robert Dewhurst, mentioned 1650, and Thomas Sanders, who 

 was installed in 1662, another incumbent, bearing the name of Kippax, held 



