ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Essex, Huntingdon, Cambridge, and Hertford. It is known that the furious 

 zeal of Dowsing in person was exercised at Cambridge, not only in the college 

 chapels but even (quite illegally) in the schools, halls, libraries, and chambers 

 of the university. But so far as Suffolk is concerned, the man left behind 

 him a journal of his own performances in which he clearly gloried. His 

 work in this county, recorded in the journal, extended from 6 January, 

 1643-410 i October, 1644. During that period upwards of one hundred 

 and fifty places were visited in less than fifty days. The journal is obviously 

 incomplete, and only records the deeds done in about a third of the old 

 churches. Future references will be made to this destructive work under 

 particular parishes ; here it will suffice to cite some of the wanton mischief 

 wrought by Jessop, one of Dowsing's deputies, in the church of Gorleston, 

 as a sample of their operations : 



In the chancel, as it is called, we took up twenty brazen superstitious inscriptions, 

 ora pro nobis, etc. ; broke twelve apostles carved in wood, and cherubims, and a lamb with 

 a cross ; and took up four superstitious inscriptions in brass, in the north chancel, Jesu filii 

 Dei Misere mei, etc., broke in pieces the rails, and broke down twenty-two popish pictures 

 of angels and saints. We did deface the font and a cross on the font. We took up 

 thirteen superstitious brasses. Ordered Moses with his rod and Aaron with his mitre to be 

 taken down. Ordered eighteen angels off the roof and cherubims to be taken down, and 

 nineteen pictures in the windows. The organ I broke ; and we brake seven popish pictures 

 in the chancel window, one of Christ, another of St. Andrew, another of St. James, etc. 

 We ordered the steps [up to the altar] to be levelled by the parson of the town ; and brake 

 the popish inscription My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. I gave orders to 

 break in pieces the carved work, which I have seen done . . . and eighteen Jesuses 

 written in capital letters, which we gave orders to do out. A picture of St. George and 

 many others which I remember not, with divers pictures in the windows which we could 

 not reach, neither would they help us to raise ladders ; so we left a warrant with the 

 constable to do it in fourteen days. . . . We rent in pieces a hood and surplices and 

 brake I.H.S. the Jesuits badge in the chancel windows. . . . We brake down a cross 

 on the steeple, and three stone crosses in the chancel, and a stone cross in the porch. 1 



William Dowsing was a member of a prosperous yeoman family at 

 Saxfield, Suffolk, where he was baptized on 2 May, 1596, and buried on 

 22 March, 1679. 



By order of the Commons, on 5 November, 1645, Suffolk was divided 

 into fourteen classical presbyteries, with ministers and others nominated by 

 the county committee in accordance with the Speaker's direction. The 

 divisions were (i) the Hundred of Samford, with the town of Polstead, 

 meeting at East Bergholt ; (2) the town of Ipswich and its liberties, with 

 the Hundred of Colneys and Carlford, meeting at Ipswich ; (3) the Hundreds 

 of Loes, Wilford, and Thredling, meeting at Wickham Market; (4) the 

 Hundred of Plumsgate, with Aldburgh and Orford, and certain parishes in 

 the Hundred of Blything, meeting at Saxmundham ; (5) the rest of the 

 Hundred of Blything, with Dunwich and South wold, meeting at Hales- 

 worth ; (6) the Hundreds of Wangford, Mutford, and Lothingland, meeting 

 at Beccles ; (7) the Hundreds of Bosmcre and Claydon and Stow, meeting 

 at Coddenham ; (8) the Hundred of Hoxne, meeting at Stradbroke ; (9) 

 the Hundred of Hartismere, meeting at Eye; (10) the Hundred of Black- 

 burne, meeting at Ixworth ; (11) the Hundreds of Thingoe, Lackford, and 



1 Two or three editions of the Journal have been printed. The fullest and best account of Dowsing, 

 with the journal of his Suffolk work, is that by Rev. C. H. E. White, Su/. Arch. Inst. Proc. vi, 236-90. 



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