A HISTORY OF DORSET 



In addition to the suppression of colleges and chantries, which in effect 

 deprived the parochial clergy of the services of a body of assistant chaplains 

 whose services had cost them nothing, the reign of Edward VI was respon- 

 sible for further changes in the removal of pictures and images from parish 

 churches, the taking down of roods,'" the setting up of tables in the place of 

 altars, the whitewashing of the walls of the edifice, the confiscation of vest- 

 ments and parish plate. That section of the return of the commissioners 

 appointed to take possession of all superfluous church plate for the king's 

 use which relates to chalices has been already dealt with for the county 

 of Dorset.'^' Of the 265 entries therein contained, 254 relate to parish 

 churches, and eleven to attached chapels. Six of these parishes only had 

 three chalices : Long and Little Bredy, Corscombe, Cranborne, MarnhuU, 

 Bradford Abbas and Sturminster Newton ; the number having two in use was 

 thirty-five, 204 had one. Eight parishes were entered under ' defaults,' seven 

 of which had sold or otherwise disposed of a chalice, and there was one instance 

 of a chalice being stolen.-^' As the plague was raging in the county during the 

 proceedings of the commissioners no return was made for Canford, Wimborne 

 Minster and Poole, and an entry explaining this absence states ' ther be no 

 inventories taken by reason of the plague and they have lost ther olde enven- 

 tories as they have sent us word wher uppon ther ys no newe taken.' Accord- 

 ing to an earlier inventory specially taken in 1545 Poole made a return of 

 seven chalices ; in a second return of the commissioners of Edward VI in 

 1553 it is stated that there were reserved for the use of the church of Poole 

 one chalice weighing i2oz. and two bells in the town estimated at 6 cwt. ; 

 the remaining six bells had been sold 'for the makyng of bulworks and dyches 

 for the defence of the saide towne by direction of My Lord's Grace (the 

 Protector Somerset) at his being in Poole.' "" Another return of the church 

 goods of Poole in 1559 before the commissioners of Queen Elizabeth reported 

 ' our images be all defaced and brente.' As for the chalices no parish was 

 allowed to retain more than one, and the one left for future parish use was 

 almost invariably the worst or the least.'^^ 



Under Mary there was an attempt to restore the confiscated church 

 goods and in the absence of any settlement with regard to the transactions of 

 Edward VI's commissioners the government issued an order to compel them 

 to render an exact account of their proceedings. Accordingly Sir Giles 

 Strangways"^ set off for London, the plate and money being sent after him. 

 The plate was delivered at the Tower, and ^j^ paid in as part payment of 



'" An entry of a payment of zs. for ' takyne downe ye rode ' occurs under the year 1 547 in the church- 

 wardens' accounts of Wimborne Minster. 



"* By Mr. Nightingale in his book. Church Plate of Dorset, from which the following figures are taken. 



"' Mr. Nightingale quotes the following as typical of the church possessions of a Dorset village (it relates 

 to Woolland) in 1552: ' Fyrst, j chalis sylver parcell gylt ; j pyx sylver, j whyte cope of sylke ; j whyt vest"" 

 of dornix, j redd vest"" of dornix, ij table clothes, iij candlesticks of bras, j holy water pot bras, j lyche bell, 

 ii cruets of leade, j surplis, ij crosses of tyn, j saucer of bras, j chasuble of grene, j vest"" of black velvet. To the 

 use of the Churche. — Appoynted by the said commissioners j chalis, j white cope of sylk w"" all the table clothes 

 and surplices. The residue of all the possessions commytted to the custody of these men whose names be 

 underwrytten, Sir John Whyt, curate, John Hayson, senr., John Hayson, junr., John Carter, Thomas Baker, 

 alias Galpyn. Ibid. Pref. 7. -"" Ibid. 126. 



'"' Mr. Nightingale estimates the number of mediaeval church plate in use before the Reformation and 

 now remaining in Dorset at only three. 



"' The Commissioners appointed in Dorset were Sir Giles Strangways, Sir John Horsey, Sir George 

 de la Lynde, and Thomas Trenchard. Later on we find them constantly employed as justices of the peace in 

 trying recusants. 



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