A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



There are mural monuments to the Rev. B. T. 

 Haslewood, rector (d. 1876), Jonathan Openshaw of 

 Hothersall (d. 1882) and the Rev. F. E. Perrin, 

 rector (d. 1885). 



In the south-east corner of the north chapel is the 

 base of an old cross. In the north chapel also is an 

 ancient tombstone now bearing an inscription dated 

 1689. 



There is a ring of six bells by Mears of White- 

 chapel, all dated 1821, but hung in the following 

 year. In 1650 the 'curfew' was rung at 4 A.M. and 

 8 P.M. It is still rung in the evening. 16 



The plate consists of a chalice of 1777, another of 

 1815, and a plated flagon and paten made by Richards 

 of Birmingham, 1826. 



The registers begin in 1598. The first volume 

 (1598-1694) has been printed by the Lancashire 

 Parish Register Society. 17 The churchwardens' 

 accounts begin in i65O. 18 There was formerly a 

 parish library, dating from 1684, but it was dispersed 

 more than fifty years ago. 19 



The churchyard lies principally on the north, south 

 and west sides of the church, and is entered through 

 gates, near the south-east corner, from the village. 

 It was enlarged in 1870 when the old burial-ground 

 was closed. To the south of the chancel is a stone 

 sundial raised on six square steps, the plate of which 

 is missing, but the shaft, which is probably of 17th- 

 century date, forms a very picturesque feature in the 

 exterior view of the building. The oldest dated 

 gravestone is 1696. 



A church has existed here at least 

 ADVOWSON from the end of the i 2th century. 20 

 Like the manor, the advowson be- 

 longed to the Lacys, lords of Clitheroe, 21 and descended 

 to the Earls and Dukes of Lancaster, and so to the 

 Crown. In 1546 the rectory was granted to the 

 newly-created bishopric of Chester, in part exchange 

 for other lands, 22 and a vicarage was ordained to 

 which the bishop collated. 23 The rectory is now in 

 the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and the 

 Bishop of Manchester collates to the vicarage. 24 



In 1292 the value of the rectory was taxed as 

 22 a year, 25 but owing mainly to an incursion of 

 the Scots it decreased within the next thirty years to 

 ji2, 26 at which it remained in I34I. 2 " In 1535 

 the income was estimated at 39 I 5/. 6d., including 

 the value of the rectory-house and glebe. 28 The Par- 

 liamentary Commissioners in 1650 found that the 

 Bishop of Chester had leased the tithes to the inhabit- 

 ants for the nominal value of the rectory, out of 

 which he had paid 20 marks to the vicar. 29 This 

 stipend was greatly increased soon afterwards, out of 

 the sequestered revenues of the bishopric of Chester, 30 

 but after the Restoration the vicar's income would 

 return to its former level. However, about 1718 

 Bishop Gastrell found that the vicar had nearly 39 

 a year 31 and that there was also 5 6s. $>d. reserved 

 * for a priest serving within the church of Rib- 

 chester.' 32 The vicars have for forty years been 

 styled rectors. 33 The income is now returned as 



The following have been rectors and vicars : 



RECTORS 



Instituted 

 C. 1200 . . 

 c. 1240 



Richard 35 

 Drogo 36 



Name 



Patron 



Cause of Vacancy 



25 Feb. 1243-4 Guy de Russelon 37 The King 



16 T. C. Smith, Ribchester, 104. The 

 clock was placed in the tower in 1813, 

 but one had been there from 1650 or 

 earlier. 



17 Vol. xxvi, 1906. Transcribed and 

 edited by J. Arrowsmith. 



18 Many items are extracted by T. C. 

 Smith, Ribchester. 



19 Gastrell, Notitia Cestr. (Chet. Soc.), 

 ii, 471 ; Smith, op. cit. z 14-1 9, who 

 states that the founder, Bradley Hayhurst 

 of Button, was curate of Macclesfield 

 1671-82 (Earwaker, East Ches. ii, 505), 

 and died about 1685. 



20 In a grant of the moiety of Rib- 

 chester made by Robert deiLacy before 

 1193 the 'gift of the church.' of the same 

 town ' was expressly reserved to the 

 grantor ; Final Cone. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and 

 Ches.), ii, 185. 



31 See the account of the rectors. 



88 Pat. 38 Hen. VIII, pt. v 5 Ormerod, 

 Ches. (ed. Helsby), i, 97. 



28 The vicar's stipend was 20 marks. 



* 4 The patronage was transferred to the 

 Bishop of Manchester in 1859; Lond. 

 Gam. 5 Aug. 



35 Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 307. 



36 Ibid. 3Z7. 



n Inq. Nonarum (Rec. Com.), 38. 

 The township of Ribchester contributed 

 ,4 i6s. 8</., Alston the same, and Button 

 jCz 6s. &d. The apparent decrease of 

 value was attributed in part to the 

 omission of the tithe of hay, &c., and 

 other dues belonging to the altarage of 

 the church, 4 in all, but chiefly to the 



destruction caused by the Scots, owing to 

 which ten fewer ploughs were used in the 

 parish. 



28 Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), v, 262. 

 The house and glebe accounted for 

 8 51. io</., the tithes of corn ,20, 

 other tithes 2 i6i., Easter dues, &c., 

 8 13$. 8<f. The outgoings came to 6s. 

 only, for procurations and synodals. 



29 Commonly. Ch. Sur-v. (Rec. Soc. 

 Lanes, and Ches.), 168. A detailed 

 survey of the house and glebe lands is 

 printed ibid. 197-202. Some more 

 profitable arrangement seems to have 

 been made, for in 1656 an allowance of 

 70 a year out of the tithes was ordered 

 to be made to the incumbent ; Plund. 

 Mins. Accts. (Rec. Soc. Lanes, and Ches.), 

 ii, 130, 152, 207. 



30 In 1659 it was ordered that 60 

 should be paid to the vicar out of the 

 tithes ; ibid, ii, 288. 



81 Notitia Cesir. (Chet. Soc.), ii, 471. 

 The sum was made up of the 20 marks 

 paid by the bishop, the Button tithes 

 13, small tithes 9 121., and surplice 

 fees 3. 



There were five churchwardens, one 

 chosen by the vicar out of three nominated 

 to him, and the other four by the 

 'Twenty-four men' of their respective 

 quarters. The clerk was chosen by the 

 heir of Hoghton Tower. 



A list of Easter dues and surplice fees 

 in 1682 is printed in Smith, op. cit. 90-1. 



In a lease of the rectory granted by 

 Bishop Gastrell in 1724 it is stated that 



4 



the tithes of Button were reserved towards 

 the maintenance of the vicar of Rib- 

 chester ; Chester Consistory Ct. Rec. 



32 Notitia, loc. cit. 



38 The benefice was declared a rectory 

 in 1867 ; Lond. Gay,, i Mar. The usual 

 style of the incumbent is ' rector of Rib- 

 chester and vicar of Stidd.' 



84 Manch. Dioc. Dir. 



35 He attested an early grant of part of 

 Hothersall ; Add. MS. 32106, no. 19 

 Hud. 



Ellis the clerk of Ribchester occurs 

 early in the 1 3th century ; Whalley Couch. 

 (Chet. Soc.), iii, 870 ; Final Cone, i, 51. 



36 In 1246 it was recorded that Brogo 

 rector of Ribchester had been drowned 

 from a horse in the Ribble, accidentally, 

 as was supposed. The horse was drowned 

 also, and i8i/., the value of its hide, must 

 be paid to the sheriff; Assize R. 404, 

 m. 20. 



In 1243, perhaps after the death of 

 Brogo, the king (in right of his ward, 

 Edmund de Lacy) claimed the right to 

 present to the church of Ribchester, then 

 vacant, the other claimants being the 

 ' Prior of Button ' and Walter Moton. 

 The prior, no doubt the master of Stidd, 

 said he claimed nothing in the advowson ; 

 Cur. Reg. R. 131, m. 18, 17. 



37 Cal. Pat. 1232-47, p. 420. He was 

 a relative of the king's, who presented in 

 right of his ward, and had many pre- 

 ferments ; see the account of Preston 

 Church and Cal. Papal Letters, i, 224. 

 He was in minor orders only ; ibid. 242. 



