ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



almost the only non-juring episode that has come down to us is the action of 

 a Mr. Grey who had been one of Bishop Crewe's chaplains, and turned the 

 coronation sermon into * a virulent ballad.' " 



A few events of some local importance mark the episcopate of Bishop 

 Crewe. Perhaps the most outstanding of these in the history of the county is the 

 erection of Stockton and of Sunderland into distinct parishes, and the building 

 of a new church in either place. At Stockton the borough and township 

 had been situated within the ancient parish of Norton, but with some increase 

 of trade and prestige in the early eighteenth century the inhabitants of the 

 rapidly-growing town desired to separate it from the mother parish, and to 

 erect in place of the old chapel-of-ease built by Bishop Poor in 1234 a new 

 and suitable church. Two Acts of Parliament were accordingly passed, the 

 one in 1711 and the other in 1714, which made Stockton, with East Hartburn 

 and Preston, a distinct and independent parish." 1 The new church was con- 

 secrated in 1712 by Bishop Crewe, and the sermon was preached by 

 Dr. Smith, prebendary of Durham, the most learned Durham man of his 

 generation probably, and long famous for his classic edition of Bede. 11 ' The 

 preacher took occasion to point out that Stockton was setting in the north 

 the same example of church-building zeal which characterized the reign of 

 Queen Anne elsewhere. At Sunderland the like proceedings took effect 

 rather later, in 1719, when an Act of Parliament was obtained for constituting 

 the ancient township a distinct parish from Bishopwearmouth, with a rectory 

 church of its own, its population at the time being about 6,000. The new 

 church was consecrated by Bishop Robinson of London, the bishop of Dur- 

 ham being now too old and infirm to come frequently to his diocese. 



At Winlaton, on the Durham side of the Tyne, tradition pointed to the 

 site of an ancient chapel destroyed in the rebellion of the earls in 1569. 

 Sir Ambrose Crowley, who owned extensive lead mines in the neighbour- 

 hood, set an example which has been followed by other employers of labour 

 in the county since then by building on the spot a large chapel-of-ease to 

 accommodate the workmen on the estate." 8 Elsewhere the excellent fashion 



*' Cal. S.P. Dam. 1 689-90, p. 308. That some turbulent scenes were enacted would naturally be supposed, 

 and the following extract from a news-letter preserved in the State Papers gives an example : ' Upon Sunday, 

 23 June 1689, in the parish church of Chester-le-Street, immediately after the Nicene Creed, several persons, 

 according to previous agreement, rushed out of their pews to hinder the minister from going into the pulpit ; 

 and, instead of the psalm which should then have been sung, there was nothing but outcries, according to 

 different affections, some roaring out : Hang him, we'll hear none of him, we'll be revenged ; others : God 

 bless him ; etc. The minister, who was then in the vestry as usual, goes into the choir, where he put a stop 

 to several as they were going out at that door, and called to them to return to their seats and duties. In 

 endeavouring to gain the pulpit he found the whole body of the conspirators drawn up in very formidable 

 order, not suffering him to pass, till they were satisfied why he did not pray. Being unable to gain the pulpit 

 door, though he had made considerable advances, he at last told them that by the present authority none were 

 to be prosecuted till the 1st of August next, which reason availed more than the others he had advanced, and 

 the minister at length gained the pulpit. When he was seen there, shouts were raised of : Out ; turn out ; 

 and the congregation rushed out of church, some threatening the minister with their sticks and fists. About 

 three score of sober persons, mostly women, remained in their seats, and the minister proceeded, when about 

 a score of persons returned with their hats on, and proceeded to ring the bells.' [S.P. Dom. William and 

 Mary, vol. 14, No. 2.] 



*" Interesting particulars are given in the gossiping Hut. of SunJerlanJ, written by Brewster, a lecturer of 

 Stockton Church, in 1776. See op. cit. pp. 119-126. 



*" John Smith, 1659-1715, was not the least in the long list of Durham antiquaries. He had been 

 domestic chaplain to Crewe, and by him was appointed in succession rector of Gateshead, and then of Bishop- 

 wearmouth. He supplied Dr. Gibson with the Additions relating to the bishopric of Durham, which were 

 incorporated in the new edition of Camden's Britannia. 



'" See Surtees, Hut. Dur. ii, 273, and Richardson's Table Book, i, 337. 



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