ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
devotion amongst the people would vary greatly, as it has done ever since, 
with the character of the parish clergy.’ 
A few years later political causes drew attention to the recusants 
who still clung to the Roman obedience, and lists were drawn up in 
some places to show their numbers and status. In 1585 a seminary 
priest, Thomas Freeman, was arrested and examined by the justices of 
Bedfordshire and sent up to London with his papers and books.” There 
is a curious list among the State Papers of fema/e recusants* in Bedford- 
shire, giving the names of seven wives and three widows of gentlemen 
of the county, whose incomes varied from £200 to £10 a year. Besides 
these a few names of servants and poorer people were known to the writer, 
who was ready when the queen’s pleasure was signified ‘ to take such order 
with them as I hope shall avoid all inconveniences as hereafter might 
happen by them or any other.” What these measures were can only be 
guessed, for they were never taken ; but the tone of the letter is very 
characteristic of the times, and shows clearly the suspicion* with which 
such recusants were regarded. 
Nothing © however seems to have happened to these ladies, and 
in the lists of 1591 ° only four names are given of recusants in Bedford- 
shire. Indeed it seems probable that they never had much influence in 
the county beyond the little circle of the Mordaunts and their friends at 
Turvey, where’ a little later than this, Secretary Coke discovered that 
William Smith, the titular ‘Bishop of Chalcedon,’ had a place of resi- 
dence. When Lord Mordaunt was reconciled to the Anglican Church 
in 1625, by the influence of his wife and Archbishop Usher, Turvey 
ceased by degrees to be a gathering place for recusants ; and though 
there were still twenty people presented to the archdeacon for this 
offence in 1642,’ none of them was a person of any note. From this 
time forward the air of Bedfordshire could scarcely be called congenial 
to popery. 
1 At the end of the same book there is an entry under 30 April, of the institution of the 
rector of Clophill, in the church of Ampthill, ‘inter horas 3 a.m. et 4 a.m.’ It would be interesting to 
know if this hour was exceptional or otherwise. 
There were a few inscriptions (since destroyed) existing in 1583, to witness that one pious cus- 
tom, commonly supposed to have passed away with the Reformation, was still sanctioned by law and 
by public opinion. Such were: In Dunstable church—Hic jacet Ric’us Denton qui obiit 18 March 
1564, et Elizabetha uxor eius guor’ an’ etc. ; and in Sutton, North Chapel—Of your charity pray for 
the souls of Thomas Burgoyne and Elizabeth his wife ‘ w’che Thomas deceased 9 Aug. 1576 on whose 
sowle and all Xtane sowles Jesu have mercye’ (printed in Beds N. and Q.i. 71, 74, from the MS. of 
Francis Thynne, Lancaster Herald ; Cotton MS. Cleop. C iii.) 
2 §. P. Dom. Eliz. clxxviii. No. 26. 
3 Ibid. cxcv. No. 116. They are the wives of W. Mordaunt of Oakley, J. Fortescue of Eyworth, 
J. Charnock of Holcote, Oliver Skroges and Richard Skroges of Renhold, W. Hewet of Millbrook, 
Robert Willowes of Barford ; and widows—the old Lady Catelayne of Dunton, Edith Bredyman of Tin- 
grith and Alice Gostwick of Bedford (the last presented to the archdeacon in 1578 for not coming to church). 
4 «The above-named John Charnock . . . is son of Richard Charnock of Holcote . . . a man 
greatly noted and suspected in religion ; and hath as I am credibly informed great and often repair to 
his house of such as are not to be liked nor trusted in these dangerous times.’ 
5 There is a letter from the Earl of Kent to the Council in 1588, asking what shall be done with 
them ; no answer is recorded (Ca/. of S. P. Dom. Eliz. 22 Jan. 1588). 
6 §. P. Dom. Eliz. ccxxxviii. No. 126. 7 Ibid. Chas. I. xcix. March 1628. 
8 History of the Willey Hundred, W. M. Harvey, p. 182. 
® Beds N. and Q. ii. 16 ; from the parish registers. 
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