A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



was that in 1518 when the rectories of Hertford, Bengeo, * Hcrefield,' Pirton, 

 Ashwell and Aspenden were all let to laymen, the chancels of ' Herefield,' 

 Pirton and Ashwell were in a state of serious disrepair." It is known that in 

 1543 farmers were in possession of the churches — i.e. rectorial tithes — of 

 Bygrave, Little Munden, Throcking, Ardeley, Wheathampstead, Lilley, 

 King's Walden and Harpcnden," and the frequency of the practice shows 

 that the lease of a rectory was profitable to the lessee. That it was equally 

 advantageous to the absent rector may be gathered from the instance of 

 King's Walden, where the farm of the 'rectory' brought in ^16 i 3J. ^. to 

 the priory of Old Malton, Yorkshire,'^ which paid the ' curate ' ^5 6j. 8^. as 

 stipend." This was a very usual sum for a ' curate ' to receive at this date ; 

 but the stipends were not always liberal, and the farmer of the church of 

 Watton at Stone himself granted an annuity to the curate to enable him the 

 better to sustain the burdens.'' At a later date the salary seems to have been 

 usually paid by the farmer." A curious example of the results of such an 

 arrangement was seen at St. Albans soon after the Dissolution. The abbey 

 had granted to Thomas Chadsley the chapel of St. Andrew at farm at a rack 

 rent ; as long as the abbey was occupied he drew his profit from the tithes 

 and offerings of the servants and household, but these disappeared with the 

 Dissolution, and the cure was unserved as Chadsley could no longer afford to 

 pay a curate his stipend.'* The practice of farming rectories survived the 

 Rfeformation, the rectory of Hatfield, ' esteemed one of the best in England,' 

 being a notable example of the abuse." 



Closely connected with the abuse of pluralities was that of non-residence. 

 And what non-residence meant may be judged from the ironical remarks of 

 Bishop Porteus made to the clergy of the diocese of London in his charge of 

 1791,*° 'much too large a proportion' of whom were non-resident. 'The 

 instrument of dispensation,' he says, 'requires 13 sermons a year and 

 hospitality for two months.' The church of the early 19th century was in this 

 respect in much the same case as six hundred years before, and nothing more 

 scandalous can be imagined than the case of Mr. George Pretyman, who then 

 held the rectory of Wheathampstead," with the living of Chalfont St. Giles, 

 &c., and derived from his livings a net income of £i,6()j, exclusive of 

 cathedral endowments. The bishops of the 1 3th century recognized the 

 evil. In several cases, as at Throcking, Bishop Hugh of Wells instituted a 

 rector on condition that he was resident and served the cure in person." 

 Grossteste felt strongly on the subject, but the practice grew and was, of 

 course, inevitable in the case of rectors who had failed to take full orders or 

 were engaged in theological study. '^ 



In the 14th century the bishops would take action in flagrant cases. 

 John de Penrith deserted his cure of Baldock and in 1359 Bishop Gynwell 

 gave a commission to William rector of Holywell (Holwell) to minister in 



" Visit, of the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon (Line. Epis. Reg.). 



" Ibid, sub anno. '* Mins. Accts. Hen. VIII, no. 4618, m. 9. 



^* Salter, A Subsidy . . . 1526, p. 176. 



'* Line. Epis. Reg. Buckingham, Memo. fol. 1 04 d. 



" Visit, as above, 1543. '' Ct. of Aug. Proc. bdle. 31, no. 68. 



" Salmon, Hit. of Herts. 213. ** Porteus, Charge to the Clergy 0/ the Diocese of London (1791), 8-I0. 



'1 Cussans, Hist, and Anti(j. of Herts. Dacorum Hund. 346 n. 



'- Rot. Hugonis de H'eL'es (Cant, and York Soc), i, 59. 83 gee above 



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