A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



means vacant.'* In the late autumn there were more deprivations ; Robert 

 Xebbe was turned out of his living of Ayot St. Lawrence,* the rector of 

 Puttenham was deprived, and Thomas Chambers was instituted rector 

 of Westmill, which is merely described as ' vacant.' ' Thomas Casse of 

 Digswell was also deprived in this year.* 



In September i 554 Bonner began his visitation of the diocese of London. 

 The injunctions issued to the clergy provided that no married or heretical 

 priest might hold a benefice, that no priest from another diocese might 

 serve a cure without first producing letters testimonial under the epis- 

 copal seal, and that every non-resident must supply a ' sufficient, honest 

 and able Priest ' to serve his cure.^ While such regulations were aimed 

 at the suppression of the new doctrine among the clergy, provision was 

 also made for the instruction of the parishioners. The desire for sermons 

 was to be met by the reading of homilies on every Sunday and holy day, 

 and at least four times a year the clergy were to ' declare set forth and 



instruct the proper the true meaning of the ceremonies of the Church ' i.e. 



of the giving of bread and of holy water, the bearing of candles on Candlemas 

 Day, the giving of hallowed ashes by the priest to the people on Ash 

 Wednesday, the bearing of palms on Palm Sunday, the creeping to the cross 

 on Good Friday, and the bearing of the pax in church during the cele- 

 bration of mass.* The articles of inquiry ' were very minute and 

 postulated that the state of the churches and clergy was the same as in 

 the days of Henry VIII, the legislation of his son's reign being ignored. 

 Unfortunately no return has been found, but some details can be learnt from 

 the clergy list drawn up at this time.^" The rector of Buckland and the 

 curate of Sawbridgeworth were ordered to produce their letters testimonial, 

 and at this last place John Johnson, priest and schoolmaster, and one Pevcrell, 

 a priest, were found to have married. 



The visitation list is notable as an official statement of the number of 

 livings vacant in this part of Hertfordshire in the last months of 1554. The 

 livings of Barkway and Royston remained vacant until January 1554-5, 

 while that of Little Hormead was not filled until April." A vicar of Great 

 Hormead, however, was instituted in October.'^ The vicarage of Hexton 

 was vacant, and the churchwardens of Norton presented that they had had 

 no vicar since Midsummer.^' Queen Mary's ordinances ^* had provided that 

 ' where priests do want ' the bishops were to take order for the parishioners ' to 

 repair to the next parish for divine service,' or to arrange for one curate to 

 serve several parishes in turn. How far this was carried out in Hertford- 

 shire was not known, but the total number of vacancies was not great and 

 no very serious inconvenience can have been caused. The deprivation must, 

 however, have caused much ill-feeling, and this seems to have been 

 strengthened by Bonner's inquiries and conduct at the visitation. The story 

 told by Foxe ^' of his progress through the county has been frequently 

 repeated and may well represent, even if it does not reproduce, the facts. 



8 Line. N. and Q. vi, 9. * Ibid, v, 206. . , . ' ^bid. 205, 206, perhaps by resignation. 



6 j|jj£ J - . ^ Iniunctions geven in the visitation of . . . Edmunde Bishop of London. 



8 jyjj' " 9 The articles are printed in Strype, ^ff/. Af^CT. iii (2), 217. 



i« Visit of the Archd. of Middlesex, 1554 (Lond. Epis. Reg.). 



11 Newcourt, /?./.r/. i, 803, 838, 867. V^'^'.^^^' / . -r" ^'"'^,"'-- . 



" Wilkins, Concilia, iv, 90. " Foxe, Acts and Monum. (ed. Townsend), vi, 562-4. 



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