A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



of the Puritan " Thomas Hewlet " (sic) or Hewett. The rectory of Cottered 

 was sequestrated in April 1574 on the deprivation or cession of Florentius 

 Stephenson." The rector of Aspenden was deprived before May 1575." 

 In January i 579-80 the vicarage of Hemel Hempstead was vacant through 

 the cession of John Gibson,*' and the living was given to Richard Gawton, 

 afterwards well known as a Puritan leader." In March 1582-3 Thomas 

 Noble, M.A., was admitted vicar of All Saints', Hertford, then vacant by the 

 cession of George Turner.'' In a visitation of the archdeaconry of St. Albans 

 in 1574'' Thomas Holden, vicar of St. Peter's, is the only incumbent 

 stigmatized as a 'schismatic' That he was merely a Puritan of somewhat 

 advanced views may be adduced from the fact that in 1586 he was a com- 

 missioner for the examination of unlearned ministers.'* The other schismatics 

 mentioned in this return were Nicholas Colborne of Watford and Philip 

 Golde of Rickmansworth, neither of whom appears to have been a member 

 of either university or in orders. Philip Golde denied the accusation. The 

 very fact of their presentment seems to demonstrate, however, that Puritanism 

 had not yet gained a general hold upon the people. 



But though this part of the country seems to have been little disturbed," 

 elsewhere the new ideas were causing much anxiety to the authorities of 

 both Church and State. The advanced party had quickly put the Govern- 

 ment on the defensive. Though the Puritans in the Lower House of 

 Convocation had been defeated in 1 563 on proposals in various matters of order, 

 their denunciations were by no means confined to the signing with the cross 

 at baptism, the kneeling at the administration of the communion or vestarian 

 matters. One of the defeated proposals had been for the abolition of 

 dispensations for pluralities and non-residence.'' A ' supplication ' to the 

 queen made at the beginning of her reign complains also of cures being held 

 by those that ' yet be of perverse and corrupt judgement and not hitherto 

 reformed,' '^ of ' the placing and admittance of Parsons, Vicars and of other 

 Ecclesiastical ministers to have special cure and charge of our soules which be 

 so ignorant in all the holie scripture . . . that they cannot instruct and 

 teach us,' and further of ' the admittance of such to have cure of soules, 

 which be learned onelie in the Civill and Canon Lawes.' " There can be 

 no doubt that dispensations and clerical ignorance were serious evils, and 

 the Puritans were probably backed by public opinion in their efforts at 

 reform, for it is noticeable that while at the beginning of the reign questions 



'^ Strype, Annals, i (i), 512. 



'' Ibid. 67. There is, perhaps, some confiision here. 



'* Ibid. 67, 1 10. He had been instituted in April 1567 (ibid. 328 n.). ''' Ibid. 68. 



*" Ibid. 70. *i Ibid. ; Urwick, 'Nonconformity in Herts. 426. 



'^ Line. Epis. Rec. — Bf. Cooper — (Line. Rec. Soc), 72. *' Visit. 1574 (Lond. Epis. Reg.). 



" Rec. of the Old Jrchd. of St. Albans, 53. 



■"' A curious incident at Watford throws some light on the general feeling at this time. In November 

 1575 the churchwardens, schoolmaster and sacristan were summoned before the archdeacon to explain how 

 the font had been pulled down. They declared that they had not noticed it. The case was adjourned for 

 inquiries, which were especially to be made by Nicholas Colborne ' because he kept the schole in the church.' 

 One witness declared that ' beinge in the church with the vicar he perceyved that the font was ryven and in 

 decay where upon he tould the same unto the vicar, then the vicar came to it and stirred it with his hand.' 

 Before 24 November 1575 the font had been restored {Yl3\s, Precedents in Causes of Office, J^). Henry 

 Edmunds was then vicar (Urwick, op. cit. 348 ; cf Rec. of the Old Archd. of St. Albans, 142). 



*^'^ Strype, Annals, i, 335; Burnet, Hist, of Reformation (ed. Peacock), vi, 480 ; Morrice MS. 

 (Dr. \^'illiams's Lib.), B, fol. 149. ^ For this charge in relation to Hertfordshire see above. 



88 Morrice MS. (Dr. Williams's Lib.), B, fol. 149. 



322 



