BLACKBURN HUNDRED whalley 



Bold, the Hulme Trustees purchasing it," so that the In 1535 he received ^^ 12 a year from the abbey, 

 recent vicars have been presented by them. but various charges reduced his net income to 

 The first ' vicarage ' was, as already stated, reunited [fi 3/. 8(2'."' At some time after the rectory came 

 to the rectory in 1249. The second was ordained in into the possession of the Archbishops of Canter- 

 1298 by the Bishop of Lichfield" ; the vicar was to bury," the farmer contracted to pay ^^38 a year to 

 have a dwelling house and 30 acres of land with the vicar, who had also a house, and other sums to 

 various easements ; also altarage." This was changed certain of the chapelries."' Archbishop Juxon in 1660 

 in 1331 by a new ordination, whereby the vicar was gave the Easter roll to the vicar and curates, but the 

 to have 66 marks a year and certain allowances, latter were to pay ^^42 a year to the vicar, whose in- 

 being made responsible for the maintenance of divine come was thus made j£8o a year." This was still the 

 worship in the parish church and the various chapels.'* income in 1717 when eight townships contributed to 

 From about 1348 to the Suppression one of the monks the repairs of the parish church, viz. — Whalley, Wis- 

 was usually vicar. That was the year when the well, Read, Mitton, Pendleton, Simonstone, Padiham, 

 Black Death appeared, but the appointment of and Hapton." The value of the benefice was j^I 37 

 monks as vicars was due to quite another reason." a year in 1834, and is now given as ^£356 net."' 



The following have been vicars : — 

 Instituted Name Patron Cause of Vacancy 



4 Oct. 1298 . John de Whalley ** Whalley Abbey . . . 



3 May 1309 . Richard de Chadesden " .... The Bishop .... 



27 Mar. 131 1 . Richard de Swinesley" .... Geoff, de Blaston . . . res. R. de Chadesden 



oc. 1326 . . . ?John*' 



7 Oct. 1330 . John de Topcliffe " Whalley Abbey . . . 



— 1336 . William Wolf " „ 



'^ Whitaker, loc.cit.; the trustees have give i jj. 4^/. a year to the monastery as a year. There were eight churchwardens 



greatly augmented the stipends of the * pittance,' to be given in alms on the for the eight townships named, 



incumbents. anniversary of the bishop's death. Extra- ^^ Manc/i. Dioc. Dir, 



^ Delay was caused by various events. ordinary burdens of parish church and *^ Lich, Epis. Reg. i, fol. I, 8 ; the first 



The see of Lichiield was vacant in 1296 chapels were to be borne by the monks. vicar was a priest and was to be inducted 



and the next bishop, Walter de Langton, The monks at the same time redeemed into the vicarage by the Dean of Werming- 



had a new survey made before he decreed the payments to the chapters of Coventry ton and Robert rector .of Standish. John 



the ordination. Pope Boniface VIII and Lichfield and the archdeacon, ^^15 a is also named as vicar in the inquiry as to 



revoked many of the appropriations au- year in all ; ibid. 222-5. ^^^ value of the rectory ; Whalley Couch. 



thorized by Nicholas IV, and the monks '' Pope Innocent VI in 1358 granted i, 212. 



therefore judged it necessary to obtain a the monks leave to present one of their ^^ Lich. Epis. Reg. i, fol. 57 ; a priest, 



fresh bull from him : Whalley Couch, i, number to the ordinary for institution to The bishop presented by lapse of time. 



207-12. the vicarage, the residence of secular Chadesden was soon afterwards induced 



^^ Ibid. 212-16. Each of the eight clerks within the inclosure having led to to resign by the Earl of Lancaster, who 



chaplains had 4 marks a year, ' according disturbances. The Bishop of Lichfield called him * our dear clerk ' 5 Whalley 



to the custom of the country' (p. 206); had already dispensed three monks in Couch, i, 316. 



/lo had to be paid to the chapters of succession to hold the benefice ; Cal. One of the name became a prebendary 



Coventry and Lichfield, ,^5 to the Arch- Papal Letters, iii, 595. of St. Paul's ; Le Neve, Fasti, ii, 391. 



deacon of Chester, and 431. for synodals ™ Falor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), v, 230. *' Lichfield Epis. Reg. i, fol. 59 ; a 



and procurations. The chapel of Altham The bishop had £z, synodals and pro- priest. Power to absolve his parishioners 



was then in dispute, it being alleged to be curations required 43X., alms distributed was granted him for all cases except those 



a parish church. The abbot and convent on the obit day of Bishop Roger 13J. 4^/., specially reserved to the bishop. He was 



had to keep the chancel of the parish rent resolute to the churchwardens ^^i. presented by Master Geoffrey de Blaston, 



church in repair and pay two-thirds of ^^ Perhaps in 1586, when the first lease Canon of Lichfield, in accordance with an 



extraordinary charges, the vicar paying by an archbishop was granted \ Whitaker, arrangement with the convent of Whalley 



the other third and discharging the op. cit. i, 211. The vicar had ^^30 out at the instance of the Earl of Lancaster ; 



ordinary dues. of the tithes in 1588 ; ibid. 209. Whalley Couch, loc. cit. About two months 



In 1296 the parishioners alleged that by ^'^ Common'w. Ch. Sur-v. (Rec. Soc. after his Institution he had leave to go to 



a special custom the rectors of the church Lanes, and Ches.), 163. A detailed state- the Roman Court on the business of his 



provided the altar cloths, but the arch- ment of the value of the tithes and glebe vicarage ; Lich. Epis. Reg. i, fol. 59^. He 



deacon decided against them ; ibid. 306. is given. An increase of £20 a year out was still vicar (Richard de ' Swyneflet ') 



*' The monks complained, apparently of the profits of the rectory was granted in 1316 ; Whalley Couch, iv, 1 1 17. 



with justice, that the ordination of 1298 in 1656 ; Plund. Mlns. Accts, (Rec. Soc. ^' John, rector of Whalley, had leave of 



was unduly burdensome to them. Of Lanes, and Ches.), ii, 173. absence for purposes of study In August 



Roger de Norbury, the bishop who made ^^ Whitaker, op. cit. i, 210. An ac- 1326; Lich. Epis. Reg. ii, fol. loii. 



the new ordination, it is stated that he count is given of the Easter roll of 1616 ; It is possible that this refers to John de 



'for nearly forty years lived a diligent life each householder paid I</. each for himself Brereton, rector of Wallasey (Kirkby in 



among our forefathers, checking and and the communicants living in his house Walley) ; Ormerod, Ches. (ed. Helsby), 



punishing sin, and making every one of as well as an ancient duty called house ii, 477. 



the many clergy under him do his duty, duty, by which a man and wife paid 4j</. ™ Lich. Epis. Reg. ii, fol. 106 ; a 



according to the light of the age and the and a married couple livingwith them 3i</. priest. 



means at his disposal' ; Beresford, Lk^- more. There were a large number of '1 Ibid. fol. mi; a poor priest. It 



field (Dioc. Hist.), 134. It may be sup- other small dues. 'Holy loaf money,' appears that he had been provided by 



posed therefore, that his award was a just obsolete by 1 800, used to be paid by Benedict XII, the abbot and convent pre- 



one • it was made after due inquiry both groups of fifty-two houses, each house senting him accordingly. In November 



from' the abbot and the vicar, each party paying ijrf. ; thus one group would pay 1336, as William called 'the Wolf of 



agreeing to submit to the bishop's decl- 6s. 6d. one year, another group 6s. 6d. the Kirklawton (Church Lawton in Cheshire), 



sion • Whalley Couch. I, 217-20. The next year, and so on till all the houses he promised the monks not to trouble 



monks were to build a suitable manse, to had paid, when the first group would be them respecting the ordination of the 



allow hay for one horse, and 4 quarters called upon again. vicarage made in 1331, in gratitude for 



of oats. The vicar was to maintain a ^* Gastrell adds that ^4 8j. lid, was the 'immense and innumerable benefits' 



priest in each chapel, provide wine and payable to the clerk of the church out of which the monks had conferred on him ; 



bread pay 'senage' (synodals) and pro- the duchy; Notitia Cestr. (Chet. Soc), Whalley Couch, i, 315. He occurs as 



curations, discharge ordinary dues, and ii, 297. The parish clerk had 40s. a trustee in 1337 ; ibid, iv, 1053. 



357 



