A HISTORY OF SURREY 



of the county, the Bishop of Winchester, was usually at Farnham Castle 

 or at Winchester House in Southwark. Whatever opinions might pre- 

 vail among the private patrons of livings, a part of the diocese of Bishops 

 Andrewes and Neile, and their county of residence, was not likely to be 

 in the hands of an ultra-Puritan clergy. More than a fourth part of 

 the beneficed clergy were found to be so hostile, or so objectionable for 

 some reason or other to the Long Parliament, that they were ejected 

 from their livings. 



From the time of their meeting in 1640 the Long Parliament 

 began to entertain complaints of the doctrinal, disciplinary or political 

 offences of clergy, and to take upon themselves their removal, suspension 

 or correction. 



Mirth Waferer, parson of Compton, Surrey, was the second case in 

 England so dealt with, 8 December, 1 640.' On 1 1 February, 1 642, 

 Mr. John Nelson of Mickleham was suspended. During the same period 

 two Puritan lecturers were established in the county by Parliamentary 

 order, one at Farnham on i September, 1641, and one at Chertsey on 

 31 May, 1642. When the Committee of Plundered Ministers set to 

 work, not only to relieve ' such godly and well affected ministers as have 

 been plundered,' but ' to consider what malignant persons had benefices 

 which being sequestered might be supplied by others,' and ultimately 

 ' to enquire into scandals and offences alleged, and put out of their livings 

 such as had offences proved against them,' they found some forty vacancies 

 in Surrey, already made by the Parliament, or made them themselves. 

 Those livings which appear in the extant proceedings of the committee 

 are Abinger, Beddington, Bermondsey, Betchworth, Byfleet, Camberwell, 

 Camberwell School, Dulwich College Chapel, Capel, Charlwood, Chid- 

 dingfold, Chipstead, East Clandon, Cranleigh, Croydon, Ewhurst, Farn- 

 ham, Godalming, St. Nicholas' Guildford, Holy Trinity Guildford, 

 Hedley, West Horsley, Letherhead, Newington, Nutfield, Okewood 

 Chapel, Putney, Reigate, Richmond, St. George's Southwark, St. Olave's 

 Southwark, Wisley and Woodmansterne.' To these Walker, in The 

 Sufferings of the Clergy, adds Barnes, Ewell, Mickleham, St. Thomas' 

 Hospital, Thorpe and Worplesdon. All these seem to be genuine cases. 

 The incumbent of Worplesdon was Thomas Comber, D.D., the deprived 

 Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. The journals of the two houses 

 also bear witness to the sequestrations of Ashsted and Lambeth, not re- 

 coverable from the Committee of Plundered Ministers' proceedings, nor 

 named by Walker ; and they confirm the sequestrations of Barnes, Cam- 

 berwell, Capel, Chiddingfold, Ewell, Godalming, St. Nicholas' Guildford, 

 West Horsley, Mickleham, Newington, St. Olave's Southwark, St. 

 Thomas' Hospital Southwark.' There was a violent conflict in East 



1 Lords Journals, iv. 105, 250. Waferer was accused of using scandalous words about the twelve 

 lords who petitioned the king in the north to call a Parliament. A new presentation to Compton was 

 made in 1642, so he was probably deprived, though it b not on record. 



' Minutes of Proceedings, eU. Brit. Mus. Add. MSS. 15669, 1 5670-1. 



3 See lists of sequestrations and appointments in Shaw, Historj of the Church of England during the 

 Civil Wars, etc. vol. ii. Appendix ii. A. 



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