A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



a suit as to a marriage celebrated in the church of West Drayton came 

 before the commissioners. The parishioners of Stokeham presented the vicar 

 of Drayton for not supplying them with a curate ; the visitors ordered the 

 vicar to serve Drayton and Stokeham alternis vicibus up to the ensuing Easter, 

 and from that day to supply Stokeham with a curate at his own costs. The 

 church of Fledborough was destitute of a curate, and was in consequence 

 sequestrated. 



From Blyth the visitors passed on to Pontefract, where, on 28 August, 

 they began the visitation of Yorkshire. After record had been made of the 

 various visitation centres throughout the four northern dioceses, the register 

 contains the entries of ecclesiastical suits as to benefices brought before the 

 commissioners ; thus at Nottingham they dealt with the restitution of Oliver 

 Columbus to the rectory of Stanford, at Southwell with a dispute as to the 

 vicarage of Newark, and at Blyth with a dispute as to the rectory of Clay- 

 worth. This is followed by a list of institutions made by the visitors to 

 vacant benefices. At Nottingham they filled up the rectories of Treswell, 

 Keyworth, Lowdham, and Wollaton, and the vicarage of Leeds ; at South- 

 well, the vicarage of East Markham and the rectory of Burythorpe ; and 

 at Blyth, the rectory of Grove and the vicarages of Cropwell Bishop and 

 Wheatley. 



The summary of Detectiones et Comperta is of much interest, and is 

 evidence of the thorough nature of the visitation, apart from the supremacy 

 and subscription questions. The chancel of St. Mary's, Nottingham, was in 

 great decay, and the windows unglazed ; and the churches of St. Peter and 

 St. Nicholas were in sore decay. The parishioners of St. Peter's com- 

 plained that ' the curate upon Sondaies and hollydaies after the Gospel dothe 

 not use the Lords Prayer the belief and the tene commandmentes.' In none 

 of the three churches was there a register book kept. North Clifton had no 

 curate for two years ; Adbolton no service for the like period ; at West 

 Drayton, Bawtry, and Stockwith, ' no curate this xij moneth ' ; Hovering- 

 ham, 'long without a curate' ; Lenton, neither vicar nor curate ; Whatton, 

 vacant since Candlemas ; and Attenborough, cure unserved. The parishioners 

 of Bunny, East Retford, Tuxford, Edingley, and Sturton were content simply 

 to present that they had ' no curate.' At Kirkby in Ashfield the rector 

 was non-resident, and the parishioners complained that he gave nothing 

 to the poor ; at East Stoke the vicar was non-resident, and they had had 

 no service since Midsummer Day ; and at Balderton ' the parson ys not 

 resident.' 



Whatever may be said of monasteries, the neglect of the chancels of 

 their appropriated churches can hardly ever be brought against them. But 

 after their suppression the lay rectors were frequently neglectful of their 

 responsibilities. There were several cases of such neglect in Nottingham- 

 shire. At Lowdham both chancel and church were in great decay ; at 

 Winthorpe the chancel was uncovered ; and at Calverton the chancel had 

 nearly fallen down. The presentments of the chancels of Clayworth, Bever- 

 cotes, Wheatley, and Bothamsall are almost equally grave. At Stanton, 

 Eaton, and Balderton, the churches were in general decay. 



The prebendal houses of Southwell were in decay, and a like report 

 was made of the vicarages of Cropwell, Stoke, and Eaton. 



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