A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



images accustomed to be worshipped, still kept them and ^"ff^'"^^^*^^ P^°P^^ 

 to offer as before.-' The suppression of the chantries in 1 548; "^J^^'/l^l 

 the faults of the chantry system may have been, undoubtedly d.nimished ne 

 efficiency of the church machinery in the county. The workmg ot the 

 Chantry Act might have been less open to criticism had it remained in 

 Somerset's hands. It is characteristic of his successors that they stretched it 

 to cover the confiscation of the plate and bells of a large number ot chapels 

 in which chantries had never existed. 



n— FROM THE REFORMATION 



The Reformation period has a twofold importance for the County 

 Palatine ; a special one in so far as it led to the erection of the see of Chester, 

 and a general one in so far as it gave rise to a certain amount of disturbance 

 among the parochial clergy and even among the laity. The former point 

 can be dealt with summarily. The Act of 1539 for the dissolution of all 

 monasteries*'^ was accompanied by the Act authorizing the king to make 

 bishoprics by his letters patent. ^'^ Between the date of this latter Act and the 

 actual issue of the letters patent erecting the new bishoprics a period of nearly 

 two years elapsed, an interval which was probably occupied by the prepara- 

 tory work of surveying the financial basis and drafting the general scheme of 

 each intended foundation. From the record preserved it can be gathered 

 that it had not at first been contemplated to erect a bishopric at Chester at 

 all, but only to extend the foundation and resources of the abbey of 

 St. Werburgh.'*' Abandoning this more limited idea, the letters patent 

 erecting the see were signed by the king on 4 August, 1541, at Walden.'** 

 Thereby the monastery of St. Werburgh at Chester was made an episcopal 

 seat and cathedral church with a bishop, a dean, and six prebendaries. The 

 whole of Lancashire was included in the new see, John Bird, bishop of Bangor, 

 being nominated to it. The two archdeaconries of Richmond and Chester,'*' 

 separated respectively from York and from Lichfield, were united and annexed 

 to the new see with all their jurisdictions. Both archdeacons were to be 

 collated by the bishop and to receive not more than ;^ioo per annum from 

 him. The archdeaconry of Richmond, hitherto under York, was taken into 

 the province of Canterbury, thus bringing the whole see under that province. 

 The chapter was incorporated and was to guide itself in its actions by statutes 

 to be prescribed by the king in an indenture. 



These letters patent were followed on the next day by two other patents, 

 granting respectively to the bishop and to the dean and chapter their endow- 

 ments.**' The latter of these two patents has a curious history. By a clerical 



- L W P Hen. nil, xvi, ,377 »> 3 , Hen. VIII, cap. .3. - Ibid. cap. 9. 



^ Ihe draft schemes are contained in vol. 24 of the Misc. Bks. of the Aug. Off at the P R O 

 1^ Pat 33 Hen. VIII, pt. 2, m. 23, reprinted in full in Rymer, fo^^^ra, xiv, 7i'7-24. 



As already stated Lancashire north of the Ribble was in Richmond archdeaconry, and south of that 

 anTrevkndthJnf r'T "'^^<if,^™°^ =°°^inf /h^ deaneries of Warrington, Manchester, Blackburn, 

 and Leyland ; that of Richmond the deaneries of Amoundemess, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kendal, Fumess and 

 Cartmel, besides others outside the county. <;"u.ii, r umess, ana 



-TK "^ ^u'^u^u"" P"'^"^' '^f.*"^ ^'''^^°' 5 ^"8- '541. "e entered on the Roll ; Pat. 33 Hen VIII ot 7 

 That to the bishop grantmg him the rectory of Bolton in Lonsdale and other possession, in !?'•„ .■^' 



;^t ^° ''''''-' ^" ""--'' ''"■ ' ''■ ^''' - ^'^ '- -' chte7drr:;pei:rw b^ 



40 



