ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



which is only half religious. The inhabitants speak as Roman Catholics, 

 but apparently were concerned primarily about the property of the chapel. 

 Beyond this episode almost the only evidence bearing on the attitude of the 

 county towards the Marian reaction is afforded by the mere names of the 

 clergy who vacated ''' in the years 1553 or 1554 and the numbers ordained 

 to supply vacancies.*'* The cathedral clergy have hardly the same importance 

 for this question as the parochial ; but the deprivation of Bishop Bird in 

 1554 is of account. 



For the story of the general legislative settlement of the Elizabethan 

 Church Lancashire would have little importance were it not for the personality 

 of the bishop of Chester, Cuthbert Scott, a native of the county.'**^ Even 

 before the passing of either the Supremacy Act or the Uniformity Act Scott 

 had got into trouble for his uncompromising attitude both in Parliament and 

 Convocation, and at the disputation at Westminster, 31 March, 1558-9, 

 between the Protestant and Roman Catholic champions. But until the 

 passing of those Acts no specifically penal proceedings were taken against 

 him or his fellow bishops. Both Acts passed on 28 April, 1559, and on 

 23 May following, a royal commission was issued to the Privy Council to 

 administer the oath of Supremacy. Between 21 and 26 June the oath was 

 tendered to Scott, and on his refusal of it he was on the latter date deprived. 

 After a four years' imprisonment in the Fleet, he was allowed to live in Essex 

 under surveillance, but escaped to Belgium, where he died in 1565. Having 

 disposed of the Marian bishops, who were alP'" deprived by November, 

 1559, the administration turned to the general body of the clergy. On 

 28 May, 1559, a general visitation of all the dioceses was resolved upon. The 

 articles of inquiry, which were practically those of the Edwardian Injunctions, 

 were ready by i 3 June, and on 24 June writs of visitation were issued to all 

 the dioceses. Five sets of visitors were appointed for the southern province 

 and one set for the northern province. The fourteen commissioners who 

 composed this latter comprised noblemen, knights, divines, and lawyers : but 

 the work fell mainly on Edwin Sandys, afterwards archbishop of York, 

 Henry Harvey, a civil lawyer, Thomas Gargrave, speaker of the House of 

 Commons, and Henry Gates. In the course of September they visited the 

 dioceses of York and Durham, Carlisle in the first week of October, and 

 then entered the diocese of Chester. On Monday, 9 October, 1559, Sandys 

 and Harvey sat at Kendal to visit Kendal, Copeland, and Furness.'" There 

 is no mention in their proceedings of any clergy refusing the oath in these 

 deaneries. We are only told that the visitors heard two causes, one as 

 between Cockermouth and Embleton, the other as between Crosthwaite and 

 Heversham. On the 12th they sat at Lancaster, and at Wigan on the i6th, 



'" These names include among the parochial clergy the following : Warrington — Edward Keble 

 deprived, his successor instituted in Nov. 1554; and North Meols— Lawrence Waterward, deprived before 

 Aug. 1554, when his successor was instituted. 



'" See the Ordination Book, printed by the Record Society of Lanes, and Ches. There were no ordinations 

 at all according to the new ordinal in the time of Edw. VL The figures show that Bishop Bird ordained 

 48 priests in 1542, 41 in 1543, 38 in 1544, 22 in 1545, 44 in 1546, and 14 in 1547 ; Bishop Coates 

 12 in 1555 ; Bishop Scott 17 in 1557 and 68 in 1558. The last number affords an indication that Scott 

 had got his diocese into something like working order. 



"" The earl of Derby's attitude is related in F.C.H. Lanes, iii, 162. 



™ Except Kitchin of Llandaff. The bishop of Sodor and Man was perhaps not touched by the Acts ; at 

 all events he retained his bishopric and his three Lancashire benefices till his death. 



'" The proceedings of this visitation are preserved in P.R.O. S.P. Dom. Eliz. vol. x. 



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