58 
WHALLEY ABBEY AND CHURCH. 
By Rev. S. T. TAYLOR-TASWELL, M.A. 
October 15th, 1907. 
Though the lecture was announced as above, the Rev. 
gentleman preferred to deal at length with the Church only, 
as it was older than the Abbey. He expressed his willingness 
to speak more fully of the Abbey on some future occasion. * 
The Parish Church of Whalley was probably the most 
interesting Church in England, indeed in Europe, possibly in 
the whole world. All and every part of the Church had 
some interesting historical feature or incident connected 
with it. The building dated back to very ancient times ; 
indeed, compared with it, the Abbey was a mere after- 
thought. The study of a Church such as that of Whalley 
was a most valuable and instructive lesson in the continuity 
of history. The Church should be especially interesting to 
Burnley people, because Burnley was part of the ancient 
Parish of Whalley. The bounds of the Parish were originally 
very wide indeed, extending from Preston on the one side 
to Halifax on the other. The incumbents were at that time 
deans, with a special decanal jurisdiction. Very considerable 
endowments were attached to the church. The first Rector 
of the Parish was Peter de Cestria. 
The lecturer gave a short history of the right of presentation 
to the living, which was formerly in the hands of the Abbot 
and Monastery of Stanlawe. The attainder and execution 
of Abbot John Paslew, in 1536, involved the confiscation of 
the monastery and all its lands, which thereupon passed to 
the King. The King did not make much financial profit out 
of the confiscation. The lands were dealt with by the “ Court 
of Augmentations,” which intrusted the management to John 
Bradyll. In 1554 the Abbey buildings and lands were bought 
by John Bradyll and Richard Assheton, and the patronage 
passed to Queen Elizabeth. She conferred it upon the Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury. 
* Members of the Club will learn with deep regret that Mr. Taylor- 
Taswell lias since died. 
