MONASTIC GARDENING 
*9 
When;'such decorating of churches was considered unlawful 
after the Reformation, these gardens would naturally fall into 
disuse, even where the lands they covered were not at once 
appropriated for other purposes. 
In 1618 James I. set forth a declaration permitting certain 
“ lawfull recreations . . . after divine service, 1 and allowed 
that women should have leave to carry rushes to the church for 
the decoring of it according to their old custome.” These 
rushes may have been simply for the floor, and not for the 
altar or walls, as, for example, when in 1580 churchwardens at 
Wing, in Buckinghamshire, spent id. for " one burden of roshes 
to strewe the church howse agaynst the comyssyoners sate 
there.” 2 In the vestry book of the Parish of St. Nicholas, 
Durham, 1665-1703, there are several entries of the purchase of 
rushes for the floor as well as for birch for decorating. “ For 
Birkes for the church at Whitsontide, is. 8d. To Lancelot 
Dunn for the pewes of the church dressing, and for rashes laying 
in every pew the 21st of July 1670. 8s.” 3 
Coles, writing as late as 1656, says : ^ It is not very long since 
the custome of seting up garlands in churches hath been left off 
with us : and in some places setting up of holly, ivy, rosemary, 
bayes, yew, &c., in churches at Christmas, is still in use.” 4 
This, however, is looking too far ahead, and at the time we are 
considering, the monks within the quiet cloister, week by week 
and year by year, supplied the best flowers their skill and 
knowledge could produce to adorn their churches and chapels. 
But to return to the consideration of the department of the 
gardinarius. He had more than the garden under his care, for 
his jurisdiction extended over both the orchard and vineyard. 
The orchard, or “ pomerium,” supplied not only apples and 
pears for eating and cooking, but apples for cider also. Large 
quantities of cider were made each year, except when in an 
unusually bad season the apple crop failed. This was the case 
in 1352, when the Almoner at Winchester made the following 
note in his accounts, “ Et de ciserat nihil quia non fuerunt 
1 Fuller, Church History, London, 1655, Book X., p. 74. 
2 Archceologia, vol. xxxvi., p. 238. 
3 Durham Parish Books, Surtees Society. 
4 The Art of Simpling, by W. Coles, 1656. 
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