Shropshire Routes to Roots - Shropshire places - Wem
by Samuel Garbet
The advowson and patronage of the rectory of Wem, have always gone along with the barony, and when sold to Mr. George Jeffreys, was valued at £1000. It now belongs to the right honourable Richard, earl of Bradford.
This rectory is in the archdeaconry of Salop, but in the deanery of Newport; and in the king's books, it is valued at £26. 4s. 4d. but its real value is above fifteen times as much. It depends on the price and quantity of corn; so that it cannot be fixed with any certainty, but at a medium it may be computed to be worth above £400. a year. Yet doctor Aldrich, farmed it to Mr. Hughes, for £120. per annum; provided that he paid himself, and the two other curates, and became answerable for dilapidations. The parsonage house is a fine building; and the gardens are neat and spacious.
WILLIAM PANTULF, 1st, by granting the advowson and tithes to the abbey of St. Peter, at Norum, reduced the church of Wem to a vicarage. The grant was probably soon revoked by his successor in the barony.
For above six hundred years the rectors of Wem are entirely unknown. in so long a succession there might be many eminently good and learned men: but their circumstances, characters, and names are covered with oblivion. The first that we have an account of, is the Rev. St Lawrence Rocke, who in 16th Edward IV. 1475, obtained letters of fraternity from John Payne, doctor of divinity, and provincial prior of the dominicans, or black friars, in England; who afterwards, in 1483, was made bishop of Meath, in Ireland, by the pope's provision, and in 1493, master of the rolls in Ireland, by the appointment of Henry VII. Mr. Mytton, who was collecting materials for a general history of Shropshire, shewed me his grant fairly written on parchment, a copy of which I will insert for the sake of the curious.
Devoto et in Christo Jesu sibi dilecto venerabili magistro Domino Lawrence Rocke, rectori, perpetuo Ecclesiae de Weme, frater Johannes Payne, sacrae theologiae professor, ac prior provincialis in provincia Anglicana licet indignus, salutem et augmentum continuum caelestis gratiae, exigente vestrae devotionis affectu, quem, ad nostrum habes ordinem, tibi omnium missarum, orationum, predicationum, jejuniorum, abstinentiarum, vigiliarum, laborum, caeterorumque bonorum quae per fratres nostri ordinis, in dicta provincia, Domino fuerunt dedita universales, participationem concedo, tenore presentium, specialem in vita, prout et in morte: volo insuper et ordino ut post decessum vestrum anima vestra fratrum totius provinciae orationibus recommendata (sit) in uno capitulo provinciali; si vestri ibidem obitus fuerint rememorati, et injunctae sint pro anima vestra missae, et annuatm conciones quae pro fratribus defunctis fieri consueverunt. In cujus concessionis testimonio sigillum officii nostri praesentibus est appensum. Datum Salopiae in festo die Alexir, confessoris, A. D. M.CCCC. septuaginta quinto.
IN ENGLISH.
To the religious and beloved in Christ the venerable St. Lawrence Rocke, perpetual rector of the church of Wem, friar John Payne, D. D. amid provincial prior, though unworthy, in the province of England, sendeth greeting, in compliance with the warmth of your affection, which you bear to our order by these presents, I grant to you during your life, and at your death a special share of all the masses, prayers, fasts, abstinancies, Vigil's works, and all other good things, which by the grace of God, may have been done by the friars of our order conjointly in the said Province. I will also, and ordain, that after your decease, your soul be recommended to the prayers of the friars of the whole Province, at a provincial chapter, if notice be there given of your death, and that blank masses be enjoined for your soul in testimony of which grant the seal of our office is annexed to these presents, given at Shrewsbury, on the festival of St. Alexius, the confessor, in the year of our Lord 1475.
This is not properly an indulgence, but an admission of Lawrence tranquam frater, to all the spiritual benefits of the order. There is a like grant to brother Jerom, general of the friars, minors to Godfrey, bishop of Worcester, dated at Paris 1277. The last clause runs thus, " ut cum-vester obitus nostro fuerit generali capitulo nunciatus, idem pro vobis fiat officium quod pro fratribus nostris recitatum defunctis recitatis ibidem per totum ordinem annuatim fieri consuevit," (see the appendix to doctor Thomas's account of the bishops of Worcester, No. 51. S. B.) Alcock was admitted by the abbot and monks of Pershore, into their spiritual fraternity, and made partaker of the merits of their prayers, A. D. 1478, see another copy of such literae fraternitatis, in Stevens's Monast. supplement, p. 144.
The festival of Alexius is 17th July. There is a blank left for the number of masses; perhaps because that might depend on the legacy which St. Lawrence Rocke should devise to the Dominicans by his last will.
When he died, and who succeeded him is unknown. The next rector I can find, was of noble family, (viz.)
JOHN DACRE, a relation of William, lord Dacre, baron of Gillesland, Greystock, and Wem. It is probable he was presented in the reign of Edward VI. 1561, or queen Mary; but it is certain he was rector of Wem on June 29th, in the 3rd queen Elizabeth; for then he was appointed one of the commissioners to survey, and take an estimate of the lordships of Wem, Loppington, and Hinstock, and to oblige the tenants to produce their titles to their messuages, tenements, and lands. He did not sit in court with the other commissioners when the forged charta of the customs, and liberties of the tenants, of Wem, was exhibited to them. On the accession of queen Elizabeth, he thought fit to change his religion, as most of the clergy then did, to preserve their benefices. He was a pluralist, being rector of Greystock, as well as Wem, which last place he chose for his residence, as appears from his holding in his own hands twenty-four acres of the lord's demesne. He was succeeded by
PETER SANKIE, who was rector of Wem 30th queen Elizabeth, 1588. For on May 30th that year, some lands in Tilley then held by him, of Lawrence Bannister, of Wem, esq. were surrendered in court, to the use of Richard, son of the said Lawrence, for a certain number of years, but this proviso, if Peter Sankie continue so long rector of Wern. Had it not been for this condition, posterity would not have known that there had been such a man, or that he had the honour of being rector of this parish.
RICHARD SANKIE, perhaps the son of Peter, comes next in order of time. His memory is preserved only by an entry in the parish register, dated March 14th, in the 11th James I. 1613, at which time he licenced Richard Ward, gentlman, to eat flesh in Lent, for recovery of his health. This licence is written with his own hand, in the presence, and with the consent of the church wardens, pursuant to an act of parliament in 5th queen Elizabeth. Perhaps doctor Sankie, rector of Whitchurch, was grandson of this gentleman, who dying out of this parish, the time of his decease is uncertain; but he could not long survive the entry above mentioned: for four years after this,
WILLIAM ROE was rector of Wem, and had a son born unto him in this parish, 1617. He signed the petition addressed to Ann, countess of Arundel. He had many children by his wife Robina, and dying at the parsonage house in Wem, Nov. 12th, 1637, was buried in the church 13th Charles I. without any monument, or inscription, as a memorial of him. He was succeeded by
NICKOLAS PAGE, doctor of divinity, who in June 18th, 1642, Charles I. was assessed £1. 5s. as his proportion of the last tax that had the royal assent. He was fallen into very troublesome times, but had the good fortune to be taken from the evils to come: For he died at Wem, January 13th, 1643 following, and was buried there, on 15th of the same month, without so much as an epitaph on the stone that covers his remains.
MIDCALF, doctor of divinity, was presented next to this rectory, but had scarce got possession thereof before he was ejected by the garrison, which the parliament had settled there, in October 1643, in the same year. He was succeeded by
ANDREW PARSONS, who was born in Devonshire, and had been minister there some years before the war began; but being driven thence to London, he became well known to Mr. Pym, who procured for him the rectory of Wem. 1617. In 22nd Charles I. be was by ordinance of parliament, constituted a member of the North Bradford class, for the ordination of Ministers. And September 16th, 1657, 9th Charles II. he concurred with some others in that class, in ordaining Mr. Philip Henry, at Prees, 1660. The restoration was not agreeable to him. Towards the end of the year, in which it happened, he preaching on 2nd Timothy, 3rd and 13th. "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived," he observed, that the devil was like a king, that courted the soul, and spoke fair, till he was gotten into the throne, and then played the pranks. These words were taken to be seditious, and upon information given thereof, he was arrested, and carried to Shrewsbury gaol, where he was long confined. On May 28th and 29th, 1661, the next year he had his trial, Francis, lord Newport being then in court. The witnesses against him were Mr. Edward Astley, of Aston, Mr. Richard Jebb, commonly called, steward Jebb, Mr. Thomas Jebb, mercer, and Mr. Slarkey, apothecary. They deposed, that he said the king was like the devil, &c. But as this was not consistent with the coherence of his discourse, so it was invalidated by the testimony of several persons, who bad taken his sermon in short hand. He was also charged with saying there is more sin committed now in England in a month, than was heretofore in seven years. And that there had been more, and better preaching in England for twenty years past, than was ever since the Apostle's days. His counsel pleaded, that the time limited by the statute on which he was indicted, was expired. The court yielded it was so, allowing but twenty-eight days to a month, which, in their opinion, did consist of thirty, so he was found guilty, fined £200. and ordered to be kept in prison till it should be paid. He continued a prisoner near three months, till the lord Newport, without his knowledge, procured the king's remittance of his fine. On August 24th, 1662, 14th Charles II. the church wardens having put a surplice, and a common prayer book in the desk, he would neither read the one, nor wear the other. Upon his shutting the book, and refusing to comply with the act of uniformity, the church wardens pulled him out of the desk. A company of soldiers had been posted in the church yard, to assist the parish officers, in case of resistance, but none was made. He removed to London, whence be sent a printed letter to Wem in 1677, on occasion of the then late dreadful fire. By Mary, his wife, he had a numerous issue. He was a devout, and religious man, a laborious, and pathetic preacher, but deeply infected with puritanical principles. His death happened in London, October 1st, 1684.
REESE HUHGES, a welsh man, succeeded him at Wem 1662, through the interest of col. Screven Fradgley, whose sister Mr. Hughes married. He could never speak English like a native, was a mean preacher of the gospel, and worse economist in his secular affairs, which involved him in troubles, and occasioned him to be cast into gaol. On May 27th, 1670, 22nd Charles II. he was buried at Wem, leaving his family to subsist on the charity of their relations, His successor was
GEORGE WYCHERLEY, second son of Daniel, then lord of the manor of Wem. He is memorable only for his ill conduct, and for his misfortunes. His expenses vastly exceeded his revenues; so that being embarassed with many debts, 1684, 36th Charles II. all the profits of the rectory were sequestered for the payment of the curates. The unfortunate rector being cast into prison by his own father, after several years confinement at Shrewsbury, he was removed to the Fleet prison, where he was buried January 3rd, 1689, in that year when the throne was vacant, by the abdication of James II. By his wife Dorothy, he had a daughter, Letitia Issabella, who was born in 1680, and died in 1685. Wem glories next in
HENRY ALDRICH, D. D. born in London, about 1617, educated probably at Westminster school admitted student of Christ's church, Oxford. After he had taken his degrees in arts, he travelled several years in foreign countries. 1682. February 5th, 34th Charles II. he was installed canon of Christ's church; and March 2nd following, accumulated both his degrees in divinity. 1689. June 17th, 1st William and Mary, he was by the king preferred to the deanery of Christ's church, and by the trustees of John, lord Jeffreys, to the rectory of Wem. From this rectory he received but £120 per annum, and the last three years but £100. In 1692, 93rd and 94th, he was vice chancellor of the university. If we consider him as an author, be was more careful to write well than to write much. In 1694 he printed for the use of his particular friends, a few copies of element a geometrical, duo breviter illustrata. From the Greek of Plutarch, he translated into English, the life of Eumenes.
In 1687, he published a reply to two discourses of Mr. Woodhead, concerning the adoration of our Saviour in the Eucharist. In the same year, came out at Oxford, the four first books of Josephus's antiquities, and part of the 5th, with notes of Edward Bernard; and the first book and part of the 2nd of the Jewish war, with the notes of Henry Aldrich. His annotations are succinct, but learned. In 1696, he printed his excellent compendium of Logic, composed for the use of Charles Boyle, esq. afterwards earl of Orrey. He was a great encourager, and promoter of learning of every kind in other men, amid excelled in so great a variety of branches of it him self, as to be had in admiration of the age in which he lived, as well as of that famous house of literature over which he presided. He took great delight in music and architecture, which few understood better than he did. Of several anthems composed by him, that which he made on his deliverance from shipwreck, was particularly admired. The new building in Peckwater shewed his skill in architecture: He lived to see three sides of that quadrangle finished. Had his model been followed, and the south side raised uniformly with the rest, it would have been the most exact, and beautiful structure in England. At his death he left his large amid curious library, and fine collection of cuts and music books to Christ church. William Bromley, esq. gave his picture to that college library, admirably drawn to the life, by sir Godfrey Kneller. And George Clarke, esq. one of the representatives of the university in parliament, erected for him, an handsome monument of white marble on the north-side of the choir, with this inscription round his head, Henricus Aldrich, S. T. P. Aedis Christi Decanus grande lotius academiae ornamentum. His epitaph is thus continued in a scroll of white marble below.
His stature was large, his features agreeable, his complexion ruddy, which his grey hair did well become.
EDWARD CHANTLER, D. D. was the next rector, 1711. His first step to preferment, was his being chaplain to doctor Lloyd, bishop of Lichfield, and Coventry, who gave him the vicarage of Prees, worth about £140. per annum. Whilst he was possessed of this living on which he did not reside, he built the best part of the vicarage house, and kept thirty children to school, paying for their teaching, and for their books. He had also a lease of the great tithes, which be afterwards sold to Mrs. Barber. He married Barbara, the sister of sir Humphrey Brigges, then member of parliament for Wenlock, in the county of Salop, a gentleman of great prudence, and discretion, by whom he had two sons, and several daughters. Many children are generally thought an impoverishment of a family; but he was of a different opinion. I have heard him say, that he never had a child born but he had some new preferment, or accession to his fortune. So that the increase of his substance was proportioned to the increase of his family. When his patron, bishop Lloyd was removed to Worcester in 1699, he soon procured doctor Chandler to be made a canon of that church; and in 1706, gave him the rectory of St. Nicholas, in Worcester, on account of which, he resigned Prees. In 1711, by the interest of sir Humphrey Brigges, he was presented by Henry, lord Newport, to the rectory of Wem. Wherever it was his fortune to be minister, he made great improvements in the building. The parsonage house at Wem was almost wholly rebuilt by him, and will remain a lasting monument of him. In 1717, by the interest of doctor Gibson, then bishop of Lincoln, he was advanced to the episcopal dignity, and made bishop of Lichfield, and Coventry. In 1730, he was translated to Durham, the richest bishoprick in England. He lived in a very handsome manner, and yet was a great oeconomist. He was the first rector of Wem that kept his coach. He was used to spend a month or two here in the summer, and then retire to Worcester. He was reckoned a very good preacher, some of his sermons are in print. But that which has distinguished him most as an author, is his defence of christianity against Collins, dedicated to the king, and published in 1725. This is a very learned and elaborate performance, and has passed through several editions. In 1728, he published a vindication of the defence of christianity, in two vols. with a letter from the Rev. Mr. Mason, concerning the religion of the Macrobins, and his testimony, touching the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, with a postscript on Virgils, 4th eclogue. Books were his diverson, and he allotted several hours in a morning, and afternoon, for his study. After he was made bishop, he held Wem a year in commendam; and therefore in his primary visitation, in 1718 he passed by Wem, though he went to all the other markets towns about it.
July 20th, 1750, he died at his house Grosvenor Square, London, and 24th was buried at his seat, at Farmham-Royal, in Buckinghamshire.
ROBERT EYTON, D. D. (1718,) was born at Shrewsbury in March 1681, being the younger son of a good family seated at Crigion, in Montgomeryshire. He had his education at the schools of Donnington, Shropshire;and Ruthin, Denbighshire; and at St. John's college, Cambridge. Having taken the degree of bachelor of arts, he entered into holy orders, and accepted of a small curacy near Crigion, but soon removed to a much better at Saint Edmondsbury, under Mr. Butts, whose eldest daughter Elizabeth he married. About 1709, on the death of the Rev. John Eyton, rector of Eyton, in the Wildmores, and vicar of Wellington, he was presented to the said rectory, and Wood to the vicarage. On Mr. Wood's death, he succeeded him in the vicarage of Wellington, having taken the degree of master of arts, and being admitted chaplain to Richard, earl of Bradford, to qualify himself for a plurality. In 1713, 14th Henry, lord Newport being a candidate for knight of this shire, Mr. Eyton brought him in a great number of voters; on which account, that lord who had been aquainted with him at Donnington school, made him a promise of the rectory of Wem, when it should become vacant. In 1717 doctor Chandler, the incumbent thereof, was made bishop of Coventry, and Lichfield, and so the king had ordered; but lord Newport had so much interest in the crown, that the presentation was procured for Mr. Eyton in 1718. On this occasion, he was obliged to resign the rectory of Eyton, and not without much difficulty, procured a dispensation for keeping Wellington. In 1725, he was put into the commission of the peace for the county of Salop; and acting as a justice with doctor Egerton, bishop of Hereford, and somtimes attending him to his diocese, that bishop gave him the prebend of Moreton and Whaddon, belonging to his cathedral. April 11th, 1738, Potter, archbishop of Canterbury, conferred on him the degree of doctor of divinity, upon the recommendation of his brother in law, doctor Butts, then bishop of Norwich, but next month translated to Ely. September 1742, the same bishop Butts promoted him to the archdeaconry of Ely, worth £120. per annum, besides casual fines, for one of which he received £1500. June 1743, the paternal estate at Crigion, valued £500. per annum, by his eldest brother dying intestate, fell to him. At this time it was subject to many debts and mortgages, which the doctor discharged as far as they came to his knowledge. In Autumn, 1745, he had a stroke of the palsy, which very much affected his voice, and gave his constitution so great a shock, that it visibly declined afterwards. In 1749, his sister Mrs. Young, left him at her decease, a good house in Nottingham, which he has since sold. In the begining of the year 1751, a swelling appeared in his feet, which those about him, called the gout, till it plainly discovered itself to be a dropsy. Under this distemper he lingered much longer than his physician conceived possible, and died on the 18th of October, in the same year.
He was a tall handsome personable man. His voice was strong, distinct, and agreeable. His deportment in divine service was not always grave and serious, but no one could behave better when he was so disposed. He had very good natural parts, but was too indolent to take pains to cultivate them by reading and study.
SAMUEL SMALLBROKE, M. A. presented to the rectory, by the countess Dowager of Mountrath, and inducted October 31st, 1751.
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