List of Figures |
vi |
List of Drawings by Ray Brown |
vii |
Preface |
viii |
Location Maps |
x |
Chapter 1 — Witham |
1 |
Chapter 2 — Useful Information |
8 |
Christianity |
8 |
Clergymen |
10 |
Churchwardens |
10 |
Wills and Will Preambles |
12 |
Preambles |
13 |
The Church Courts |
14 |
Organisation |
14 |
Meeting places, Colchester archdeaconry area |
15 |
Court officers |
16 |
Nature of court business and punishments |
18 |
Volume of court business |
20 |
Education, Reading and Writing |
23 |
The purpose of education |
23 |
Teachers |
23 |
Literacy: reading |
23 |
Literacy: writing and signatures |
25 |
Chapter 3 — Henry VIII, 1509-1547 |
29 |
Background |
29 |
Early Protestants in Essex |
30 |
Accusations of heresy in Essex |
30 |
Protestant will preambles in Essex |
30 |
Christopher, Dyonise, and Joan Raven, Thomas Hills, and John and Richard Chapman, of Witham |
32 |
Christopher Royden of Witham |
35 |
Tradition and its Erosion in Witham |
37 |
Clergymen |
37 |
Tradition in Witham wills |
38 |
Overview |
41 |
Chapter 4 — Edward VI, 1547-1553, and Mary I, 1553-1558 |
42 |
Edward VI, 1547-1553 |
42 |
Witham church during Edward’s reign |
42 |
Dissent during Edward’s reign |
42 |
Will preambles in Essex and Witham during Edward’s reign |
43 |
Mary I |
44 |
Accusations of Protestant heresy in Essex during Mary’s reign |
44 |
Protestant will preambles in Essex and Witham during Mary’s reign |
45 |
‘Mixed’ Will Preambles in Witham and Essex, 1543-1560 |
45 |
Minor Witham churchmen writing mixed preambles |
47 |
William Love, Vicar of Witham 1536-1560 |
48 |
Traditional associates of William Love |
48 |
Overview |
49 |
Chapter 5 — Elizabeth I (part 1), 1558-c.1583 |
50 |
Background |
50 |
Puritanism |
50 |
Secular Officials |
50 |
Magistrates |
50 |
Officers of the half-hundred |
53 |
Parish constables |
53 |
Clergymen |
53 |
Edward Halys, vicar of Witham 1560-1587 |
53 |
Curates |
54 |
Teaching |
54 |
Will Preambles |
55 |
Joan Raven |
55 |
Preambles taken from William Tracy |
56 |
Offences Taken to Court |
57 |
Secular courts |
57 |
Church courts |
57 |
Overview |
58 |
Chapter 6 — Elizabeth I (part 2), c.1583-1603 |
59 |
Economic and Social Difficulties |
59 |
Secular Officials |
59 |
Magistrates |
59 |
Half-hundred and parish officers |
60 |
Clergymen |
60 |
John Sterne, vicar 1587-1608 |
60 |
Curates |
60 |
Teaching |
61 |
Will Preambles |
61 |
The Secular Courts |
61 |
Crime |
61 |
Vagrants and lodgers and employment |
62 |
The Church Courts |
63 |
Churchwardens |
63 |
Amount of business |
64 |
Non-payment of rates |
64 |
Discipline |
64 |
Sundays, and church attendance |
65 |
Anti-Catholicism |
66 |
The Southcotts and Southwells |
67 |
Other Witham Catholics of the late sixteenth century; Bayles, Ridgleys and Campions |
69 |
Thomas Campion |
70 |
Other possible Catholics |
70 |
Witchcraft |
70 |
Overview |
71 |
Chapter 7 — James I, 1603-1625 |
72 |
Background |
72 |
The Barnardistons |
72 |
Secular Officials |
74 |
Magistrates |
74 |
Half-hundred and parish officers |
75 |
Clergymen |
75 |
Vicars |
75 |
Curates and a lecturer |
76 |
Edmund Halys |
77 |
Teaching |
78 |
Will Preambles |
79 |
Discipline and the Courts, 1603-c.1611 |
79 |
The events of 1604 |
79 |
Churchwardens, 1603-c.1611 |
80 |
Discipline and the Courts, c.1611-1625 |
81 |
Churchwardens, c.1611-1625 |
81 |
Adultery and fornication |
81 |
Alehouses and drinking |
82 |
Drinking and disorder on Sundays and feast days |
83 |
Sunday games |
84 |
Sunday working |
84 |
Absence from church |
85 |
Church pews |
85 |
Overview |
86 |
Chapter 8 — Charles I — interlude — The Forced Loan of 1626, and St. Patrick’s Day 1628 |
87 |
Background |
87 |
The Forced Loan of 1626 |
87 |
Billeting Soldiers in Essex |
89 |
The Move to Witham |
90 |
St. Patrick’s Day, Monday 17 March 1628 |
92 |
Aftermath |
95 |
Overview |
96 |
Chapter 9 — Charles I (part), 1625-1640 |
97 |
Background |
97 |
Local Officials |
98 |
Robert Aylett |
98 |
Magistrates |
98 |
Other local secular officials |
99 |
Churchwardens |
99 |
Dame Katherine Barnardiston and Her Friends |
99 |
Her place in society |
99 |
Her beliefs |
100 |
Ministers |
100 |
Contacts in Witham |
102 |
Local Clergymen |
103 |
Francis Wright, vicar of Witham 1625-1643 and 1660-1668 |
103 |
Curates and teachers |
104 |
Thomas Weld, vicar of Terling 1625-1631 |
104 |
1625-c.1628: Witham Parishioners’ Protests, and the First Visits to Terling |
104 |
1628-1632: Official Involvement, and More Visits to Terling |
106 |
The high constable and Francis Wright |
106 |
Thomas Weld in trouble |
107 |
The consistory court at Kelveden, December 1631 |
108 |
Witham churchwardens |
109 |
Other parishioners, 1631 |
110 |
Opposition to curate Thoams Herris |
111 |
1632-1636: Possible Puritan Caution |
111 |
The mystery list of names, and the ‘unlawful meeting’ of 1634 |
111 |
Other activity in Witham, 1632-1636 |
112 |
Catholics |
112 |
Francis Wright and the Court of High Commission, 1632-1635 |
113 |
1637-1640: Puritans to the Fore Again |
114 |
Francis Wright at the Bishop’s Commissary court |
114 |
Irreverence |
115 |
Communion rails |
115 |
Overview |
116 |
Studies of other places |
116 |
Witham |
118 |
Chapter 10 — The Long Parliament and the Civil War, 1640-1660 |
119 |
Background |
119 |
Religion |
120 |
Essex Before the War, 1640-1642 |
121 |
Local Disturbances, 1642 |
121 |
Thomas Bayles of Witham |
121 |
Parliament’s Organisation and Support |
122 |
The Committees |
122 |
Magistrates |
122 |
Half-hundred soldiers |
123 |
Soldiers and other supporters |
123 |
The King’s Supporters |
126 |
Henry Nevill |
126 |
John Southcott |
127 |
The Ayloffes |
128 |
Running Witham |
128 |
Before the war, 1640-1642 |
128 |
The Parliamentarian petition of January 1642 |
129 |
The ‘Royalist’ petition of 1643 |
130 |
The sequestration of vicar Francis Wright, 1643 |
130 |
Vicars after 1643 |
132 |
The sequestrators of the vicarage |
132 |
Local affairs, 1643-1660 |
133 |
Religious Separatism |
135 |
Quakerism |
135 |
Overview |
137 |
Chapter 11 — Charles II, 1660-1685, James II, 1685-1688, and William and Mary, 1689-1702 |
138 |
Background |
138 |
Local Officials |
139 |
Magistrates |
139 |
Half-hundred officers |
139 |
Secular parish officers |
140 |
Churchwardens |
140 |
Vicars |
141 |
The return of Francis Wright, 1660-1668 |
141 |
John Harper, 1668-1670, Thomas Cox, 1670-1676, Thomas Brett, 1676-1680 |
142 |
Jonas Warley, 1680-1722 |
143 |
Other clergy and teachers |
143 |
Dissent |
144 |
Quakerism |
144 |
Success and expansion, 1660-c.1680 |
144 |
Quakers’ role in the town |
147 |
The Quakers and the poor |
148 |
Quakers and tithes |
149 |
Change in the Quaker meeting, c.1680 onwards |
149 |
Nonconformists |
152 |
Travelling preachers |
152 |
George Lisle |
154 |
Edmund Taylor |
156 |
Lay nonconformists |
157 |
Catholicism |
159 |
Overview |
159 |
Chapter 12 — Post Script |
160 |
Acceptance |
160 |
Wealth and Status |
160 |
Continuity |
161 |
Appendices |
162 |
Notes |
171 |
Sources |
193 |
Index |
200 |