Durham E-Theses The ecclesiastical administration of the archdeaconry of Durham, 1774 - 1856 Maynard, W. B. How to cite: Maynard, W. B. (1973) The ecclesiastical administration of the archdeaconry of Durham, 1774 - 1856, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9374/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Abstract The Ecclesiastical history of the diocese of Durham in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is a most neglected suhject. It has long "been supposed that the whole corpus of manuscripts relating to diocesan administration was destroyed hy fire a generation ago, but a magnificent series of episcopal visitations has been discovered at Auckland Castle, and supplemented by the resources of the Church Commissioners, it is nov/ possible to fill this gap. In 1774 the Diocese of Durham consisted of the counties of Northumberland and Durham and was divided into three arch• deaconries. The former was divided into the archdeaconries of Northumberland and Lindisfarne, while County Durham itself formed the third archdeaconry. Thus size of the diocese has compelled concentration on one archdeaconry only. The parochial system of the archdeaconry was under no strain through the eighteenth century, a fact born out by the rife non-residence and plurality of its clergy, especially in those livings in the patronage of the Bishop and the Dean and Chapter of Durham, With the turn of the century the parochial system was suddenly faced with the problem of a fast rising population v/hich severely strained the medieval parochial structure. The population growth of the Archdeaconry accelera• ted, and by 1830 had begun to gro?; more rapidly than any other county in England and faster than the urban centres of Manchester and Liverpool. In these circumstances the parochial system had to serve for more people and cope with the movement of population away from medieval centres and face the challenges of a rigorous Methodism, radical social discontent and the resurgence of Catholicism, The vast endowments of the Chapter, its social pretensions and the non-residence of the clergy encouraged the growth of a particularly virulent hostility to the church. The growing puhlic cry for church (as well as political) reform, coupled with the intransigent political attitudes of the Durham clergy, gave rise to strained relationships "between clergy and lay people which severely complicated the process of church reform. By comparing Durham exoerience with the results of studies of Derhy, Devon, and Oxford, it is hoped to illuminate the complexities of church reform at the parochial level and the relationships betvieen parson and people during the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. The Ecclesiastical Administration of the Archdeaconry of Durham, 177i+-1856 hy W. B. Maynard Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Durham August, 1973. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. To G-wyneth, my Mother and Father, Tom, and to the Memory of my Uncle, Llr, R. Maynard ^[ITjRACE Fev/ attempts have "been made to document, at the county level, the church reform movement. Of particular interest is the Diocese of Durham, most prohahly the v/ealthiest see in the country, and one which has often heen referred to, but which hitherto has not been closely studied. Too large to be considered as a whole, the subject of this thesis is the southern half of that Bishopric, the area from which it takes its name, the County and Archdeaconry of Durham, The more important of the tv/o Archdeaconries, Durham, containlni^ the seats of both the Bishop and Chapter, had been almost entirely a rural county. The parochial system developed early and remained largely unchanr^ed until the rapid industria• lisation of the county set problems v/itli which it could no longer cope. The object of this study is to compare the ecclesiastical administration of a largely medieval system with what is knovm of v/hat v/as happening elsev/here in the country, and to determine hoY/ the wealthiest ecclesiastical establishment in the country reacted, at the local level, to the need and call for church reform. The period covered by this thesis begins v;ith the Episco• pate of John Egerton"*" and ends with Edv/ard Maltby's retirement in 1856, The principal themes to be examined are: the working of the patronage system; benefice incomes and their improve• ment; church building; parsonage houses; poor livings, and plurality and non-residence. Instances of the division of 1. Confirmed 20 July, 1771. ill parishes and augmentations by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners after I836 are dealt with incidentally^for a systematic dis• cussion would have unreasonably swollen an already substantial thesis. For the same reason the results of extensive research into the out-of-church activities of the clergy have been excluded. Such a study could never have been completed without the assistance of individuals too numerous to mention, T-iy gratitude to librarians and archivists who have been so helpful iSjI hopOj apparent, Those to whom T owe a special debt I wish to acknowledge by name: the late Lord Bishop of Durham, Dr, Ian Ramsey and Mrs, Ramsey for permitting me to spend so many months in their home working daily throu':;h the Episcopal archives; Durham University for the financial assistance T have received, in particular the grant of the Northern Echo Research student• ship; Ilrs, A. Robinsoja, my typist; Mr, A. f5, ".'ilson; the staff of Durham University Library, Palace Green and the University Department of Paleography and Diplomatic at both South Road and Priors Kitchen. Most sincerely, I wish to acknowledge the patience and guidance of my suioervisor. Professor ^.V. R, '"^ard. IV Abbreviations used ir-. ?ootnotes AC. i-.uckland Castle, Episcopal Archives 00. Church Commissioners GO. Chapter Office T-'-ansactions of the Cumberland and •.Vest-Gi'-land Ar.tiqiiarian and Archaeological Society DC. Durham Chronicle DOA. Durham County An.vertiser DCl, Dear, and Chapter Litrary DOLD. Durham County Library, Durham City branch D:3. Dictionary of national Biography DCRC. Durham County Recoir'l Office 3-?L. G-ateshead Public Library HPL. -artlepool Public Library JHO. Journal of the House of Oom.mons L?L. Lam.oeth Palace Libr-a.-y :"CL. irewcastle Central Library T:CRO. Northumberland County Record Office Crders in Orders in Council Ratifying Schem.es of the Council Ecclesiastical Commissioners. 58 vcls, ?K, Priors Xitchen, Dean and Chapter LiynimenVs PRO. Public Record Office SL. Archdeacon Sharp's Library SR. South Road, Durham Diocesan Records Durham. University Library, Palace Green VGH. Victoria County History CONTENTS £a£e Abstract Preface 111 Abbreviations Map between pages 115-6 Chapter I. The Archdeaconry 1 Chapter II. Patronage and the Parochial Clergy 31 1. Lay patronage 31 2. Ecclesiastical patronage 50 A. Episcopal 51 B, Capitular Gk 3. Collegiate patronage 79 k' The performance of clerical duties 80 Chapter III. Benefice Incomes 116 1. Background to parochial income improvement 116 2. Benefice incomes, 177U-1856: their sources 127 3. Ifi'provement in parochial incomes, 177^-1832 133 A, Clerical efforts to improve and protect their incomes, 1774-1832 133 B, Economic difficulties and efforts to maintain and improve incomes, 1815-1832 li+0 C, Exploitation of mineral deposits and parochial incomes 151 Chapter IV. Augmentation and Reform 177k to I836 170 1. Dean and Chapter benefice reform 17k 2. Episcopal benefice reform 202 3. Durham Ecclesiastical Establish• ment and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners 2I1.O VI k» Livings in lay patronage 2^7 5. Lord Crewels Trustees 257 Chapter V. Parsonage Houses 280 1. Haltby Fund 315 Chapter VI, Curates* stipends 350 Chapter VII. Church Building 379 Chapter VIII.Plurality and Non-residence k^5 Chapter IX, Conclusion 486 Bibliography i4-88 Vll 1. CHAPTER I THE ARCHDMCOFRY The Archdeaconry and County of Durham formed the southern administrative division of the Diocese of Durham. Situated betv/een the rivers Tyne and Tees with the North Sea forming its eastern boundary, the general configuration of the County was that of a triangle. The North Sea coast formed its base with the apex situated at the headv/aters of the two rivers among the hills of the Pennine range."'" The population of the Archdeaconry in 1781 is estimated to have been between 130,000 and 114-0,000 persons. Apart from isolated concentrations of population at the mouths of the Tyne and Wear, there were no communities of more than 5,000 inhabitants.-^ ,'/hile Darlington and Durham City had populations near that figure, a typical market town had a population of under 2,000. Indeed only at the headquarters of dales' miniiTg companies were population concentrations likely to exceed 1,500 persons. Middleton-in-i'eesdale was such a village. An eighteenth century creation, it was not until the beginning of the nineteenth century with the expansion of the lead industry and thirtj'--eight producing mines in the district that its population exceeded 1,800 persons.^ As late as 1821 two-thirds of the County's population lived in settlements of less than 2,000.^ 1.