Three Hundred Years
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THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF A FAMILY LIVING, BEING A HISTORY OF THE RII.1ANDS OF SU1'TON Col,DFIELD. BY THE REV. W. K. RILAND BEDFORD, M.A. BIRMINGHAM: CORNISH BROTHERS. 1889. PREF ACE. "Brief let n1e be." It is only the necessity of stating plainly and candidly that the idea of placing family records before the public would never have occurred to the compiler of this book, had not the curiosity evinced by friends and neighbours led hi1n to conclude that a selection from the letters which lay before hi1n might have its use in gratifying the laudable interest now so generally felt in local history and tradition : it is this alone which makes a preface excusable. The greater part of these letters are comprised in the latter half of the last century and the comn1ence1nent of the present, but the predecessors and the successors of the re1narkable family group of the Rilands of Sutton are not unworthy of record for their own sakes, as well as in their relation to the Levitical race, four of whom, fron1 1688 to 1822, were rectors as well as patrons of the "family living." LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. MAP OF SUTTON RECTORY AND GLEBE, 1761 - facing title page. THE RILAND ARMS - page 1. " 16. PORTRAIT OF JOHN RILAND IN BOYHOOD " " PORTRAIT OF RICHARD BISSE RILAND 69. " " PORTRAIT OF JOHN RILAND " ,, I 21. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Purchase from the Crown of the Advowson of Sutton Coldfield.--Rectors under the Earls of Warwick and Tudor sovereigns.-Terrier of Glebe in 1612.-Dr. John Burges presented by Mr. Shilton in 1617.-His scruples about surplices.-He offends King James by sermon upon Pollio's glasses ; becomes a prebendary of Lichfield; writes in defence of Dr. Morton; is succeeded by Anthony Burges (no relation), who is forced to quit Sutton in 1642; minister at Lawrence Jewry, and preacher before the Parliament.-James Fleetwood appointed to Sutton, but unable to obtain induction.-Burges returns in 1650; a prolific author; recommended for a bishopric, but resigns all preferment.-Dr. William Watson rector of Sutton for twenty-seven years, then succeeded by the patron's son-in-law, John Riland, who buys the advowson from the Shiltons, who had become impovedshed 1-11. 'CHAPTER II. Origin of the Riland family.-John Riland born m 1619; Fellow of Magdalen Coll., Oxford; expelled thence, and from Exhall Rectory, 1647; obtains preferment at the Restoration; becomes Archdeacon, an<l Rector of St. Martin's, Birmingham; his sermons; his character; his children.-Prosperity of Sutton Coldfield through Bishop Vesey's benefactions.-Houses near Sutton.--Mr. John Riland, jun., builds new parsonage; his Jacobite leanings, though at Oxford an opponent of Dr. Farmer; lends his pulpit to Dr. Sacheverell in 1714; "the consequence thereof." -Birmingham Jacobites.-The Rector's eldest son a Non-juror, but a resident at Sutton.-Makes Longmoor Pool.-Richard Riland, second son, succeeds his father in the rectory.-The family plate sunk in the pond in 1745 for fear of the Highlanders.-Richard Riland proposes to and marries Mary Bisse.-The Bisse and Vyner families.-Letters to sons, Richard Bisse and John, at Queen's Coll., Oxford.-R. B. Riland becomes curate to his father.-Death of the Rector, 1757 12-38. Vlll. CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Richard Bisse Riland inducted to Sutton Rectory.-Account of parish in Gentleman's Magazine.-Church rebuilt.-Squabbles about the allotment of seats. -Manifesto from Corporation.-Letter from '' aggrieved parishioner."-Dr. Alcock's complaints as organist.-Sporting facilities in Park and Commons. Enclosure proposed by Mr. Scott in 1778.-Rowton Well.-Opposition to enclosure.-Ballads.-" Bishop Vesey's ghost."-Mr. Hacket.-The Rector active in education, magisterial business, especially in Birmingham, charities (chair of General Hospital), and other public work.-Correspondence with keep~r of Birmingham lock-up house, with Lord Catherlough of Barrels, Miss Winn of Nostell, &c.-Description and character of Mr. Riland by one of his old parishioners 39-69. CHAPTER IV. Richard Bisse Riland in his domestic circle.-Marriage to Miss Ash, of Paston; son born, and dies.-Letters from Mr. Sadler at Parkgate; Mr. Inge from Brereton, with sketches of Cheshire society; Mrs. Luttrell; Mrs. Riland from Bath, &c. Paston burned down.-" The Ashes flourish."--Family complications among the Holte, Jesson, and Ashby relations.-Old Mrs. Cheselden and Leicester politics; Squire Forester of Willey; Sir C. Holte's contested election in 1774.-Ensby Ashby's recommendation of a mistress for Quenby.-Mrs. Riland at Matlock; Bishop of Raphoe.-Clerical correspondents; Mr. Darwall, of Walsall; Rev. F. Blick and Coventry election.-Mr. Riland visits Edinburgh.-Letters from eldest daughter Lydia, who marries Mr. Bedford, of Pershore.-Last wishes of old Mrs. Riland.-Tour in Scotland, with younger daughter Phrebe.-Letters from Mrs. Riland at Mr. Hastings'.--Mr. Homer, "Daphne."-Mrs. Maddock; fall of St. Chad's, &c.-Death of Ann Ash.-Richard Bisse Riland at Coleshill; "Dr. Parr dances about the streets of vVarwick. "-Last illness and death.-Phrebe's marriage. -Death of Mrs. Riland and of Duchess of Cumberland - 70-120. CHAPTER V. John Riland a controversial writer while still at Oxford, becomes Curate to his brother in 1759, but in 1761 changes his views, and goes to Huddersfield under Mr. Venn.-Marries Miss Hudson.-Presented to St. Mary's Chapel, Birmingham. CONTENTS. IX. Controversy with Baptists. -Poem on his catechising.-" Parkg~.te."-On his brother's death comes to Sutton, and dismisses Mr. Blick.-Sermon and corre spondence published, with large list of subscribers.-Appoints his son-in-law, Mr. :Mendham, as Curate.-Opposes Enclosure scheme.-Terrier of glebe and tithe. Letters on tithe question.-Letter to Dickenson and reply.-Death in 1822. - Letter from Lady Hartopp to his daughter.-His son becomes curate of Yoxall, and marries Miss Wolseley.-Prints various essays and sermons.-Devotes himself to the Magdalen Asylum in Birmingham, and dies in 1863 121-146. CHAPTER VI. Mr. Bedford presents his son to the rectory.-Enclosure Act passed.-Improve ments to Sutton Park.-Scheme of the Court of Chancery for education and other charities of Sutton Coldfield.-William Riland Bedford at Rugby and Oxford. Love for poetry.-" Warwick Castle."-Curate of Broadway.-Writes on planting ornamental timber.- -Improves the rectory house.-Erects chapel-of-ease at Hill; and establishes services in school-rooms at Walmley and Boldmere.-Dispute as to proper site for Walmley Church.-Death of Mr. Bedford; who is succeeded by his cousin, Dr. Williamson, headmaster of Westminster.-Church. at Walmley con secrated.-Library founded.-State of literature and society in Sutton at that time. -Hugo Chadwick's epistolary style.-Dr. Williamson presented to Pershore, and W. K. R. Bedford to Sutton Coldfield.-Short chronology 147-162. APPENDIX INDEX 169-175. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. 'l'HE l{I LAN l)S OF OR, TI--IREE HUN1)R.ED YEARS OF A FAMILY LIVING. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY. T was 111 1586 that John Shilton, of Binningham, mercer, bought I from Thomas Gibbons, of New Hall, the advowson of Sutton Coldfield; Gibbons having purchased it in 1559 fr9m the brokers, Glascock and Blunt, who had on the same date acquired it, with other forfeited property put up to sale by the Crown. From that time to the present, the patronage has been exercised by the descendants of l\.Jr. Shilton, and the object of this little history is to give a few particulars of the rectors who belonged to the family, down to the generation now survivi11g. A few words must first be ~aid as to the foundation of the church, and how it came to be in the hands of the Crown at the ti1ne of Queen Elizabeth. The builders of the Parish Church of Sutton were t~1e wealthy and powerful Earls of \Varwick, who found in the "Cold-field "-the wind-swept, pebbly waste where stood the town next on the south to Lichfield-a suilable place for a hunting seat, and there made provision for the spiritual, wants of their retainers and dependents, at some time subsequent to the Norman Conquest, by erecting a church in a place where, as we learn fro1n <, Domesday A 2 THE RIL-\N OS OF SUTTON. Book,'' there was none before. The first recorded name of an incmnbent is that of Gregory Harold in 1305 ; and the next, Robert Hillary, of Sandiacre, N otts, was presented in r 3 r 7, by King Edward II., in the minority of the Earl of \Varwick. His tenure of the benefice is confirmed oy a fine levied between him and \Villia1n de Grey and Richard de Grey, Parson of Sutton-in-the Dale, in 1343. The Beauchamps and N erils, who in succession inherited the Earldom of \Varwick: exercised the right of presentation to the Church of Sutton until the attainder of Ed ward Plantagenet, son of George, Duke of Clarence, by Isabel, one of the co-heirs of the famous king-1naking earl. He was executed on Tower Hill in 1499, when his possessions, including those at Sutton, were escheated to the Crown, and in the same year Henry VII. exercised his patronage by n01ninating 1'1r. Edward Scott to the rectory, which he only held five years: and was succeeded by a 1nan of some celebrity, Dr. John 'l'c1ylor, the eldest of three sons produced, tradition states, at one birth, by the wife of a poor tailor at Barton under-N eed wood, and educated at the royal cost. He was, at the time of his appointn1ent to Sutton Coldfield, ambassador at the Court of Burgundy, and, in 1509, he became clerk to the Parliament. In 15 15 he was advanced to the Archdeaconry of Derby, and was prolocutor of the Lower House of Convocation; and shortly after, having left the diocese of Lichfield and Coventry for the Arch deaconry of Buckingham, he was succeeded at Sutton by Dr.