York Clergy Ordinations 1800-1849
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YORK CLERGY ORDINATIONS 1800-1849 Sara Slinn Borthwick List and Index 28 2001 © University of York 2001 ISBN 0-903857-80-4 ISSN 1361-3014 CONTENTS pages Introduction and editorial method …………………….…… i List of abbreviations ………………………………………. xiv Alphabetical list of York ordinands, 1800-1849 ………….. 1 Appendix 1 Unsuccessful candidates …………….. 209 Appendix 2 Table of York Ordinations, 1800-1849 ….. 215 Index ………………………………………………………. 220 YORK CLERGY ORDINATIONS, 1800-1849 INTRODUCTION & EDITORIAL METHOD INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND - THE DIOCESE OF YORK The first half of the nineteenth century was a period of great change not just for the Church of England as a whole, but for the diocese of York in particular. In territorial terms it was a time of loss. The diocese of Ripon was founded in 1836 taking with it some of the most heavily populated new industrial regions of West Yorkshire, Bradford, Halifax and Leeds. By 1836 the archbishop had also lost his peculiar jurisdiction over Hexhamshire and in 1837 the archdeaconry of Nottingham was transferred to the diocese of Lincoln. Even though a time of territorial loss for the diocese, it was a period of increased church building. When changing expectations of the parochial role of the clergy, the demand for clerical residence and the provision of a living wage for stipendary curates and increased parochial demands for preaching and the sacraments within a broadening definition of parochial work are added to this the period is seen to be one of repeated adaptation and change. ORDINATION- THE SOURCES From the middle of the eighteenth century onwards the information recorded in the York Institution Act Books can be validated and expanded by reference to the bundles of papers submitted by the candidates themselves prior to their taking orders. In the first half of the nineteenth century ordination papers survive for the vast majority of candidates, and in most cases the files include nearly all of the requisite documentation needed for the candidate to demonstrate his canonical qualifications for taking orders. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ORDINATION. Canon Law was quite clear about the requirements for those seeking deacons or priests orders. There was, however, some latitude of judgement reserved for the bishop, and of course, the standard of proof required by the diocesan. DEACON’S ORDERS Canon 24 stated that a person had to be at least 23 years old, suitably educated, of a suitable character and have a title, or curacy, to go to before they could enter deacon’s orders. When applying for ordination the candidate was expected to produce written documentation of these matters in the following form: Age Although Canon 34 was quite clear that the minimum age required for a deacon was 23 and that for a priest 24, that these regulations were not always enforced is demonstrated by the necessity of an act in 1804 to enforce the observance of the canons and rubrics respecting the ages of persons to be admitted into the sacred orders of deacons and priests (44 Geo III, ch.43). Faculties to be ordained before this age could be granted only by the archbishops of Armagh and Canterbury, and any flaunting of this act automatically rendered the ordination void and prevented the i YORK CLERGY ORDINATIONS, 1800-1849 INTRODUCTION & EDITORIAL METHOD person holding any preferment.1 This being so, it would be expected that after 1804 there are no York candidates who receive ordination before canonical age. Certainly, Thomas Marshall was ordained deacon in July 1802, before he turned 23 in the September, but after 1804 all but one of the candidates applying for orders were turned away if they are too young,2 although admittedly they had often already been examined and promised a letter dimissory as soon as they were of age.3 The archbishop of York was not the only bishop to do this, John Langdon had been examined by the bishop of Bath and Wells before his twenty-third birthday, and then given a letter dimissory to York for the moment he was 23.4 Typically the candidate provided a copy of his baptismal certificate that either provided details of his birth or demonstrated that he had been baptised at least 23 years ago. When a certificate could not prove his age, or was otherwise unobtainable, an affidavit was normally provided, by a family member, servant, surgeon or midwife. Many of the candidates had considerable problems obtaining their baptismal certificates and others discovered that their names had never been recorded in the relevant register.5 On occasions such as these the value of the family Bible as an aide memoire is repeatedly demonstrated, with extracts from them forming the basis of a formal affidavit.6 Several candidates discovered that the names recorded in the baptismal registers were different from the ones they had always been known by and used, and hence had to produce affidavits to this affect as well. For instance Edmond Yeadon discovered that he had been baptised as Henry.7 There was, technically, an upper age limit of 31 on ordination. The archbishop would, however, waive this if he had good reason, and did so on several occasions. In Charles Fletcher’s papers for deacon in 1827 it is noted that the archbishop had waived his objection to the candidate being over the regulated age of 31 on account of the recommendation of the archdeacon of Nottingham.8 George Caldwell must have been considerable over this maximum age since in lieu of a baptismal certificate he has a letter testimonial to the effect that he had been a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, for 26 years.9 Education Canon 34 of 1603 had stipulated that an ordinand should have a degree from one of the Universities, or at least “be able to yield an account of his faith in Latin … and to confirm the same by sufficient testimonies out of the Holy Scriptures.” Those candidates without a degree from either Oxford, Cambridge or Durham were termed “literates”. It was largely up to the discretion of the bishop as to what he accepted as literate. Much has been written about the low educational standards for clergy in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and certainly it is the case that the diocese of York could not rely on a supply graduate candidates. Miles Atkinson, the 1 Blunt, John Henry, The Book of Church Law (London, 1873), pp.187-8. 2 William Amboor Keeting was ordained priest 7 October 1804, one week before his 24th birthday. William Amboor Keeting, Ord.P.1804, priest. 3 Ord.P. 1802, Thomas Marshall, deacon. Candidates who applied to young and had to wait until canonical age included Marc Anthony Mackareth, Ord.P.1808, deacon & Henry Mitton, Ord.P.1805, deacon. 4 Ord.P.1833, John Langdon, deacon. 5 For example, Henry Harper Ord.P.1812, deacon; John Johnstone Ord.P. 1846, deacon. 6 For example, John Overton, Ord.P.1819, deacon, and Samuel Coates, Ord.P. 1830, deacon. 7 Ord.P.1821, Edmond Yeadon, deacon. 8 Ord.P.1827, Charles Fletcher, deacon. 9 Ord.P.1817, George Caldwell, deacon. ii YORK CLERGY ORDINATIONS, 1800-1849 INTRODUCTION & EDITORIAL METHOD incumbent of Kippax, noted that there was “a scarcity of young men to assist in the church” when he wrote requesting the ordination of Walter Poole, a non graduate.10 Candidates who had been at either Oxford, Cambridge or Durham provided college testimonials which had the dual function of demonstrating their educational attainments and also acting as their character testimonial for the period of their residence. Candidates from Oxford and Cambridge also had to provide certificates of their having attended the appropriate divinity lectures. At Oxford a candidate was expected to have attended the lectures of the Regius Professor of Divinity, at Cambridge the lectures of the Norrisian Professor. Failure to have done so generally resulted in a candidate being turned away until he had remedied this. James Milner and John Furniss Ogle, were both initially turned away because of this deficit.11 George Caldwell was only exempted because he himself was a senior tutor.12 In the period 1800-1849 over one third of the total number of ordinands fell into the literate category, which was a very broad category indeed. It included men who had degrees from Scottish Universities, men who were still on the boards at an English University and intended to graduate and also those who had had to withdraw from University due to pecuniary difficulties; men who had studied at the clerical institutions of St Bees and St David’s, Lampeter;13 men who had studied with neighbouring clergymen, or had gained preparatory tuition whilst employed as classical assistants and ushers in grammar schools and not a few sons of the clergy who had been prepared in the main by their fathers. Non-graduate candidates seem to have been expected to provide some evidence of their competence before they got as far as being examined for ordination. In the earlier period it is not unusual to see that the archbishop has requested further details of the candidate’s preparation. During Harcourt’s archiepiscopate the archbishop began to regulate those men he considered suitable for preparing men for ordination and accepted only those who had studied under them, turning others away. Only one candidate had undergone formal postgraduate preparation at Chichester diocesan Theological College (founded 1839), and that was Robert Gregory Creyke who attended for a year after he left Catharine Hall, Cambridge. St Bees College provided at least 79 candidates for ordination in this period, of whom 77 were successful. In addition there are 5 candidates who may well have undergone pre-ordination preparation at St Bees, but whose papers are not clear on the subject.