Proc. Hampshire Field. Club Archaeol. Soc. 63, 2008, 37-57 (Hampshire Studies 2008) A PRETTY EASY WAY OF DAWDLING AWAY ONE'S TIME: THE CANONS OF WINCHESTER IN THE LONG EIGHTEENTH CENTURY By GRAHAM HENDY ABSTRACT of that great diarist Parson Woodforde are borne out by his capitular contemporaries . We In the context of the 'long' eighteenth century shall examine them in the context of chapter (1660—1840) the prebendaries or canons residen­ and within the wider Church of England, noting tiary of Winchester Cathedral are investigated. Their their attitudes to residence and non-residence, families, and their geographical and educational and reflecting on their pastoral, theological backgrounds are examined, along with their literary and academic contribution to the age in which achievements. Career paths, patronage and financial they lived. rewards of their various livings are reviewed. Then This study will examine the 'Georgian' period follows an analysis of their work, and the worship from 1660-1840. The 'long eighteenth century' and care of the building in which they serve, particu­ is well established and accepted in ecclesiastical larly with reference to the question of 'residence' which historiography, beginning with the Restoration is determined by a detailed report on their attendance of Church and Monarchy, and ending with the at chapter meetings and at daily worship. Finally the Cathedrals Act of 1840. The church of the late prebendaries are seen within their social milieu. This seventeenth century and of the eighteenth paper may be set in the context of the current, more century was a slow moving structure, and was favourable, analysis of the Georgian church, which the obvious fruit of its medieval and Refor­ recognises there were plenty of good men who were mation past. Henry VIII initiated a survey of quietly and conscientiously carrying out their duty. It benefices which resulted in the Valor Ecclesias- is also clear that in chapter there was generally a core ticus of 1535, known thereafter as the King's of some three or four prebendaries who were the key to Books and still consulted by Georgian clergy to carrying on the business of the cathedral. establish the (out-dated) value of livings, until the Parliamentary Commission made its report in 1835 (Virgin 1989, 1-2; Sykes 1934, 141). INTRODUCTION Peter Virgin asserts: The church of Joseph Butler, of Warburton, of Gibson and of Hoadly The life of a prebendary is a pretty easy way of was pretty well continuous with the church dawdling away one's time; praying, walking, of Burnet, of Laud, of Andrewes and even of visiting; and as little study as your heart would Hooker... ' (Virgin 1989, 3) and 'the era of wish.' So wrote Edmund Pyle, prebendary reform, ushered in by the repeal of the Test and (1756-76) of Winchester Cathedral (Hart- Corporations Acts in 1828 and completed by shorne 1905, 266). We will examine just how far the ecclesiastical reforms of the mid- and late- this apparent attitude of indolence is born out 1830s, was the decisive period: one when the in historical record by a study of the Winchester clergy, it will be claimed, reached the peak of prebendaries during the Georgian period. By- their affluence and power' (Virgin 1989, iii). examining their family background, education The material presented below derives from and career patterns, it will be possible to see comparative research done on the two southern whether the myths engendered by the writings cathedrals of Winchester and Salisbury, and the 37 38 HAMPSHIRE FIELD CLUB AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY two northern collegiate churches of Manches­ Table 1 Social background of Winchester ter and Southwell, which includes reference to Canons other capitular bodies with published findings. Space does not allow for much detailed com­ No. parison, but it is to be found in my unpublished thesis (Hendy 2007). Here an attempt has been made to create a picture of the Winchester Nobles 4 2.8 prebendary over this period by looking at their Gentiy 37 26.4 background and their practices while in office. Clergy- 40 28.6 Winchester had a complement of a dean and 12 prebendaries who were residentiary canons, Professions 5 3.6 making a total of 13. At the Restoration seven Tradesmen and Artisans 7 5.0 residentiaries were re-instated, and in 1660 a dean and five residentiaries were appointed. Unknown 47 33.6 During the period there were 13 different TOTALS 140 100.0 deans and 133 residentiaries, though as six resi­ dentiaries became dean, the total of different Sources: Alphabetical Index of Hants Clerics (typescript men under review is 140 (W739C/6-10). 1910); J. Foster, Alumni Oxonienses. The Members of the University of Oxford 1500-1886. Their parentage, birthplace, and year of birth, with a record of their degrees (Oxford, 1888,1891);J. Guile, (ed.), A Millennium FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL of Archdeacons: The Archdeacons of Winchester from BACKGROUND the 11"' to tlie 20'' Centuries (Winchester, 2003); J. Le Neve andJ.M. Horn (comp.), Fasti Ecclesiae An examination of parental background makes Anglicanae 1541-1857, III Canterbury, Rochester and it plain that many canons had fathers who were Winchester Dioceses (London, 1974) ,'83-106; H.C.G themselves clergy or gentry, similar to other Matthew and B. Harrison (eds.), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography in association with the British cathedrals (Table 1). Academy (Oxford, 2004);J. andJ.A. Venn, (comp.), It is clear that clerical fathers form a sig­ Alumni Canlabriginenses. A biographical list of all nificant group in the overall parentage of the known students, graduates and holders of office at the prebendaries and that a hereditary clerical University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900 tradition had emerged, which became more (Cambridge, 1922, 1940); Winchester Cathedral pronounced as time passed. An analysis of Memorials (typescript) (1937), with additions A. W. the gentry, who form a close second, indicates Goodman (1938-9), revised A. D. Blake (1952) nearly 27% of these had 'urban addresses', town dwellers who had made their money from profession or industry rather than land. of Winchester gave his son John a Winchester Over the period the proportion of clerics to prebend and enabled his nephew, also John, to gentlemen increased significantly, suggesting become a prebendary of Salisbury. None can that the social background of these clergy was exceed Brownlow North of Winchester who, as more elitist than those of parochial incumbents, Cobbett so delightfully records, provided ten though some had more humble background. of his relatives with 24 livings, five prebends, Those with clerical fathers included six who one chancellorship, one archdeaconry, and had been members of the chapter them­ one mastership, worth more than 20 thousand selves. Those whose fathers or uncles were in pounds a year (Ingrains 2005, 216-7). positions of influence such as bishop or dean The prebendaries were a generally well are relatively few, but Seth Ward of Salisbury educated group of men. We are uncertain appointed his nephew Seth as a prebendary where 66% (92 out of 140) of Winchester preb­ of Salisbury, and managed to acquire another endaries went to school, but we do know that 35 prebend at Winchester, while Benjamin Hoadly went to what became the great public schools HENDY: THE CANONS OF WINCHESTER IN THE LONG EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 39 Table 2 Universities attended by Winchester Canons Oxford Cambridge Oxford then Cambridge then Unknown Cambridge Oxford 77 (55.0%) 31 (22.1%) 18 (12.9%) 5 (3.6%) 9 (6.4%) Sources: As per Table 1 (eight to Merchant Taylors, seven to Winches­ the church rather than academic achievement. ter, six each to Westminster and Eton, four to Consideration of their publications suggests St Paul's, one each to Harrow, Charterhouse, many canons were both erudite and learned, Uppingham and Rugby). though by 1800 the proportion of divinity Most if not all were graduates, with more than degrees had decreased. It is likely that many twice as many going to Oxford as Cambridge, of these men enjoyed the comfortable life of though towards the end of the period numbers the academic environment until the attractions were balancing out. Well over half of these went of marriage forced them into the wider world on to receive higher degrees, and over one (Table 4). third were fellows of their colleges (Table 2). An examination of the colleges attended by Table 4 Winchester Canons who were College residentiaries revealed some important con­ Fellows nections. New College, Oxford, founded by William of Wykeham was intended to replace missing clergy lost in the Black Death. Win­ Oxford. Cambridge Total chester College served as a feeder school, and while only five prebendaries from our sample 35 14 49 (35%) attended both, it explains the 23 Winchester prebendaries who were alumni of New College. Sources: As per Table 1 Christ Church, a cathedral and university college, educated 24 Winchester prebendaries. While many clergymen were schoolmasters, No less than 63% of Winchester canons only 12 of the canons in the sample (8.6%) had received degrees above that of MA and it is no that claim. It would not be surprising to find surprise that the vast majority of these were in prebendaries of the cathedral who were also the faculty of divinity. However there are a sig­ part of the foundation of Wykeham's college. nificant number of law degrees (Table 3). In all there were ten (7%), most of the Win­ chester educationalists. Several also had links with New College Oxford, so we note again the Table 3 Higher degrees received by close relationship with the two foundations. Winchester Canons Wykeham's College was, of course, not the only educational establishment in Winchester.