Winslow History | St Albans Archdeaconry Court 1567-1602

St Albans Archdeaconry Court 1567-1602

The Archdeacon of St Albans dealt with moral and religious offences by the inhabitants of Winslow, as well as making grants of probate and administration. The list of interesting cases below has been compiled from a Herts Archives index, and the original documents haven't yet been consulted. The names of people involved include prosecutors (promoters) as well as offenders. Numerous cases concerning failure to attend church, which was compulsory at the time, haven't been included.

Date	Names of people involved	Offence	Reference
14 June 1568	Margery Hamond	Adultery	ASA7/7 f83
14 June 1568	John Mason	Incontinence	ASA7/7 f83
23 Nov 1568	William Eares, Robert Hassill, Thomas Norman, Edward Owvering, Thomas Owveringe, Martin Porter & Dennys Robynson	Incontinence [i.e. sexual misbehaviour]	ASA7/7 ff143-62
15 Sep 1569	Margaret Jeffes	Incontinence	ASA7/8 f5, f8
10 May 1571	Mary Overinge	Incontinence	ASA7/8 f73
12 Jul 1571	Robert Dawnce (vicar), Uriah Varney (churchwarden) & Francis Varney	Defamation	ASA7/8 ff82-83
15 Dec 1572	Anthony Lucas	Refusing to answer churchwardens’ articles	ASA7/9 f46
1 Dec 1573	Robert Warde	Incontinence	ASA7/9 ff86-112
18 April 1575	John Clement, Thomas Cooper, [blank] Hassall, Nicholas Geffes & Thomas Partridge	Incontinence	ASA7/10 ff35-45
29 Jul 1575	John Leeche	Incontinence	ASA7/10 f48
23 April 1577	Margaret Gorar & James Greene	Incontinence	ASA7/10 f116
4 Nov 1579	Robert Bampton, William Tomlyns & Churchwardens	Bell ringing contrary to injunctions	ASA7/10 ff220-27
19 Nov 1579	John Hogston & John Shelton	Sabbath breaking	ASA7/10 ff222-24
13 March 1581	John Crobye and wife & churchwardens	Right to seats in the church	ASA7/10 ff281-83
13 March 1581	John Kyrbye	Misbehaviour in church	ASA7/10 f281
6 Nov 1581	Richard Fawconer & Ellen Thorneton	Incontinence	ASA7/10 ff310, 325-26
19 Feb 1582	Augustine Deverell & Isabel Ruffe	Defamation	ASA7/10 ff323-24
19 Feb 1582	[blank] Dewberry & Joan Stuttesbery	Incontinence	ASA7/10 ff323-25
29 April 1583	Nicholas Allen, Francis Andrewes & Peter Francklyn	Profaning the church	ASA7/11 ff17-38
29 April 1583	William Braster & Anthony Jackson	Unlicensed ministry	ASA7/11 ff17-38
29 April 1583	William Gyles & John Jeffes	Profaning the Sabbath	ASA7/11 ff18-35
29 April 1583	Augustine Senner	Allowing profanation of the Sabbath	ASA7/11 ff17-38
29 Apr 1583	John Jeffes	Abusing officers	ASA7/11 ff18-35
20 July 1583	Magdalen Myll(er?)	Defamation	ASA7/11 f31, f32
2 Sep 1584	Robert Lowndes & Grace Tymberley	Incontinence	ASA7/11 f60
26 Jul 1585	John Baylye, Augustine Senner, Nicholas Warde & Mary wife of Alexander Warde	Incontinence	ASA7/11 ff103-07
31 May 1586	Jane Chersley in the house of William Owen	?	ASA7/11 f132, f135
This must be connected to an entry in the baptism register for 6 April: Margery a child at one Owyns which one fortune tither & was bought abed - a taylor [traveller?] whose father we know not
6 Sep 1588	Richard Huet & Agnes Huet	?	ASA7/12 ff28-32
Connected to this entry in the baptism register for 15 May: Richard Hewit who was Loundes man & got a child of Thorns daughter. Richard Hewit married Ann Thorne on 6 June 1588.
5 Dec 1593	Anne Wendover	Incontinence	ASA7/16 f2
18 Dec 1593	Hugh Seaton	Incontinence	ASA7/16 f2, f4
19 Dec 1593	William Barker & John Scott	Defamation	ASA7/16 f3, f8
8 April 1594	William Baker [Barker?]	Procuring the bell to be rung out for his wife when she was well	ASA7/16 f14
2 Oct 1594	[blank] Hickman	Incontinence	ASA7/17 f1
16 Oct 1594	Mrs Wyndover or Wendover	Incontinence	ASA7/17 f1, f3
12 Nov 1594	William Carter & Richard Easte	Profaning the Sabbath	ASA7/17 f1
14 May 1595	William Barker	Playing cards in service time	ASA7/17 ff28-31
18 May 1595	Richard Easte (promoter) & Philip Favor (incumbent); Peter Fige, [blank] Leache & Nicholas Mychell	Incontinence	ASA7/17 ff32-34
27 May 1595	William Leache (churchwarden), [blank] Lunn (alias?) Spooner, John Storke, [blank] Watson	Playing cards in service time	ASA7/17 f29, f31
23 April 1596	Thomas Daniels, Nicholas Heyward & Elizabeth Heyward	Defamation	ASA7/17 f64, f90
9 March 1597	Philip Favor (vicar) & Agnes wife of Thomas Pursell	Defamation	ASA7/17 ff119-27
20 April 1597	Walter Leno & Joan Leno	Defamation	ASA7/17 ff129-33
3 May 1597	Thomas Deverell & Margaret Stevens	Laughing in church during service	ASA7/17 f131
6 March 1598	[blank] Seabrooke	Irregular marriage	ASA7/18 f41
24 Sep 1599	Stephen Andrew	Not learning catechism	ASA7/11 ff103-07
18 March 1600	Mary Shettles & Elizabeth Stuttesbery widow	Incontinence	ASA7/18 f261
5 Nov 1600	Hugh Seaton	Incontinence	ASA7/18 f237
7 April 1601	Henry Bawly	Restitution of conjugal rights	ASA7/18 f265, f272
Henry Bawley was buried in 1610 and his wife Sybil in 1608; they (or at least Henry) had a child baptised in 1592.
1 June 1602	Judith Cooke	Incontinence	ASA7/19 f57
Matthew son of Judith Cooke was baptised 26 April 1601
13 Sep 1602	Seth Mason & Agnes Williams	Defamation	ASA7/19 f72

The following transcriptions by Arthur Clear appeared in:

L.H. Stripp, "The Old Town of Winslow", The Antiquary 9 (Oct 1913), 384-89

We find in the record of the Archdeaconry of St. Albans several accounts of the penances prescribed and enforced; for example, that of “Robert Daunce, vicar of Winsloe, Anno 1584, 26th Elizabeth, the 11th day of Oct. set down by the Right Worshipful Mr. Doctor Bingham, Doctor of the Law, with the testimony of those witnesses underwritten:

“Right Worshipful Mr. Doctor, Whereas it was set down by your Article of Court that I should observe your monition, that was, I should provide and get a preacher, and ask my congregation forgiveness, which things I have observed and performed this 11th day of October. In further testimony of the same, I have caused these men, whose names are underwritten, to put their names and marks the day above written, with the testimony of the Preacher.

“Thomas Prowd, preacher of the Word at Kimbel.
“Richard Gerney of Mydl, Cleyton, gent.
“By me, William Pigott, Gentleman.
“By me, Francis Downes.
“William Gylles, the elder, Churchwarden.
“William (illegible), x his mark.
“Anthony (illegible), x his mark.
“Endorsed. To my singular and approved good friend, Mr. Rockett, give this.

“The Penance done by me, Robert Daunce, the 4th day of October, 1584.
“This I, Robert Daunce, Vicar of Winsloe, in County of Buk---- in face of the Church, on Sunday, being the 4th of October, Anno Dom. 1584, immediately after the second lesson at evening prayer, which thing I deferred, hoping to a had a preacher, which I could not get; ye cause was that Doctor Sparke, a Mr. Aggerton, and Mr. Harris are put to silence because they have not [conformed?].

“As giving offence in all kinds of men is displeasing and grievous in God’s sight, so in them it is most deplorable which he called to the ministry, and have cure and special charge of others, because by God’s word it is required that they should not only be circumspect and faithful in purely administering the Sacraments by Christ ordained, but also in godliness of life and outward behaviour be an example to their parishioners, that God’s glory, by their doctrine and life may be advanced.

“Forasmuch therefore as ministers should be light to others, and I, through my frailty and folly have of late not so warily behaved myself among you as became me, especially at that time when I should have been occupied far otherwise. I, not constrained thereonto, but frankly and freely confess my sad folly, the which, though it burst not out into any open act, yet my unseemly behaviour, the place, time, and other circumstances considered, deserveth God’s high displeasure. And I fear me have ministered just cause of offence to-you-ward. In consideration of which, I do not only acknowledge my offence given to Almighty God, but also I beseach [sic] you all for His sake who forgave his death, to bear with and pardon my said folly, and earnestly to pray God for me, that He will vouchsafe for His Christ’s sake to forgive this my misdoing, and so to direct my ways hereafter, that I may eschew evil, and especially in giving of offence to the holy congregation, and also to do that good, both in doctrine and life which appertaineth to my vocation, and that we together may do this, I beseach you to say with me the Lord’s Prayer.

“This Penance, I, Robert Daunce, have done the 4th of October, according to the order to me set down.”

Then follows a letter which is addressed to Dr. Bingham and Mr. Rockett, and ends thus:

“My wife hath sent you here, enclosed 12d., trusting to make you better mens [amends?] one day, and desireth you to be good to her.”

Here is another example:

“A.D. 1599. An order of Penance enjoined to Joane Turnam of the Parish of Wynselow.

“The saide Joane Turnam shall upon Sunday next, being the 14th day of this instant month of October, at the beginning of Morning Prayer, stand in the Church porch appareled in a white sheet all covered but her face and hands, having in her hand a white rod, and shall there stand until the beginning of the first lesson, and shall then come into the Church in the foresaid sheet, and coming in the Middle Alley of the Church before the minister and congregation, shall acknowledge her fault in committing of incontinency with one Richard Dickens, desiring God upon her knees to forgive her, and promise amendment of life hereafter, and shall desire the congregation there assembled to pray to God to forgive her, and there so to remain until the end of service and sermon.

“And of the performance hereof she is to certify [on this side] and before the Feast of All Saints now ensuing under the hands of the Minister and Churchwardens of Wynslow aforesaid. Per me, Tho. Rokett, Deputy of Roper, Archdeacon of St. Alban’s.

“These are to certify that the above named Joane Turnam hath fully performed the Penance enjoined to her, according to the order here prescribed and set down. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names the 21st day of October, Anno 1599.

“ROBERT MAINWARING, Minister,
“THOMAS X MILLER,
“THOMAS X COXELL,
“WILLIAM X SPOONER, Churchwardens.”

For some years previous to the time of the Spanish Armada, the clergy, as well as other persons of position, were called upon to provide armour and men to protect the country against foreign invasion.

In the documents relating to the parishes in the Archdeaconry of St. Albans are the following entries referring to Winslow, with its members:

[xxvj Octobris 1590.

“The rate and proporcon of furniture for service appoynted to eu’y the seu’all ministers within the Archdeaconrye of St. Albans.

“Mr. ffavo’r, Vicar of Winsloe, one musket furnished; that is to saye – a musket with flask, towchbox and trunion and reste, an aiming sworde, dagger and girdle, and flaske leather, and a man to weare theim.

“Mr. Owen, Vicar of Granboroughe, one Blackbill furnished; that Is to say – A Jacke, or plate Coate, w’th sleeves and a skull and scottish Cappe, an arming sworde, dagger and girdle, and a man to weare theim.”