Data from the 'Collectio Rerum Ecclesiasticarum' from the year 1842.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

Data from the 'Collectio Rerum Ecclesiasticarum' from the year 1842.

The place: BEVERLEY SAINT MARY WITH SAINT NICHOLAS.     Church dedication: ST MARY WITH SAINT NICHOLAS.     Church type: Vicarage in charge.

Area, 1,460 acres *1. Beverley Borough. -Population, 4,098 *2; Church-room, 1,200; Net value, £289. -When Beverley began to grow populous, two Chapels were built here, St. Mary's and St. Thomas's ; the latter is now demolished. They were erected in the Saxon times, with the consent of the College, the rights of St. John's Church being saved.

This Church was appropriated to the Prebend of St. Martin's, and a Vicarage ordained therein, in 1325. The Prebendary was Rector, and had jurisdiction of the whole town, and in Henry VI. made an augmentation to the Vicarage of £1. 0s. 8d.

Present patron, the Lord Chancellor. The Lecturer of St. Mary's is named by the Vicar.

Valued in the King's books, at £14. 2s. Sid.; and in the Parliamentary Survey, vol. xvii. page 394, at £50 per annum.

There was an unreported decree in the Exchequer in Michaelmas Term, 42nd Eliz.

Inclosure Acts were passed 11th Geo. III. (Lockington) ; 25th Geo. III., 30th Geo. III. (Tickton Carr) ; and 41st Geo. III. (Molscroft.)

17th February 1787, faculty to enlarge galleries.

20th April 1792, ditto to erect an organ and enlarge the galleries.

The glebe house is fit for residence. It was rebuilt under a faculty granted 27th July 1791.

The Register Books commence in 1569.

Charities:
Margaret Altmare's alias Smailes's charity, by will, dated 21st July 1616. Interest of £20 for the poor of St. Mary's ; 4s. thereof to the poor of the Maison Dieu at the North Bar.

Lambert Smith's charity, by will, in 1620. Interest of £10; half thereof to the poor, and the other half to be applied for maintenance of the stock *3.

Margaret Darcey's charity, by will, dated 14th April 1626. Interest of £40 for the maintenance of scholars at the University, or towards binding poor children apprentices ; but if not needed for such purpose, to be added to the £40, to increase the stock for the said use.

Master Read's charity, about 1623. Interest of £20, half to poor tradesmen, and the other half to the said stock.

Priscilla Doyle's charity, in 1685. Interest of £5 in bread to the poor on the 13th March.

John Jackson's charity, 30th June 1712. Interest of £10 for the poor dwelling within North Bar ward, at Christmas. -The above sums were laid out several years ago in erecting lofts or galleries, and the interest is paid out of the rents of the sittings therein.

Thomas Ellinor, jun.'s charity, by will, dated 12th October 1726, and codicil, dated 19th March 1728. Rents of three houses, stable, and other outbuildings, and a garden, let, at the time of the Report, for £26. 19s. per annum. £1. 1s. to be paid to the preacher for a sermon on charity or death, or the providence of God towards the preservation of mankind, upon Easter Sunday in every year ; and the clear residue of the rents, after deducting for necessary expenses, is distributed amongst poor housekeepers of the parishes of St. Mary, St. Nicholas, and St. Martin, on Good Friday, a list of their names being first approved of by the trustees. The testator also bequeathed the remainder of his money, goods, chattels, and personal estates to his said trustees, to purchase a piece of ground, and to build an hospital thereon for four poor men, being freemen and decayed tradesmen. There was a balance in hand in 1822 of £22. 6s., but on the previous audit the charity was £6. 9s. 3d. in debt.

Francis Brogden's charity, by will, dated 25th March 1770. Interest of £40. 20s. per annum to the Vicar for a sermon on Ash Wednesday, and 20s. per annum, in sums of 2s. 6d. each, amongst eight poor widows.

Henry Simpson's charity, by will, dated 16th July 1785. rent charge of £10 per annum. Half on the 20th January, and the other on the 20th July, to poor housekeepers of Beverley, by and at the discretion of the Vicar of St. Mary's and the Curate of St. John's.

Henry Myres's charity, by will, dated 3rd November 1792. Interest of £300 for coals for poor widows and poor housekeepers of the parish. The coals to be distributed during the last week in December, and each person to have not less than four metts.

Mrs. Decima Sykes's charity. Dividends on £105 new four per cents., applied towards the support of the National School.

William Tesseyman's charity, in 1806. Interest of £12. 12s. for bread. Twenty-six sixpenny loaves are distributed on Christmas-day to poor widows.

Mrs. Ann Wride's and John Marshall's Charities, by wills, dated respectively 2nd August 1778, and 3rd January 1803. Dividends on £1,001. 13s. 4d. three per cent. consols, and on £186. 15s. 3d. new four per cents. 20s. a-piece to eight poor women ; 20s. a-piece to be laid out by the trustees in gray stuff gowns, or other necessary apparel: none to partake of the charity two years together. 10s. each to eight poor men ; the parish clerk, sexton, and wand-bearer to be always three. The whole to be given on Easter-day. £5 on Christmas-day to the poor : poor families, half-crowns ; and single persons, 1s. each; and 10s. each to the poor persons inhabiting the Maison Dieu in the North Bar ; and £1. 1s. on Easter Sunday to the Vicar of the said parish, in consideration of his seeing the said charitable trusts duly performed : and the dividends of the said £186. 15s. 3d. (Marshall's gift) are distributed in bread on Christmas-day to the poor at the Saturday Market Cross.

William Wilson's and James Bell's donations, by wills, dated respectively 25th June 1816, and 5th May 1812. Dividends on £421. 5s. 8d. new four per cents. £400, part thereof (Wilson's charity), to the poor of St. Mary's, and £400 to the parish of St. John's ; and £20 in bread (Bell's donation) to the poor of St. Mary's, in the same manner. Distributed at the Market Cross on Christmas-day.

Michael Warton, Esq.'s charity, by deed, dated 10th June 1688. rent charge of £6 per annum to the poor of St. Mary's parish at Christmas, at the discretion of the town's council of Beverley.

The Church Lands. By an inquisition taken 7th January 1633, under a commission of charitable uses, it was found that, by letters patent, dated 3rd February, 27th Elizabeth, her Majesty granted to the mayor, governors, and burgesses of Beverley, and their successors, certain lands, tenements, and rents, intended for the common use and benefit of the parish Church of St. Mary's, in Beverley (as was testified by a writing, indented under the seal of the corporation, made between the said mayor, governors, and burgesses, of the one part, and the churchwardens of St. Mary, of the other part, and dated 17th May, 32nd Elizabeth). Income : rent of lands (quantity not stated), let, at the time of the Report, for £21. 15s. per annum ; about seventy-five cottages, stables, &c., let for £301. 1s. 10d.; rents-charge of 10s. 8d. per annum ; total, £323. 7s. 6d. per annum ; and it was supposed that on the expiration of the leases in 1828, the annual income would be about £700. The income is expended in supporting the fabric of the Church, in finding ornaments and utensils for the same, in payment of salaries to the sexton and other officers, and in providing bread and wine for the Communion. At the time of the Report, there was a debt owing from the estate of about £800. -Vide 10th Report, page 706.

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References:
Torre's MS., page 173. Abp. Sharp's MS., vol. ii. page 43.

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Notes:
*1 Viz. St. Mary, 600 acres; and St. Nicholas, 860.

*2 Viz. St. Mary, 3,359 ; and St. Nicholas, 739.

*3 It does not appear what this stock is.