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

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

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

The place: CRAYKE.     Church dedication: ST. CUTHBERT.     Church type: Peculiar. Rectory in charge.

Area, 3,300 acres. County of Durham *2. -Population, 607; Church-room, 250 *3; Net value, £672. -St. Cuthbert founded a Monastery at Craike in the year 685, which continued for two hundred years after.

This Church was given by Egfrid, King of Northumberland, in 684, unto St. Cuthbert, together with the town of Craike, with three miles round about, which hath been ever since a Liberty of the Bishops of Durham, and the Bishop is patron.*4

There was an hospital here, called St. Mary de Pratis, for which Archbishop Walter Gray, in 1228, granted an indulgence of twenty days' pardon.

Valued in Pope Nicholas's taxation, at £10; and in the King's books, at £10 per annum.

" This Living," says Bacon, " is in the Bishopric and county of Durham, and therefore the Incumbents thereof do always receive their collation from the Bishop of Durham, the Archbishops of York having no jurisdiction. Here it is reckoned a Living within the Archdeaconry and Peculiar Jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter of Durham *5.

The glebe house is fit for residence.

The Register Books commence in 1538.

Charities:
Thomas Grason's charity, by will (date not given). rent charge of 40s. per annum to the poor by the Rector and churchwardens, and with the sacrament-money, on St. Thomas's day.

Samuel Coates's charity, by will (date not given). rent charge of 10s. per annum to the poor, distributed as above.

Ralph Bellwood's charity, by will (date not given). rent charge of 10s. per annum to the poor at Easter. Now lost.

Poor's Lands. These consist of 14a. of land, let, at the time of the Report, for £23. 2s. per annum, and is under the management of the overseers of the poor, and were formerly purchased with the amount of sundry benefactions to the poor, and a close by the Rev. Mr. Owram, and the rents whereof are laid out and distributed in coals in the winter season by the overseers among the poorest inhabitants.

Mrs. Orfeur's charity, by will (date not given). Dividends on £200 navy five per cents. for bread for the poor, viz., twelve two-penny loaves every Sunday among twelve persons, and the residue with the sacrament-money, on St. Thomas's day.

Turner's and Jepson's gifts. These consist of two sums of £17 each, given by persons above-named, formerly Rectors of the parish, for bread for the poor ; but the Commissioners reported, that in the year preceding the Report the money was expended in building poorhouses, and in consequence thereof the interest (£1. 14s. per annum) had been since paid out of the poor rates, and applied as before in bread, and distributed with Mrs. Orfeur's charity.

John Bowman's charity, by will (date not given). Dividends on £150 three per cent. consols, for the support of the Sunday School and education of poor children, and the dividends, £4. 10s. per annum, viz., £2. 12s. to the master of the Sunday School, and the residue to the schoolmaster, for educating such poor children as are sent to him by the overseers of the poor in reading and writing. -Vide 8th Report, page 709.

Post town: Easingwold.

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References:
Torre's MS. (Peculiars), page 1345. Abp. Sharp's MS., vol. iii. page 68. Mon. Ang., vol. i. pages 232, 233-vol. vi. page 1625. Bawdwen's Domesday Book (Creic), page 63. Burton's Monasticon, page 86. Eastmead's Rievallensis, page 377.

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Notes:
*1 St. Cuthbert's body was often removed by the Monks, and finally deposited at Durham. His sepulchre was visited in 938 by King Athelstan, and by King Canute in 1031, who walked barefoot five miles to the shrine. -Mr. Raine has published an interesting account of the discovery of the remains of this Saint.

*2 Locally situate within Bulmer wapentake.

*3 Estimated in 1818 at 458.

*4 The .Archbishop of York summons the Rector of Craike to appear at his Visitations, and accordingly he is on the books charged with Procurations 7s. 6d., but he refuseth to appear. -Abp. Sharp's MS., vol. iii. page 68.

*5 Liber Regis, page 1116.