OUR PARISH CHURCH

Part  2

 

CHURCH  WARDENS

 

I have chosen to write about Church Wardens ahead of a Vicar because in our case, due to the Interregnum and, therefore, not having an Incumbent, the job of Church Warden has an even more significant role in the life of the church, which will be discussed a little later. When we think about the position of Church Wardens we are not talking about two men walking up and down the Nave with poles in their hands!

 

The earliest known record I have seen about the position Church Wardens held in a church is 1349.

 

In those far off days to augment the church’s income (there wasn’t a treasurer then) the Wardens were known to accept the gifts of livestock, which led them into farming for the sake of annual returns. Sheep, cows, even bees were often given. In one parish the church herd had their own Warden, at another the side altar was endowed from selling sheep. Larger gifts were common when, for example, they provided money for a side chapel. The growth of endowments was given in the form of house property when donated to the parish and administered by the Wardens. In another parish they administered an ample revenue for the lights and services in the Lady Chapel with a rent roll in one parish in 1389 of £2 14s. About the same time the Wardens at St. Peters, Oxford kept a set of players’ garments which they not only used at Christmas plays on behalf of church funds but out on hire.

 

It is evident that Church Wardens had very varied functions to perform e.g. farming, trading, selling gifts in kind, housing corn, overseeing its brewery, bake house, selling beef when the bull was killed. Further, they had to make many journeys to find builders to repair their church and there is a record of 1508 for buying standing trees, felling and seasoning the timber. The complex nature of the office did not deter the parishioners from selecting women: for example, in one parish in Somerset, Lucy Scely held the office during very difficult times in 1548.

 

In the reign of Edward V1, 1549, the voluntary alms of the members of the church were formally demanded for the relief of the poor. In 1552, the poor man’s box was set up in church and the Wardens were required to collect and dispense money amongst the poor.

 

The following is part of an account given at the annual meeting of a parish of 1476:

 

Curtesy made of parresche cherch of Corscomb, the last day of Janever.

Item, of the gyfte of John Smythe to the cherche…………………      11 pence

John Taillor, weber, gaf to the cherche  ……………………………    10 pence

Of the gyfte of Maud Malleway silver ryng gylt                                  1 shilling 4pence

William Coggan and Nicol Edmonds and presents in old of new

and a candlestok in the pelar (pillar) next to the fonte which cost    1 shilling 1 penny

(Please try and translate the old English!) **

 

The next few hundred years would have seen many changes in church life. There were the three Books of Common Prayer of 1549, 1552 and 1662. In 1604 Churchwardens were to be chosen by the incumbent and the parishioners and were still responsible for the business and financial side of parochial activity particularly the collection and apportioning of alms and the care and preservation of the fabric and furnishings of the church. Our old medieval Parish church would have witnessed the Royalists’ seizure of Bolton during the Civil War when many of its inhabitants were massacred.

 

**Acknowledgement to the Somerset Record Society edited by the Revd J.A. Bennett 1883

 

Until the establishment of Parochial Church Councils in 1921 Church Wardens were the sole official representatives of the laity.

So we are now at year 2008 and Michael Collier and Norman Fort are the Church Wardens. They certainly do not cut down trees or look after animals but their responsibilities are quite numerous and extremely important to church life.

To bring ourselves up to date I have used the handbook “Practical Church Management” written by James Behrens, MA, LLM, and Barrister (retired Church Warden)

“One archdeacon described the role as management, maintenance and ministry. Management refers to their relationship with the clergy, the PCC and the congregation. Maintenance to the upkeep of the church building and Ministry refers to their pastoral role. To take on the leadership position in the absence of the clergy; he may have to deal with the local press. He needs to guide the PCC to make the right decisions. He should not be overawed by senior clergy. He should keep order in church. He has to make various reports each year at the annual parochial meeting and the archdeacon. He has to attend numerous church meetings.

He cares for the parish priest and his family. He also cares for the congregation, to encourage them in their Christian faith, and to help heal any quarrels or disagreements that may arise between them or between the congregation and the parish priest”.

Following the retirement of our Vicar in September the PCC had to produce what is called a “Parish Profile”. Assisted by Michael and Norman the PCC would have to draw up what characteristics they would be looking for bearing in mind the traditions of St. Peters; be it a man or woman; type of Churchmanship; married with or without children; or single; age range; preaching ability; integration with people; man-management and other matters which would be their choice. This then goes to the Bishop of Manchester who is the Patron of St. Peters and with this information he then has at his fingertips apart from his own personal knowledge of us to consider a suitable candidate for the position as Vicar.

That is as much as I can say about the role of Church Warden given the space. Next month Church Music and the Church Organ come a little bit under the microscope.

 

David Bevis