The following documents are taken from the file on the dispute between the Vicar of Warton and the inhabitants of Silverdale, 1687-1692. Briefly, the parties involved are: (1) the inhabitants of Silverdale and their curate, Mr James Atkinson, who want a fully operational Chapel of Ease and a paid curate, (2) the Vicar of Warton, Mr Thomas Lawson, who wants a minimally operational Chapel of Ease, if one at all, and no paid curate, (3) the Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral who hold the Rectory of Warton, thus receiving all the tithes of the parish, to whom the inhabit its of Silverdale petitioned (1687),
‘…for as much as wee are bound up by the sea on the one hand & Mosses on the other Soe that at some times we cannot with conveniency travell to the Mother Church at Warton beeing in a very obscure & remote place & consisting of nere Three: score families amongst which are very many aged & Decrepit people abounding alsoe (till of late that by the procurement of your Vicar of Warton wee had an honest orthodox it painefull schoolmaster & curate) with many Schismaticks & Quakers…we humbly beseech your Worshippes severlly to take the same into your pious consideration & vouchsafe us some small pention out of your Rectory of Warton to bee yearly paid to our Curate1-..’
and (4) the Bishop of Chester whom the Dean and Chapter of Worcester asked to arbitrate a solution. The Bishop sent his man, James Fenton, to look over the situation and report back. James Fenton’s report, dated 17 September 1692, reads as follows:
Lancaster Sept 1792
“ My Lord,
I had given your Lordship an account of Silverdale sooner but that the inference was depending till now, of which (Since it has taken no effect) I acquaint your Lordship with the following account. The distance between Warton Church and Silverdale chapell I take to be four miles. The way is plain & open from the sides of two great hills to all the severity of the weather seawards. In the midst lies a deep Mosse, where I thought we must have left our horses, and were once in despair of making our way, till Mr Lawsons clerk broke down a hedge, & conducted us thro mens grounds, who might have indicted us for a trespasse. When we got with much difficulty to Silverdale chapell, there were about 30 of the chiefe ancient Inhabitants waiting for us, who expressd a very earnest desire of having constant prayers at their chapell thro out the year, acquainting us that since there had been constant service there, not one in the dale had turnd Quaker, nor had any loiter’d & play’d among the hills on Sundays, as their practise had been before but their children & younger sort were very much reclaimd by Mr Atkinsons constant catechising. The more understanding men feard that (if their chapell was shut up for any time) they would relapse into their former loosenesse on the Lordsday, & a great part of them be made a prey to the Quakers.
In Reference to the Vicar & church of Warton they freely ownd their subjection, & declard that on Every Sacrament day at Warton, their chapell should not be open, but that they would repair with their Curate to Warton to receive. Mr Atkinson shewd great humility & respect to Mr Lawson, and offerd him his best Service at any time of Mr Lawsons indisposition or absence. Some of them talkd of certifying the chapell at the Sessions for Church of England prayers in case of extremity, but hop’d your Lordship would prevent all such ungratafull methods by a speedy determination in their behalfe. Mr Atkinson was sadly troubld at this last notion of some of them, & declard he would not do any thing without your Lordships approbation. Mr Lawson stood upon an agreement formerly between them, which they were all perfect strangers to, and likewise upon the late orders from Worcester. This my Lord is an account of that days work. Now my Lord I beg of your Lordship to be as speedy as your Lordships other weighty affairs will permit, in the determination of this unreasonable difference, which has raisd some scandall & great heats. I allso humbly offer my thoughts, which are that I wonder (considering the distance & badness of the way, the commendable desire of Silverdale people, the good which is don among them by a pious man, & the sad consequences which I plainly forsee upon inhibiting their chapell for some months onely) I wonder how any clergyman can resist so good and hearty desires of a tractable people or hazard the mischiefs which (without a miracle) are sure to fall on that place if the chapell be shut up. The Quakers are pleasd with this difference, and stand expecting & wishing Mr Lawson may prevail, pray my Lord forgive this tediousness in
My Lord I beseech your Lord to write to Worcester to satisfy them, & obtain the continuance of the five pounds.
My Lordship Your Lordships most obedient servant James Fenton2
“ The outcome: the Chapel was secured for Silverdale and the curate was granted a £5 stipend to be paid by the Vicar of Warton.
Notes
Lancashire Archives in Preston now hold most of the these records for more information contact them
- Lancashire Records Office Reference: LRO DRCh 37/122 (2) ↩︎
- Lancashire Records Office Reference: LRO DRCh 37/122 (9) ↩︎
Published in Mourholme Magazine Issue 3 Spring 1983