CHAPTER IX. BRADFIELD CHAPELRY. "Where yet unknown to fame, HOMFRAY. THE three places last described, with, perhaps, also Oughtibridge and Wadsley, or so much of them as lies. south of the Don, are within the Chapelry of Bradfield, which though nominally part of Ecclesfield, has had its own church, and been virtually a distinct parish from the earliest times, under the care of curates or chaplains nominated by the vicars or patrons of Ecclesfield. The name, as pointed out by its meaning, broad-field, is that of a wide district, containing many hamlets and sub-districts, the hamlet to which the name is now specially applied being formerly known as Kirkton. The general history of the district is inseparable from that of Ecclesfield as given in the early chapters of this work, which, according to its original plan, was intended to include a detailed account of Bradfield and its hamlets as well as of the rest of the parish, but unforeseen causes have compelled the relinquishment of that part of the plan. Such an extensive district might well claim a volume to itself, and though a combination of what Mr. Hunter has given in his topo graphical works would leave little to be desired, still there are details which can only be collected by a resident, or at any rate by one having greater facility for "verifying his references" by visiting the localities, than is likely ever again to fall to the lot of the present writer. The following are such notes as he has already collected. The church or chapel of Bradfield is most picturesquely situated on the side of a hill facing southward towards the stream of the Loxley, almost midway between the mysterious earthwork called Bailey Hill1 on the north-west, and the hardly less mysterious Castle Hill on the south-east. It is a plain but church-like building, the foundation lines being laid on a parallelogram, with narrower addition for a chancel at the east end, and a square tower at the west. The interior is sadly darkened by galleries and high pews, the pulpit occupying the position of the ancient rood-loft, with a passage beneath, as is, or was lately, the case also at Peniston Church.2 The windows contain a few roundels and single panes of stained glass. Two of the roundels, one or both turned upside down, contain inscriptions which seem to be "Memento finis" and "Virtus florebit." The tracery of the windows at the east ends of the aisles is very beautiful, but different in each; that in the north aisle is said to belong to about A.D. 1360. The date of the building itself is later, but has not been more clearly ascertained than that of Ecclesfield Church. The churchyard contains an unusual proportion of ancient tombstones, and the years spelt by the unlettered muse on the greater number speak well for the healthy influences of the neighbourhood. The chapel of Bradfield is first mentioned by name in a = 1 Bailey the keep of a castle, to which the mound at Bailey Hill exactly corresponds. * The Archdeacon, who visited Bradfield in 1724, ordered the loft on the left side of the pulpit, which intercepted the light, to be taken in as far as the pillar, a seat to be set up near to the communion rails, and a black cover for the bier to be bought. grant of Gerard de Furnival to the Canons at Worksop, of about the end of the twelfth century, but is referred to in papal bulls as early as 1141 and 1145.' The name Kirkton occurs in the Inquisition of 1337, where are many other particulars relating to the tithes of the several hamlets, which at that time seem to have belonged in whole or part to the monks of Ecclesfield." In Abp. Greenfield's ordination of a Vicar of Ecclesfield, with its Chapel of Bradfield, Dec. 7th, 1310, two chaplains were appointed to assist the vicar, one in the church, the other in the chapel; but with this exception, the only mention of Bradfield met with during a careful search of such of the archiepiscopal registers as are still extant, was in an entry in Archbishop Savage's Register (fol. 96) of a commission granted to John, Bishop of Nigropont, Jan. 7th, 1503, to reconcile the parish church and cemetery of Bradfield, lately polluted by the violent effusion of blood. In 1549, Charles Parsons, Vicar of Ecclesfield, names Sir William Heaton, of Bradfield, one of the executors of his will. This is an earlier curate than any mentioned by Hunter, to whose list must also be added, on his own showing, Sir Thomas Collie, after Sir Robert Tynmothe. In a continuation of Archbishop Sharpe's MS. are a few other variations, which, with those obtained from other sources, will make the list stand as follows:: 3 1 Above, pp. 63, 96, 103. In the latter place the copyist has read it Wradesfled, another copy since met with has Bradefeld. 2 Above, p. 124. 3 Deanery of Doncaster, II. 192, note. 1617-1628. Matthew Ducket, Mr. Meredith, Mr. Rawson, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Attoy. These all appear about this time. 1628-1633. Matthew Booth, resigned on being presented to the vicarage of Peniston, Sept. 3d, 1633. 1634. 1635. Godfrey Winter, admitted Cur. of Hook, Dec. 10th, 1637. 1636-1640. John Watts. 1649-1658. Robert Chadwick, bur. here April 5th, 1659. 1659-1662. John Hoole, displaced for nonconformity. 1666-1701. John Hoole, restored, having conformed. (Calamy.) 1701-2. John Revell. 1702-1709. William Wills; of him Mr. Wilson has a note that when he was turned out of Bradfield Curacy he preached at Midhope. 1710-21. 1721-25. 1725--41. 1741-67. 1767-1771. 1773. 1796. Benjamin Thompson. Francis Poole, son of the Curate and Schoolmaster of Charles Steer, brother to William Steer, Vicar of Christopher Butterfield, instituted Dec. 8th, 1742. Harker Crook, instituted to Vic. of Huddersfield, April 1771, dead in 1773. John Webster, instituted March 18th; his name appears also among the assistant ministers at Ecclesfield. Francis Dixon, brother to James Dixon, Vicar of Ecclesfield, afterwards Vic. of Henham, Essex. 1799-1819. Thomas Newton, son-in-law to the above James Dixon ; died in 1819, his widow was living in Jan. 1862. John Fletcher, died in 1853. Edmund Wood. 1819-53. 1853. Joseph Trotter appears as assistant-minister, licensed June 17th, 1771 (also as Vicar of Huddersfield in 1774 and 1783); and George Whitaker in 1783. Mr. Fletcher was for many of the later years of his life non-resident, during which time his successive deputies were Thomas Coldwell, 1828, William King, 1829, William Gill, 1830–7 (now incumbent of Stannington), J. F. Robinson, and Arthur W. Wood. Mr. Wood, the present incumbent, has built a parsonage house near the church. In 1841, as appears by the date on a shield of arms over the door, Mrs. Sarah Rimington erected a national school, which is also near the church. An account of other schools and charities may be found in the printed report of the Charity Commissioners. The population of the chapelry in 1861 was 9,088, exclusive of Wadsley. In Mr. Wilson's MSS. are the following notes: "In the East window at Bradfield in painted glass; a dragon or serpent, a stagg or starr, and in the window on the right hand under which the books are chained, a temple, K. Edw. the Confessor, the cross and wafer, a house, a cherubim, and XPC. In the South window of the Quire, two mytred abbots. In the East window of the Choir 15 round pains of painted glass of all colours, besides diamond pains painted, and several not painted. In the round pains are a wolf saliant, a stagg, 2 trees, a rose, MR [the monogram of the Virgin], a starr, IHC, and a serpent. Upon the East end of the South loft is written WILLIAM GREENE, IOHN WOODHEAD, AN. DO. 1634. On the North side, WILLIAM FOXE." "The Books placed in the South Quire over the Dungeon are, Jewel's Works, fol. 1621. Mr. Wm. Perkins' Works, 1 vol. printed in 1608 at Camb., vol. ii. printed at Cambridge in 1609. A general Martyrology, by S. Clark, 1651, a small folio. Foxe's Book of Martyrs, fol. Vol. 2a, printed 1641, this being wrote on a blank leaf before the beginning of the book, "This volume of the booke of Martyrs (written by Mr. Fox) was given, July 25, 1665, to the Chappell of Bradfeild, and to the use of all the inhabitants within that Chapelry, that desire in the said Chappell to reade thereon, by John Shawe, Clerke,' born at Sickhouse in the Chapelry aforesaid, who heartily prayes for all the Inhabitants therein, and unfeignedly begs God's blessing upon ye reading, and all the conscientious readers thereof.' Upon another blank leaf, This Book was rebound in the Year 1707. Richard Broomhead being Chapell-Warding.' "Two books are chained on each side the altar, being Bisse's Beauty of Holyness, given by Mr. Nicholas Burley, late of Wolley, 1725, and printed in 1717. "Over the north stairs a shield with 5 bear's paws. "On the side of the reading desk fixt into a wood standard is an iron hourglass frame. "The long seat at the back of the little door under the Quire alley window is called the Yeoman's Seat. The large chest bound with iron within the railes is hewed out of a solid tree. The Church writings were ordered to be kept in it, 1616.2 At the back of Mr. Morewood seat hangs a frame in which is a parchment wrote on one side in a secretary, and on 1 Another volume of the same work he gave to Peniston Church, as appears from a similar inscription, dated May 19th, 1666, and ending, "And the good Lord give a gracious blessing to all the readers and hearers of it there read. So heartily prays the donour hereof, John Shaw." 2 It is now used as a receptacle for general lumber. |