Canons: First prebend

Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: Volume 3, Canterbury, Rochester and Winchester Dioceses. Originally published by Institute of Historical Research, London, 1974.

This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.

'Canons: First prebend', in Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857: Volume 3, Canterbury, Rochester and Winchester Dioceses, (London, 1974) pp. 60-61. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1541-1847/vol3/pp60-61 [accessed 26 April 2024]

CANONS OF THE 1ST PREBEND, ROCHESTER

Hugh Aprice (fn. 1) D.C.L. 1541-1574.

Apptd. by king in foundation charter 18 June 1541 (L. & P. XVI no. 947 (36)). D. 30 June/31 Aug. 1574 (P.R.O., Prob. 11/56, PCC 34 Martyn; ibid., C 66/1116). (fn. 2)

William Absolon M.A. 1574-1586/7.

Pres. by queen 27 Oct. 1574 (P.R.O., C 66/1116). D. (as rector of Dengie, Essex) by 5 Jan. 1587 (R. Newcourt, Repertorium ecclesiasticum parochiale Londinense (London, 1708-10) II 212).

Thomas Bell M.A. ?-1627.

Pres. by queen 30 June 1581 to next vac. preb. (P.R.O., C 66/1208). Letter to chapter from Sir Thomas Walsingham 28 June 1581 requesting that Bell be given Martin Collins's preb. (DRc/Elb 1 ff. 34v-35). Reply 15 July that Collins d. twelve years previously, and the preb. was already occupied by Robert Johnson; as no other stall was vac., the queen's pres. had been registered (ibid.). (fn. 3) Occ. as canon of Rochester by 25 June 1593 (ibid. f. 95v), and in list of prebendaries' houses c. 1593-1606 he occ. as having the house formerly belonging to Hugh Aprice (DRc/As p. 8). D. by 26 Feb. 1627 (burial, Nutfield, Surr.) (Surrey Record Office, P26/5/1, Nutfield parish reg., ex inf. Miss M. Gollancz; P.R.O., C 66/2371).

John Lorkin (fn. 4) senior M.A. 1627-1655.

Pres. by king 3 March 1627 to 1st preb. (sic) in succession to Thomas Bell. (P.R.O., C 66/2371). Instal. 21 March (DRc/Elb 4 f. 232v). (fn. 5) D. by 18 Jan. 1655 (burial, Limpsfield, Surr.) (Surrey Record Office, P11/1/2, Limpsfield parish reg., ex inf. Miss M. Gollancz; DRc/R9 f. 102v).

John Lorkin (fn. 4) junior M.A. 1660-1667.

Pres. by king; instit. by bp. 4 Aug. 1660 (DRc/R9 f. 102v). D. 8 Jan. 1667 (DRc/ Els 2 p. 6; DRc/Aop 1).

Thomas Lorkin M.A. 1667-1670.

Pres. by king; instit. by bp. 22 Jan. 1667 (DRc/Aop 1). Instal. 11 Feb. (DRc/Els 2 p. 6). D. 8 May 1670 (m.i., Stockbury, Kent) (Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 11823 f. 17v; DRc/Aop 2).

Edward Clerke D.D. 1670-1681.

Pres. by king 13 May 1670; instal. 23 June (DRc/Aop 2). (fn. 6) D. by 29 July 1681 (buried 2 Aug., Chevening, Kent) (DRc/Arb 2 ff. 88v-89; P88 1/3, Chevening parish reg.).

John Wyvell M.A. 1681-1705.

Pres. by king 29 July 1681 (DRc/Arb 2 ff. 88v-89). Instal. 4 Aug. (ibid. f. 88; DRc/Ac 2/4b f. 19v). (fn. 7) D. by 16 Feb. 1705 (burial, Rochester cath.) (Reg. Roch. cath. p. 44; DRc/Arb 2 ff. 122v-123).

Edmund Barrell M.A. 1705-1765.

Pres. by queen 27 March 1705 (DRc/Arb 2 ff. 122v-123). Instit. by bp. 28 March (ibid. f. 122v; DRb/Am 1 f. 83v). Instal. 29 March (DRc/Arb 2 f. 122). D. 15 March 1765 (Gent. Mag. 1765, xxxv 147; DRc/Arb 3 p. 42).

James Andrew M.A. 1765-1775.

Pres. by king; instit. by bp. 28 March 1765 (DRc/Arb 3 p. 42; P.R.O., E 331 Roch./46). Instal. 30 March (DRc/Arb 3 pp. 43-4). Res. by 17 May 1775 (ibid. pp. 92-3).

Peter Pinnell D.D. 1775-1783.

Pres. by king; instit. by bp. 17 May 1775 (DRc/Arb 3 pp. 92-3). Instal. 27 May (ibid. pp. 93-5). D. 16 Aug. 1783 (Gent. Mag. 1783, liii (2) 717; DRc/Arb 3 p. 115).

Henry Reginald Courtenay D.C.L. 1783-1797.

Pres. by king; instit. by bp. 23 Sept. 1783 (DRc/Arb 3 p. 115). Instal. 27 Sept. (ibid. pp. 116-17). Bp. of Bristol 1794, but held preb. in commendam until trans. to Exeter 1797.

Hon. Jacob Marsham M.A. 1797-1840.

Pres. by king; instit. by bp. 1 Apr. 1797 (DRc/Arb 3 pp. 187-8). Instal. 3 Apr. (ibid. pp. 188-90). D. 28 Jan. 1840 (fn. 8) (Gent. Mag. 1840, cx (1) 439). Stall suspended in accordance with Stat. 3 & 4 Vic. c. 113. House of suspended 1st preb. assigned to holder of 2nd preb. at chapter meeting 30 Jan. 1841, conf. by bp. 4 Feb. (DRc/Arb 3 pp. 391-2; DRc/Ac 12 pp. 69-80; Lond. Gaz. no. 19968).

Footnotes

  • 1. Often called 'Dr Hughes' at Rochester.
  • 2. Percival Wiborne was said to be pres. by the queen to the 1st preb. 2 July 1561 (C.P.R. 1560-3 p. 85). In fact, he succeeded George Burden in the 2nd preb. (cf. ibid. p. 4).
  • 3. T. Shindler says that Bell took the place of William Absolon in the subsidy roll of 1586/7 (Reg. Roch. cath. p. 70n.), but this roll is no longer in existence.
  • 4. Le Neve-Hardy gives only one John Lorkin, said to occ. 1632 and 1661.
  • 5. At bp. John Bowles's visitation of 24 July 1635, the dean and chapter reported that it was not customary for prebendaries to be instit. by the bp. unless they had a pres. from the king of the next vac. preb. John Lorkin had a royal pres. on an actual vacancy and so was instal. after a special mand. from the king, without instit. by the bp. (DRc/Elb 4 f. 232v). After the Restoration, when the king always made pres. on an actual vacancy, the practice changed, and prebendaries were instit. by the bp. before instal.
  • 6. Archdcn. Denne says that Clerke was instit. by bp. 30 May (Brit. Mus., Add. MS. 11823 f. 19). He may be citing a subscription book which has since been lost.
  • 7. Archdcn. Denne says that Wyvell was instit. by bp. 2 Aug. (ibid.). See note 1 above.
  • 8. There is no evidence for Le Neve-Hardy's statement that he res. by 16 June 1827 and was succeeded by William Frederick Baylay. Baylay had an ineffective pres. by the king to the 6th preb. in succession to John Law who d. 5 Feb. 1827 (cf. p. 70). Marsham in fact d. before the passing of the Cathedrals' Act, but his stall seems to have been treated as the first one vac. after its passing (cf. table p. 72).
PreviousTable of contentsNext