The Prebend of Hurstbourne & Burbage |
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The creation of ancient parishes of England date back to Saxon times and came into being when a defined area of a diocese was put under the spiritual charge of its own priest. A Saxon Charters of 961 & 968AD describe Burbage as then lying within the parish of Great Bedwyn and being served by its minster but it is probable that, like Little Bedwyn, Crofton, Wilton, Chisbury, Marten and East Grafton, it had its own chapel of ease. At some time prior to the Domesday Survey, in 1086, the parish of Great Bedwyn was divided and the western portion became the parish of Burbage. This survey shows that the parishes of Burbage and Hurstbourne Tarrant were both in the charge of Vitalis the priest and later records show that upon his death both livings passed to this "celibate" priest's son Thurstan. Why these two parishes should be in the charge of the same priest is unclear although it is likely that at this time it was some reward granted by the king - as he was lord of both manors - but they had little else in common as they lay in different shires and different diocese. One possible clue is that in 961AD king Edgar granted lands in Burbage, Hurstbourne Tarrant and Ringwood, Hampshire, to Abingdon Abbey but at some time between 990 and 1006 (possibly 999AD) king Ethelred the Unready decided he would like some of these lands back and regained those at Burbage and Hurstbourne (and some at Bedwyn) by exchange with others elsewhere. So it seems that the two manors had a common destiny as far back as 961 and maybe this encouraged the king to appoint a single priest to the two parishes and the practice was then continued by the new Norman order. After Thurstan's death in about 1110, Henry I gave both parishes to his friend bishop Roger of Salisbury. Hurstbourne was very much the more important of the two as it yielded an annual income of £50 compared with Burbage's £10. During 12th century church reforms, non-monastically run cathedrals - such as Salisbury - created prebends in those parishes where the diocese presented the living and so the prebend of Hurstbourne and Burbage was created in about 1130 but by 1139 the new lord of the manor of Hurstbourne challenged the right of Salisbury to present to the living and so appointed his own rector. By 1154 Burbage was again a prebend with a very politically powerful rector called William Gifford. In 1157 the less powerful rector of Hurstbourne (quite correctly) raised a legal challenge to the independence of Burbage but this claim was finally quashed in 1177 by which time Burbage was seen as the more important (if less valuable) parish. In about 1190 the then two rectors came to an understanding which saw the creation of the separate prebend of Hurstbourne and its rector paying an annual fee of 5 marks to the rector of Burbage. But the struggle for control of the two parishes was not yet over. In 1200 King John ignored the charters of his forefathers and insisted that he had the right to present at Hurstbourne and did just that. The bishop of Salisbury debated the issue and a compromise was reached which allowed the new rector to stay but with all parties agreeing that Salisbury would make all future appointments. In 1229, during the reign of Henry III, the living again became vacant and the king and bishop of Winchester tried to appoint their own man. Initially the bishop of Salisbury again seemed happy to allow it "just this once" but they had all reckoned without the rector of Burbage - Bartholomew des Roches. His eyes were on the income from Hurstbourne and raised a claim on that parish through the papal courts and set off to Rome to argue his case. Sadly he died there in 1230 before the matter was settled but his replacement - his cousin Luke des Roches - continued the fight and won the case. In 1233, after 100 years of argument, the Prebend of Hurstbourne and Burbage was finally recreated, but with Burbage as the main parish. The prebendary was often a very influential, but usually a lay and absent, person. To serve the spiritual needs of our parish a vicar was appointed and some of the prebendal tithes assigned to him. With the passing of time the prebendary became less influential in daily parish matters and viewed his office simply as a source of income so it is no surprise to find from at least 1769 all Burbage's prebendal benefits, except the right to appoint vicars, was leased to the earl of Ailesbury and his descendants. The early 19th century church reforms saw the end of the now largely corrupt prebends and when the last prebendary of Hurstbourne & Burbage died, in 1847, the advowson went to the bishop of Salisbury and the tithes and the estates passed to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners who, in 1868, sold the prebendal glebe lands to the marquess of Ailesbury. Today, after a life of over 700 years, the only surviving reminder that the prebend ever existed is the name on the prebendary's canon stall in Salisbury Cathedral. And after an association of about 900 years it is doubtful if many dwellers in either parish could locate the other without recourse to a map. Postscript I am often asked "What is a prebend?" Well here is one definition - The right of a member of a chapter to his share in the revenues of the cathedral; also the share to which he is entitled; in general, any portion of the cathedral revenues set aside for the support of the clergy attached to it (semi-prebends) even for those who are not members of the chapter. They are regarded as benefices and governed by the same laws. And here is another An amount of ecclesiastical revenue set aside as a stipend to a canon of other clergyman; often the rent from a manor or estate. In other words (in our context) it was the ability of a man to receive money for being a member of the chapter of Salisbury cathedral. From whatever well meaning beginning, it is needless to say that during the 18th and 19th centuries it simply entitled many canons to take the money from the income of the prebend and do nothing in return other than pay a vicar to do the ecclesiastical work in the parish(es) and a clerk to perform his duties at the cathedral - hence the reforms mentioned above. The office may still exist in England today but it is now purely honorary. |
©Colin Younger 2004