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Blythburgh
Covehithe with Benacre Frostenden Henstead with Hulver Reydon South Cove Sotherton Southwold Uggeshall Walberswick Wangford Wrentham |
WALBERSWICK is a name of Saxon origin; the first two syllables are a modernised form of the name Waldbert, or Walhbert, probably a Saxon Thane or landowner, while 'wyc' was a shelter, or harbour; hence Waldbert's harbour, the bend in the river Blyth forming a haven at that time for ships entering the river at Dunwich. The present outlet is artificial, cut by the men of Walberswick and Southwold in A.D. 1590; a wooden pier on the north side was built in A.D. 1749, and one on the south side in A.D. 1752.
The situation of the town originally was indicated by the position of an ancient Church, which stood on the border of the marshes some three or four hundred yards to the south of the site of the present Church. Robert Blackmore, senior, in order to cultivate the ground, carried away the last visible remains of this old Church in A.D. 1728. Probably the town spread in an eastward direction from this point and northwards to the common. The proportions of the ruins of the present Church are evidence of a large population and some wealth, especially when it is remembered that the Church was built at the cost of the townsmen. Here a considerable trade was done in butter, cheese, bacon, corn, timber, coals, salt and fish, principally the last. Commerce was encouraged by a series of Charters dated A.D. 1262, 1483, 1485, 1553, 1558 and 1625, exempting the tradesmen both from tolls and taxes upon their business and also from the entrance of any officer to serve processes of law. In A.D. 145 1, thirteen barques, trading to Iceland, Faroe, and the North Sea, as well as twenty-two fishing boats, belonged to the port. In A.D. 1602, there were fifteen barques besides fishing boats. The town, and also the King, received a dole of the fish brought into the port, which the Churchwardens received, together with the rents of the town lands, houses of the guilds (four in number), wharfage, and other dues and public donations, in order to keep the houses of the guilds, the Church, the quay, in repair, and to pay salaries and taxes. The townsmen "by general consent and assent joyntlie agreeinge together" gave to the Churchwardens "full and absolute authoritie" for the exaction of town dues and business. In a document dated 6th January, A.D. 1597, the dues mentioned are the herring fishing dole, the "sperling fayre" dole, the duties on every voyage to Iceland and the North Sea (3s. 4d.), on every load of butter and cheese (2d.), on "greate beasts" and wharfage. It is interesting to note that, in A.D. 1491, one of the items of disbursement was "to the Sexteyne, for ryngyng of the Kerfow Bell, 3s. 4d." As interesting, again, is an order recorded as made at Beccles Sessions, 2nd October, A.D. 1609, with consent of the inhabitants, that "none but old men formerly fishermen should occupy the coasting business for butter, &c., and that the young men should diligently attend the fishing crdft", and only eight vessels were appointed for the butter trade, regularly to take their turns. The decrease of Dunwich promoted the advancement of Walberswick, and commerce with Ipswich was established on 21st April, A.D. 1495; also with Lincoln, on St. Valentine's day, A.D. 1502. On 21st January, A.D. 1585, a bond was given by all masters of vessels to carry no passengers, either outward to foreign parts or home from them without passports, under a penalty of one hundred marks; and passengers, on arrival, were presented to commissioners appointed to receive them. 
The earliest record concerning ecclesiastical possessions is in the Doomesday Book, A.D. 1085. It evidences the existence of parish churches with some endowments in both Blythburgh and Walberswick long before that of the priory. It states that two other churches belonged to Blythburgh besides its own parish church. Later, Henry I (A.D. I 100 - 1135) gave the revenues of the church at Blythburgh to the abbot and convent of St. Osyth in Essex, who, soon after, established the priory at Blythburgh. Concerning the "two other churches", Gardner (writing circa A.D. 1700) announced one to have been at Walberswick, but that no trace remains of another. But the tower of the present church at Walberswick may be considered this remaining trace of a second ancient church. Certainly two sites of churches are known at Walberswick. On the second site (the present), the tower now standing was erected nearly seventy years before the church which is now in ruins (vide the date of the agreement for its erection) and it most probably adjoined a church already standing on this spot. This agreement stipulates that the "fornsied Richard and Adam schal make, or do make a Stepel joyned to the Cherche of Walberswick". Again, twenty years elapsed between the demolition of the old church by the marshes and the dedication of the church now ruined, and we cannot think that so populous and prosperous a town would have remained churchless during this time. Contiguous as Walberswick was to Dunwich, where churches were numerous, it is hardly doubtful that it would have two churches, one of which, after the demolition of the other, was used by the inhabitants. Moreover, the Bishop and his Suffragan visited Walberswick frequently during this interval, and Gardner says that persons were buried in the present church (!) in A.D. 1428 and 1481.
A new edifice was erected soon afterwards on the site of the present church. To it all the adornments of the former church were transferred. It was dedicated in A.D. 1493, when two aisles and the porch were completed. It contained a chapel of our Lady, four altars, a throne, and five images transferred from the old church; also extra windows. The ceiling was painted: and an account of utensils in the church Of A.D. 1492 proves possession of a great variety of vestments and costly silver and other ware. The roofs were all covered with lead. Its dimensions then were 124 ft. (whereof the chancel was 41 ft.) by 60 ft. (whereof the nave was 27 ft.). Nave and chancel were adorned with eighteen clerestory windows on each side, and in the chancel there were also two windows besides the great east window. In the south aisle were eight windows; in the north were seven and a vestry with upper chamber, occupying the place of the eighth at the east end. The agreement for the erection of the tower is dated on the Tewesday next after the Feste of Seynt Mathie Apostle, the fourte Zeer of King Henry the Sexte", ie. A.D. 1426. It was to be 12 ft. by 12 ft. inside, and the walls 6 ft. thick. There were to be four buttresses "and one Vice", or stairway. It was to be built "after the stepil of Dunstale", its doors and windows "sewtly after Halesworth". The work was to proceed from year to year " betwixen the Festes of the Aununcyacion of our Lady and Seint Mychel Archaungel ", i.e. in summer only. Materials to work with and a house to live in were to be provided. The remuneration was " for the Zarde werkying, 40 scheelyngs of laughful money of Inglond; and a cade of full Herynge eche year, in tyme of werkyng; and each of hem (two workmen) a Gowne of lenore ones, in the tyme of werkyng; so that they scholden be gode men and trewe to the werke afornsaid". The tower is over 90 ft.-high. 
Summing up, therefore, it amounts to thisIn A.D. 1400 (a) There was a church on the Marshes which was disused and dismantled in A.D. 1473. (b) There was also a church without a Tower on the site of the present church. This had a pitched roof. Both of these existed from the time of (and possibly much earlier than) the completion of the Doomesday Book. To this latter church was added a Tower which was commenced in A.D. 1426. In A.D. 1480 (circa) the church was pulled down. The tower was left intact and another church (ie. the church now in ruins) was built on to it. This was finished in A.D. 1493 and had a flat lead roof as at Blythburgh. It is interesting to notice that during these years, ie. A.D. 1480-1497, the Bishop, his suffragan, and the archdeacon visited the town annually. For fifty years the Church prospered. The times were troublous, but there was no molestation of its prosperity or procedure. When, in A.D. 1528, a bull from the Pope was secured by Cardinal Wolsey for the suppression of certain religious houses (that their funds might be applied to the endowment of his projected college at Ipswich), there must have been no small anxiety at Walberswick. For the Priory at Blythburgh was one of those which it concerned, and the tithes of Walberswick were parcel of the possessions of the house. But in the two years which intervened before the death of Wolsey, perhaps because the king's consent was a condition, and he may have refused it in respect of Blythburgh, nothing was done and by his death the threatened danger was, apparently, diverted. Wolsey's scheme, however, opened the king's eyes to the possibility of gathering a huge spoil with very little trouble, and the best way to realise it was a speculation which he never ceased to consider. He was sorely in need of money: such a scheme as Wolsey's could not be overlooked. But while Wolsey sought to appropriate the funds of but forty of the smallest houses, Henry VIII contemplated the spoilation of them all. They were upwards of six hundred in number, scattered over the whole land. Thomas Cromwell, formerly secretary to Wolsey, was the king's adviser, and was appointed vicargeneral. First, a strict visitation was determined upon by the king's council. A general survey and valuation was made accordingly in October, A.D. 1535, Blythburgh being rated at E48 8s. (several thousand pounds today). Hereby a report of abuses was secured which made the basis of an Act, passed by Parliament in A.D. 1536, for the suppression of all religious houses under the clear yearly value of £200, and their property to be given to the king. The commissioners, acting by the authority of the Act proceeded with the visitation in such a way that many of the greater houses were also surrendered. 
The first great sweep of the houses, some three hundred and seventy-six of them, produced, as is supposed, about £32,000 annual revenue; and jewels, plate, lead, bells, etc., realised about £100,000 besides. But all this was not done without protest. In the north, first in Lincolnshire and then in Yorkshire, it gave rise to rebellion. The second rising is known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. This became a serious peril to the state, but in the end promoted the designs of the King. On the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace, twelve abbots were hanged, drawn and quartered for their alleged complicity in it; and in the summer Of A.D. 1537, the commissioners started afresh to visit the remaining larger monasteries. They aimed now to prove complicity in the late rebellion and that the monasteries deserved confiscation because they had harboured traitors, or, if this failed to frighten the occupants into a surrender, that all possible evil consequences might be avoided. Any attempt to conceal treasures or dispose of them was denounced as a flagrant crime. The relics, images, and trickeries, by which the ignorant and superstitious people had long been deluded were exposed and ridiculed. The result was that resignation went on apace.
A second Act of Parliament now became necessary. The first only legalised the king's claim for a year: another was needed to cover later surrenders and was passed in A.D. 1539. Eventually, charges of treason were brought against the abbots who still held out, and then the work was done. The clear yearly value of the property accruing to the king was rated at £ 131,609; it was really ten times more, if we may believe Burnet. The moveable items were valued at four times the amount realised by the first sweep of the smaller houses, i.e. £400,000; in modern currency, these would be immense sums of money. Finally, by Thomas Cromwell's advice, the abbey lands, from which the yearly revenues were almost exclusively derived, were granted to the nobles and chief men of the country either as gifts or as easy purchases. This ensured the stability of the achievement in such a way that neither papist rulers nor popes themselves ventured to attempt to reverse it. And thus ensured, though a wrong to the church, it was a benefit to the civil constitution, "strengthening, and, as it were, infusing new blood into the territorial aristocracy, who were to withstand the enormous prerogative of the crown" (Hallam). Henceforth, Parliaments could not be altogether made up of the king's creatures. These were the circumstances, then, in which the first great misfortune fell upon the beautiful church and the prosperous town of Walberswick. The church was robbed of its tithes. The king became possessed of them and bestowed them upon Sir Arthur Hopton. The king, says Gardner, did by his Letters Patents, dated 12th November, in the thirtieth Year of his reign (A.D. 1538) grant unto SIR ARTHUR HOPTON, Knt. of WESTWOOD LODGE, the Site of the PRIORY, the MANOR of the PRIORY, and HINTON HALL, and the Lands called BULLOCK'S BROOME CLOSE, MILL HILL CLOSE, ARNOLD'S CLOSE, APPLETON MEADE, as also the WATER-MILL, and other tenements in BLIBURGH: also the Tythes of BLYBOROUGH, WALBERSWICK, and BLYFORD; the Impropriations of WENHAsToN, and BRAMFIELD; and the advowson of THORRINGTON, as Parcel of the Possessions of this HOUSE. The impropriation of Claxton, near Loddon, in Norfolk, and some lands in Thorington, were otherwise disposed of. The affairs of the town had been vested in the Churchwardens. This is evidence of the dependence of the town upon the church. The revenues of the lands claimed by the king and granted to Sir Arthur Hopton were seized because they belonged to the church, and in the immediate decay of the town it may appear, perhaps, that a substantial benefit had accrued to the town from them. On this account probably were town and church affairs in combination, as we have seen, and on this account did the town suffer with the church. Upon the robbery of the tithes the town fell immediately into decay. It became very poor, and the money for the repair of public buildings, and the expenses of the officers were not met by the income from dues and taxes. In A.D. 1585, the great bell of the church weighing 1707 lbs. was sold to Thomas and George Smith, of Ipswich, at 31s. per 100 lbs., ie., E26 8s. 9d. In A.D. 1633, for want of funds, a rate was made for the church: this records the number of families to have been 71, who provided E16 7s. for the purpose. The following year, a part of the town was burnt. A rate made in this year was for glazing the church and running of the great bell, and records that the number of families was reduced to 54, who provided £ll 12s. 9d. A creditable record of this year is that of the 54 families, 156 persons were communicants. Then came the civil war. Says Gardner, "the sacrilegious Faction viewing this fine church, defaced all the Imagery, robbed the grave stones of the brass plates, broke down the organs, erased the King's Arms, and let the whole fabric to ruin, substituting a meeting-house, pawned the Communion plate, and the church was destitute of an episcopal minister, continuing in a deplorable condition till after the King's restoration". An awful record indeed! Alas! this was not the end of the troubles which befell the town and its beautiful church. Upon the king's restoration, visitors were appointed for the inspection of churches, and the churchwardens were cited to appear at the ecclesiastical courts. They were required to put the building into good repair, and to provide books and other things. Accounts dated from A.D. 1596-1674 show that very little was done. For nearly a century it stood much neglected. Meanwhile the number of inhabitants had decreased, trade suffered more and more, and those who remained ob jected to providing the cost of the preservation of the edifice. Then a petition was made, setting forth that the church was much decayed and was too large for the parish (the congregation seldom exceeding 40) and praying for permission to unroof nave, chancel, and north aisle and sell the materials, also three of the four remaining bells (whereof two were split), and with the proceeds to repair the south aisle. This petition was granted, and the order to execute the work was dated 29th June, A.D. 1695, "Thus either by its insupportable charge to the Parishioners or through sordid avarice, did ruin completely befall the church". The three bells, lead and timber were sold for E303 Is. Ild. The cost of erection of a new church 64 ft. by 20 ft. on the site of the south aisle was E291 8s. 9d. The balance, Ell 13s. 2d. remained due to the town. The Churchwardens responsible for this work were Edward Collings and John Taylor. The accounts are endorsed as follows "seen and allowed by me C. Blois. We are satisfied that these accounts are true John Skoulding, Curate, Henry Earn, (the marks of) William Biles, William Crown. Samuel Moore". *Among the persons buried in Walberswick Church are John Hopton, Esq., and Margaret, his wife; John Norwiche, Esq., A.D. 1428, and Matilda, his wife, A.D. 1418; Elizabeth Knevet, daughter of Thomas Hopton, A.D. 1471; Thomas Kerych, A.D. 1512. No trace of their graves can be found today and it seems probable that they were buried inside the church, and the tombs disappeared when the church was pulled down and rebuilt, either in 1480 and following years, or in 1696. But three interesting memorials can still be seen on the floor of the choir. They are interesting because they are much earlier in date than those usually found in churches. The Inscriptions read: (1) Of your Charyte praye for the Sowll of Robt. Hwell, which desesed in yeare of our Lord God, Ano 1532, in the Raygn of King Harry the 8th, on whose sowll Jesus have Mercy, Amen. (2) Of your Charyte pray for the Sowle of Thomas Elderton, Maryner, the which Thomas dyssesd the year of our Lord God, 1534, on whose Sowll Jesus have Mersye. (3) Of your Charyte pray for the Sowle of Robert Hwell, wyche dissesed in the yere of our Lord God, Ano 1535, in the Rayn off Kyng Harry the 8, on whose Sowll Jesus have Mersye. It is worth noticing the marks of the Puritan horror of prayers for the dead. The words "praye" and "sowll" have in each case been scratched out. T. W. OdiOrn, A.D. 1552, gave his "lytll Howse for pore Folkys, to dwell in yt to pray for me". Sir Arthur Hopton released to the town for ever one acre of ground willed by Walter Burward to build a Wind-mill and a Mill-cote thereon for the help and use of Bartholomew Middleton, clerk, during his life, afterwards for the benefit of the Churchwardens of St. Andrew's, they rendering annually at Michaelmas one penny to the said Lord. T. Alexander Richardson, A.D. 1572, gave his " Howses in Walberswick to be an Alms Hows, the townsmen to maintain the same in good repair". Ten men, A.D. 1642, bought " a Porch-Houst in the South Street ... for Tooun-Hous ... for the Us of the town for ever". This was burnt down in A.D. 1749. Mr. Nathaniel FlowerdeW, A.D. 1654, Minister, reported, "by order of Oliver Cromwell, the living appropriate to the heirs of Sir Robert Brooke, who by custom allowed but twenty pounds per annurn to the minister of the said town; the inhabitants had suffered much by fire and by loss of their common, the death or removal of the ablest townsmen, and could raise but an insufficient contribution for the ordinances of God". The causes of the decay of the town have been (1) Henry VIII's robbery of the tithes and abolition of the pope's supremacy, in consequence of which people ate less fish, fishery gradually decreased, and ship-building fell into decay; (2) fires, before A.D. 1538 and in 1633 1683, 1749, in consequence of which people moved, the houses were fewer, the rates were smaller; (3) the loss of the common, the fens and quay-duties. Various expedients were resorted to as measures of relief. In A.D. 1628, fourscore persons were paupers, "very like to perish for want of necessary food and sustenance", and thirteen neighbouring towns were taxed for their support. Certain persons in these places were to pay 9s. 6d. weekly to the Churchwardens and Overseers for their relief. The loss of the common, as that of the church, occurred by violence. About A.D. 1612, Sir Robert Brooke (who had purchased the manor from Sir A. Hopton) seized the common, containing over 1,400 acres and the fens and, in A.D. 1632, the quay. In A.D. 1642, they were regained by lawsuit. Sir Robert then set men and dogs to drive off trespassers, refusing the judgment of the court. Four men lost their lives in the conflict which ensured. In A.D. 1654, another lawsuit reversed the former judgment. A Lady Brooke eventually restored them but one of her successors again dispossessed the townfolk. A Lady Brooke, perhaps the mother-in-law of the former is said to have been particularly conscientious in reference to tithes, giving all that she had by that title to him that had the cure of souls. In A.D. 1665, Edward Burford tried to recover the "Town Duties" which had been long neglected, but the townsmen now refused them. In A.D. 1752, only 20 dwelling houses and 106 souls remained in the town, and only four small boats belonged to it. Although it has always been served by the same priest as Blythburgh, the two parishes were united in 1912 as one Benefice. A fine vicarage, situated in Southwold, became the property of the living of Blythburgh by some means and at a date which cannot now be ascertained. This was sold about A.D. 1811 and the proceeds invested by the Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty for the augmentation of the income of the vicar. In the same year the Governors also purchased a small share of a farm at Kirstead, near Norwich, and appropriated the rents (£3) to the benefice. This has since been sold (A.D. 1930) and the money invested for the benefit of the benefice. At this time also, i.e., A.D. 1811, Sir Charles Blois gave a house near the Ferry for a parsonage. This was sold in A.D. 1929 and was known as The Old Vicarage until destroyed by a bomb in an air raid in A.D. 1943. A new vicarage was completed in A.D. 1931 near the church. The lay Rector paid E30 per annum to the Vicar until he redeemed it in A.D. 1941. Excavations in the ruins in A.D. 1930 revealed old brick and tile floors. A quantity of fourteenth and fifteenth-century stained glass was also found, and many of these fragments have been made into one light of a window in the South wall, dedicated to the memory of two former residents of Walberswick, the cost of the work being defrayed by the family. An altar-stone was also found in a splendid state of preservation. These altar-stones were set into larger pieces of unconsecrated stone. Not many have escaped the iconoclast and all are undoubtedly pre-Reformation. This, on the advice of the Archdeacon and of the Department for the preservation of Ancient Buildings at South Kensington Museum, was set in the present Wooden Altar and so restored to its original use. In A.D. 1931, the roof was in danger of collapse, and had to be restored at a cost of over £900; and a new Willis Organ, to replace the old organ which had been used for 80 years, was built in 1961 and cost over £2,000. Interesting features of the Church are the original South Porch with its great, partially traceried doors (note the modern statue of St. Andrew in the exterior niche); the traditional East Anglian font, with the remains of its base as a pedestal for the priest; a medieval pulpit with richly treated quatrefoil panels and the lower part of a rood screen, complete with doors, probably of a similar date; and some of the choir stalls, with traceried ends, again probably put in when the fifteenth century church was built. Between 1988 and 1992 the Church was re-roofed, the tower and buttresses repaired and the ruins consolidated. Grants from English Heritage and the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, donations from parishioners, a Flower Festival and an interest-free loan (repaid in 1993) from the Historic Churches Preservation Trust enabled this work to be undertaken and completed. |