John Lowthe, LL.B. (d. 5 Aug 1590)
Vicar Louth 1549, Vicar Chew Magna 1553, Surrogate of chancellor of the Bristol diocese 1559 - 1562, Prebendary at Lincoln 1560, Prebendary at Lichfield 1561, Prebendary at Wells 1570, Prebendary at Southwell 1576 - 1590, Chancellor of the diocese of Gloucester 1562 - 1565, Archdeacon of Nottingham, 1565 - 1590, Rector of Gotham, 1567 - 1590, Rector of Hawton, 1574 - 1589
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 2 Mar 1568/9 - 1572
John Lowthe's patron was the Queen Elizabeth I. Son of Edmund Lowthe. From Sawtrey, Huntingdonshire. Oxford B.A. At Cambridge 1545.
Rector Wollaton 1559 - 1564, Probable Rector of Langwith 1565
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 4 Oct 1572 - 11 Apr 1578
Prebendary of Southwell 1576 - c.1588
William Underne's patron was the Queen Elizabeth I.
Robert Aldridge B.A. (d. 1616)
Fellow of King's College Cambridge 1564 - 1567, Rector of Wollaton 1576 - 1616
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 1 May 1578 - 1616
Born at Burnham in Buckinghamshire, Robert Aldridge was the last Vicar to have the Crown as patron until 1973. It was in 1598, during the incumbency of Robert Aldridge that the Crown sold the patronage of St. Mary's to Sir Henry Pierrepont.
On 26 July 1592, Thomas Clerke, of Nottingham faced a charge in the Archdeaconry court, hee is presented for fightinge in the church with Robert Whitcombe. On 29 July he appeared and answered that upon a sondaie a fourtnight or three weekes sins in the church of saint Marie this respondant and others were ringinge of the belles and then and there this respondent did take a possie of flowers from Roberte Whitecombe the sextone, which Whitcombe demaunded them, and he denieinge to restore them the said sexton spake to him thus: thou shalt have my lief before thou have theim. and with that the sexton pulled this respondentes hat over his head and gave him a blowe on the eare with his hand. Whereuppon this jurate resisted him and others cominge upon theim at whose hand hee feared hurte, hee drawe his dagger and with it strake the sexton over the arme because he held him this jurate by the bosome and would not let him go. And then the judge, accepting this confession, as he was and is bound, pronounced the said Clerke to have ipso facto incurred the sentence of excommunication by virtue of the statue in that case provided. Then Mr Gymney, by virtue of order of the judge, absolved the said Thomase Clarke from the sentence of excommunication pronounced on account of his contempt of court.
John Darrell, of Queen's College, Cambridge, was appointed by Robert Adlridge as curate. Darrell already had a reputation for being involved in cases of exorcism. Before long, he was involved again, this time in the case of William Sommers, who suffered from fits, or, as Darrell claimed, demonic possession. The curate began to try his hand at exorcism, and the crowds flocked to watch. Many were sceptical, especially when Darrell claimed that he knew of thirteen witches in the town. Because of the intense public interest and the fierce arguments in Nottingham, the Archbishop of York ordered an investigation. As a result, Darrell was accused of fraudulent exorcism. The prosecutor was Samuel Harsnet, who was to end his career as Archbishop of York. Harsnet's views about Darrell were published in A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures in 1603. Shakespere read it, and King Lear contains the names of devils, like Flibbertigibbet and Smulkin, from the book. Darrell always maintained that there was no fraud in his activities. What he wanted to prove was that Anglicans were as capable as Roman Catholics in the matter of dispossessing evil spirits.
From the archdeaconry court records for 2 August 1606, William Little Feere and Marmaduke Gregorie, churchwardens of St. Mary, Nottingham were warned to see that the church of St. Mary, Nottingham was duly decorated in due form with the sentences of the Holy Scriptures before Michaelmas.
The churchwardens were also under pressure to repair the chancel, damaged by a storm in 1588. The repairs seem to still be outstanding as late as 1632. There frequent entries in the Archdeaconry Records and include charges against the Vicar.
From the Churchwardens' Presentment Bills for April 21, 1612. St. Maries in Nott. We the Churchwardens, here undernamed, do find that our chancell is in decay, but in whose defaulte we cannot lerne perfitly.
Item we present Mr. Robte. Alderidg Clarke and our Vicar for selling a grave stone from the chancell.
Item we present Mr. Robte. Alderidg, for burying nottoris fellons in the chancell.
On the same day in the Archdeaconry Court, a licence was granted to John Sherot to read prayers in St. Mary, Nottingham and to teach children the alphabet (cum licentia ad decendum pueros Abcedarios).
The Register shows that Robert Aldridge was buried in the church, but his memorial has perished.
Oliver Wytherington, M.A. (d.1616)
Rector of Gotham, 1609
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 26 July 1616
Oliver Wytherington's patron was William Wetherington (Withington), gent. The Register shows that Oliver Wytherington was buried in the church, but his memorial has perished.
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 4 Dec 1616 - 1617
Rector of Hampton Poyle 1619, Rector of Marston-Sicca 1634, Canon St. Paul's Cathedral London 1632 - 1644, Provost of Oriel College 1621 - 1644, Vice-chancellor of Oxford University 1642 - 1643
John Tolson was the son of Henry Tolson of Bridekirk, Cumberland. Oxford M.A., D.D. John Tolson's patron was Sir Robert Pierrepont.
Ralph Hansby, M.A (d. 20 Nov 1635)
Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge 1609, Ordained 1616, Rector of Barton-in-Farbis 1616 - 1635
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 20 Oct 1617 - 1635
Ralph Hansby's patron was the assignee of Sir Robert Pierrepont.
From the Churchwardens' Presentment Bills. Sancta Maria, Nottingham. Vicesimo sexto die mensis Septembris, A° dni, 1625. I Ralphe Hansbie Clarke, vicare there, do present Wm. Parker and Roger Darbishire, our Churchwardens, for that our revestrie house and our church storehouse are verie ruinious, namely, the revestrie needeth poynting, and the storehouse, utterly uncovered, and they take no order for the amendment of the same. Item I further present the want of a convenient Communion table, that we have beeing olud and ruinous. Ralphe Hansbie.
The Jacobean table in the north transept may have been provided as a result of this presentment.
From the Churchwardens' Presentment Bills for April 21, 1612. Beata Maria, in Nottingham. 24 April 1626. Item presentant that Mr. Raphe Hansbie, their vicare, hath caused certaine seates wch formerlie stood in the church, to be removed into the chauncell; but by wht authoritie they cannot present.
On 24 October 1622 in the Archdeaconry Court, Nicholas Mastin and Edward Maurice, churchwardens of St. Mary, Nottingham were presented, for the wante of a decent pulpitte cloth. On which day the said churchwardens appeared in person and being examined by the judge said "that theie have two pulpitte clothes but for the sufficinencie of them theie could saye nothing. Whereuppon he decreed them both to be viewed by him & appointed the Churchwardens to bringe them to him before the nexte Courte". And he warned them to appear at that time to see further process. On 7 Nov the said Nicholas Mastin appeared and produced two cloths which he asserted were sufficient Anglice two puliptte clothes and took upon himself to justify (ad justificandum) as to the same cloths. Ordered to do so on that day fortnight. [There is no further entry]
The earliest priest whose memorial is recorded is Ralph Hansby from the time of Charles I. Alas, many memorials from the graveyard are now lost.
His inscription concluded with the following eligaic couplet.
Hansbius hac cecidid terra, lapsum extulit aura;
Qui jacet hic casu surgit in astra suo.
Which translates roughly as:
Hansby lies here, his spirit is in the skies;
The conquered conquers; he falls, again to rise.
Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge 1626, ordained 1635
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 28 Nov 1635 - 1643
Edmund Lacock is probably the son of George Lacock of Woodborough and brother of Matthew Lacock, rector of Bulwell. Edmund Lacock's patron was Robert, Earl of Kingston.
On 2 May 1635, Thomas Cranadge, curate of St. Mary, Nottingham, appeared in the court of the Archdeaconry of Nottingham and the judge objected against him That in the presence of him the said Officiall he did not stand up at the creede the last Sunday & that he did not catachize by way of questions and answere in the after noone according to the Cannon (sic) and his Majesties instructions. That he did not reade divine service before the Lecture according to the booke of common prayer and constantlie weare the Surplisse, that he made Mr Tibbers being but a deacon to read service whereby the absolution coulde not be reade according to the booke of common prayers he being the Curate and Lecturer and then present in the Church, and that he did not pray according to the Connon (sic) before his Sermon and added other prayers after his sermon which were not in the booke of common prayers. Then the said Cranage (sic) alleged That he did stand up at the Creede that daye and that he doth usually weare the surplisse and read not prayers the same adie because he had a greate cold. Wherefore the judge warnde the said Crenadge (sic) to carry out all and singular the premises and to certify that he had done so by the oaths of churchwardens at the next court and required his surrogate to charge the said Cranadge to do so on his corporal oath.
On 30 May, Cranadge produced a certificate under the hands of the churchwardens and made assurance on oath that it was true. Warned to carry out the order made at the previous court and to certify as so ordered at the next court. There are no further entries on this matter.
Lacock was still vicar on 4 Jan 1642/3, but was held in the custody of the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.
Minister of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham c.1645
Nicholas Folkingham (d. 1648/9)
Minister of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 24 Feb 1647/8 - 1648/9
The Register records the burial on 12 Mar 1648/9 of "Mr. Nicolus Faullkingham, minister of God's work for the parish of maries." He is described in St. Peter's Register as "Clerk," and so apparently was in Orders.
Minister of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham before 24 Sept 1649 - 1651
Rector of Lambley
In 1649 when Jonathan Boole appears in the Register as minister of the parish, George Foxe, the Founder of Quakerism, visited St. Mary's.
He thus describes the visit: As I went, I espied a great steeple house, and the Lord said unto me : "Thou must go and cry out against yonder great idol and the worshippers thereof." When I came there all the people looked like fallow ground, and the priest like a great lump of earth stood in his pulpit above. He took for his text these words of St. Peter. 'We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts'.
And he told the people that this was the Scripture by which they were to try all doctrines, religions and opinions. Now the Lord's power was so mighty in me and so strong in me that I could not hold but was made to cry out and say 'Oh no, it is not the Scriptures,' and I told them what it was, viz. the Holy spirit . . . . As I spake thus among them, the officers came and took me away, and put me into a nasty stinking prison the smell whereof got so into my nose and throat that it very much annoyed me.
In the parliamentary survey of 23 Nov 1650, it is recorded that the vicar had forsaken the parish since Lammas (Aug 1) last.
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham Apr 1651 - 1662
and William Reynolds, M.A. (d. 1697)
Lecturer of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham Apr 1651 - 1662
From a memorandum in the parish registers John Whitlock and Wm. Reynolds, Masters of Art of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, were by the joynt suffrage of the parishioners chosen to be ministers of this parish in April 1651 A further note adds that the Presbyterian Government was established in the following year, with Whitlock and Reynolds as Preaching Elders and ten Ruling Elders, headed by the Rt. Hon. Francis Pierrepont.
The puritan spirit of the Commonwealth period induced a very close association between the town council and the church. In 1651, a resolution was carried to pay the parsons of St. Mary's and St. Peter's £10 a year each. In 1656-7, the Corporation subscribed to the building of a loft in the church, and in 1658 a payment of 30s was made for a staircase.
In 1662, under the act of uniformity, they were ejected, and they moved to Mansfield. The Five Mile act of 1665 forced them to keep at least five miles away from their old parishes. They returned to Nottingham in 1687 and preached at High Pavement chapel. John Whitlock died on 4 Dec 1708 was buried in St. Mary's.
George Masterson, M.A. (d. 1686)
Rector of West Winch, 1640 - 1644, Minister of St. Clement Danes 1650 - c.1662
Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham 11 Sept 1662 - 8 Sept 1686
Prebendary of Southwell, 1670 - 8 Sept 1686
George Masterson's patron was Sir Robert Pierrepont.