These were not times when Churchmen were permitted to live at ease, and their principles must have been put to a sharp test when they were required to execute penal statutes against their own relatives and friends, and, as it was vainly imagined, to promote the interests of truth by violence and persecution. It could not fail to be distressing to the minds of good men to aid in the impoverishment and imprisonment of neighbours whom they honoured and loved, unwisely impatient although they might be of the civil rule, and doggedly opposed to the reformation of intolerable religious abuses. That some Magistrates enforced these unhappy laws with hesitation and reluctance is well known, and Mr. ffarington seems to have been of the number, as he has written opposite the names of sundry recusants, of whom he has preserved lists,1 the words "reduced," "absent," and "conformable." In some of these cases the validity of the testimony may without any breach of charity be fairly doubted. In October 1570 the Privy Council enquired "whether the Earl of Southampton came to Common Prayer or not," and Mr. Fosbroke3 has shewn the strict conduct of Archbishop Whitgift concerning Popish servants, but this of the Common Prayer was not so intolerant as might be supposed, for under this very same year Fuller says, hitherto, Papists generally, without regret, repaired to the public places of Divine Service, and were present at our prayers, sermons, and sacraments; but in this year recusancy commenced.5 2 Sir John Southworth was a noted recusant, and had been probably an easy State prisoner domesticated at Knowsley' as he had been at one time at Lambeth under Archbishop Parker; there being some evidence that, about 1568, he was privy to certain secret conferences held at York between the Bishop of Ross and Liddington, friends of the Scotch Queen and the Duke of Norfolk, to procure her liberty and to secure the Duke's marriage with her. Sir John's family was closely connected by marriage with Mr. ffarington, who could not fail to feel interested in his fate, as recorded in the following certificate: "Whereas wee whose names are herevnder written doe vnderstande that you desire to be adutised whether Sr John Southworth knighte, John Towneley, William Houghe, John Hocknell, Esquiers and others have been Indicted and Convicted for theire monthlie fforfeitures at ye sute of Robert Worsley esquier.5 Theise are therefore to Certifie you that the saide Mr Worsley hath prosecuted agaynste y saide Sr John and the rest befforenamed by Indictementes and procured theym to be arraigned and convicted thereuppon at sundrie quarter Sessions by the space of Two years last past or thereaboutes, Where wee and dyuse other Justices of Peace wthin the Countie of Land were sittinge on the Benche for execucōn of the Quenes Maties lawes. Yeven at Manchester the xviith day of June in the xxvith yere of her Maities reigne." About this time the fines of recusants formed a considerable portion of the Crown revenues, and they were of course hunted out with keen rapacity by an odious swarm of in 1 See p. 58. 3 Strype's Parker, vol. i. p. 525. 4 See p. 197, Note. 2 See p. 138, Nole. 5 See p. 148, Note. formers who earned a base living by augmenting the miseries of their unfortunate fellow creatures.1 The following letter also is "touching recusancy," and there is something in its gentle tones which enlists our sympathies on behalf of the writer: 'Right worl my humble dutie remembred giving you most hartie thankes for the manifold favours wch I haue eu founde at yoƐ Worshippes handes, Sir, I haue received yoƐ tre by yoƐ servante in wch as it appeareth you intreate tenderlie where yoƐ worshippe may commande boldlye. I and my daughter will (God willing) meete you at Preston uppon Saturdaie accordinge to yoƐ Worshippes appointment wth all readines and willingnes to yeelde ourselves to whatsoeuer it shalbee yo worshippes pleasure to command or that you shall think meete and convenient to be done in such busines as yoƐ said wor. shalbee then and there to deale in. And thus wishing vnto yoƐ worshippe increase of vertue, long life, godlie feare, firm faith and assured hope in the Almightie wth as good happe as hart can desire or imagine I humbly take my leave. Newfielde this 19th of November, [1588.] To the right worll Willm ffarrington Esquire att his howse Worden, theise ad." "2 You wor. en to comaunde to the vttermost of his poore power Gyles Haworth. The state of the poor prisoners within Lancaster Castle seems from time to time to have occupied the humane attention of the Earl of Derby, and sundry orders were made for 1 Strickland's Life of Qu. Eliz. p. 602. 2 Worden Evid. their relief by the judges and magistrates at the assize held at Lancaster in Lent 1577. Small sums of money were to be paid yearly, by the high sheriff two shillings, each justice of peace two shillings, a barrister one shilling, an attorney fourpence, and by every person keeping an alehouse fourpence, which sums were to be applied at the discretion of the Vicar of Lancaster, Francis Tunstall of Awcliffe and George Southworth of the Higher Field, Esquires. Inconsiderable as the contributions must have been, a provision was made for the disposal of the overplus, which met with the concurrence of Mr. ffarington, who preserved the original document with the various autograph signatures appended.1 On the 24th March, 1585, an order was again made for the continuance of the preceding resolutions. In the year 1578 the Earl of Derby, the Lord Monteagle, the sheriff, and the justices of peace for the county of Lancaster, passed certain resolutions in consequence of letters addressed to the justices of assize of the said county by the lords of the privy council, in which her Majesty's pleasure and commands were declared respecting "the table and commons" of the sheriff and magistrates at each assize to be holden within the shire. It was resolved that the sheriff and justices of peace for the time being should keep their table and commons together in some convenient place within the town of Lancaster, "or where the said assyze shall fortune to be kepte," the sheriff being allowed to have two servants and each justice one servant to wait upon him; the sheriff and each justice to pay to the steward or purveyor for each 1 Worden Evid., Book of Precedents. meal xiid and for each of their servants viiid. It was also provided that if the sheriff or any magistrate were absent from the assize, having a servant there, the latter should be allowed his commons amongst the other servants, paying xd a meal for his master and himself; and if the sheriff or magistrate, being in the county and absent from the assize, did not pay for his half commons, he was to be fined xiiis iiiid. The sheriff for the time being at the summer assize was required, further, to find wine and venison, apparently for all the justices assembled, and at the Lent assize wine, of which one runlet was to be sack. Mr. ffarington appears to have been principally concerned in preparing these resolutions, so remarkable for the frugality they enjoined, and the original document, with the autograph signatures, remained in his keeping.1 Mr. ffarington was one of the county magistrates who in 1582, along with the Earl of Derby, the Lord Strange, Bishop Chaderton, and other influential persons, compounded on behalf of the county for the provision of oxen for the Queen's household, and Sir Richard Sherburne and Alexander Rigby Esq. two of the Earl's servants, were commissioned to agree with Her Majesty's comptroller and others on the subject. Lancashire was required to yield annually forty great oxen of the value of 54s 4d each, and an assessment was made on each hundred to raise the sum necessary for the purchase. This order was ratified by the Bishop, the Earl, and many members of his council. The contributions fell into arrear, the oxen were not forthcoming, and a royal 1 Worden Evid., Shire Book. |