High Victorian at Coggeshall Church
Recollections of Church life in the 1870's by the Reverend Eyre;
'The town of Coggeshall has ever been noted for its peculiar ways. Like many other places, it clings closely to old ways, and abhors innovations.
The church was cleaned (!) by two church sweepers as they were called, who received an honorarium of sixpence a week. An imaginary line was drawn across the middle of the church from north to south and each was responsible for her own portion. It was the ancient custom for them to sit during Divine service on two stools in the middle aisle but this was physically impossible for one, who was short and excessively stout. The other was an exceptionally large-framed woman, but she seemed to manage all right.
The bells were chimed from an upper chamber which possessed a window commanding a view of the interior of the church. As the time for tolling-in drew on, one of the sidesmen (there were two paid ones, anciently called dograppers) stood on the chancel steps and dangled his watch for the ringers to cease from their labour, as none of them possessed a watch and this was the only method communicating with them.
The aged clerk and sexton had managed to attend the morning service almost to the end, but eventually the only duty that his strength permitted him to fulfill was to hand the banns book to the clergyman after the second lesson. When a new clerk and sexton had been chosen, by an oversight he had not been told, so it was thought sensible to send a curate to warn him that his name was going to be called out during the Service "Lest when he heard his name he should be flurried, for he already had three wives and might think that he was going to be let in for another."
The introduction the weekly offertory, which had come into being at this time, was keenly resented by many, as it was in most places. Because of this, at the conclusion the morning service, quite three-parts of the congregation made a bolt for the door; "it was their conscientious protest against an unwarranted innovation".
With the coming of a new Vicar, a surpliced choir was brought in but the prejudice against the move was so strong against it ('No Popery!' was chalked on the churchyard walls) that the churchwardens did not dare to charge their accounts with cost of washing them and it had to be done at the expense of the ladies of the congregation.'
Recollections of the Reverend Eyre, curate Coggeshall 1873-1877
[Chelmsford Chronicle 30/05/1924]
Click here for a closer look at the wall paintings
Photo Date: c1890?
Ref:101/99
Recollections of Church life in the 1870's by the Reverend Eyre;
'The town of Coggeshall has ever been noted for its peculiar ways. Like many other places, it clings closely to old ways, and abhors innovations.
The church was cleaned (!) by two church sweepers as they were called, who received an honorarium of sixpence a week. An imaginary line was drawn across the middle of the church from north to south and each was responsible for her own portion. It was the ancient custom for them to sit during Divine service on two stools in the middle aisle but this was physically impossible for one, who was short and excessively stout. The other was an exceptionally large-framed woman, but she seemed to manage all right.
The bells were chimed from an upper chamber which possessed a window commanding a view of the interior of the church. As the time for tolling-in drew on, one of the sidesmen (there were two paid ones, anciently called dograppers) stood on the chancel steps and dangled his watch for the ringers to cease from their labour, as none of them possessed a watch and this was the only method communicating with them.
The aged clerk and sexton had managed to attend the morning service almost to the end, but eventually the only duty that his strength permitted him to fulfill was to hand the banns book to the clergyman after the second lesson. When a new clerk and sexton had been chosen, by an oversight he had not been told, so it was thought sensible to send a curate to warn him that his name was going to be called out during the Service "Lest when he heard his name he should be flurried, for he already had three wives and might think that he was going to be let in for another."
The introduction the weekly offertory, which had come into being at this time, was keenly resented by many, as it was in most places. Because of this, at the conclusion the morning service, quite three-parts of the congregation made a bolt for the door; "it was their conscientious protest against an unwarranted innovation".
With the coming of a new Vicar, a surpliced choir was brought in but the prejudice against the move was so strong against it ('No Popery!' was chalked on the churchyard walls) that the churchwardens did not dare to charge their accounts with cost of washing them and it had to be done at the expense of the ladies of the congregation.'
Recollections of the Reverend Eyre, curate Coggeshall 1873-1877
[Chelmsford Chronicle 30/05/1924]
Click here for a closer look at the wall paintings
Photo Date: c1890?
Ref:101/99
Also in: Church Street
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