CHIPPING
Chipping; Thornley with Wheatley
Index Map of Chipping, Leagram, Aighton and Ribchester
This secluded parish, (fn. 1) still uncrossed by a railway
line, lies in the hilly country between Longridge
Fell on the south and Parlick and Fairsnape Fell on
the north; the principal stream is the Loud, dividing
the two townships as it flows north-east to join the
Hodder. The area is 8,854½ acres, and the population in 1901 numbered 1,133.
The district was called Chippingdale; but this
term covered a somewhat wider area than the present
parish.
Few antiquities have been found, but a Roman
road crossed part of Thornley.
The transference of the parish from its original
hundred of Amounderness to that of Blackburn was
probably a consequence of the grant of the manor to
the lords of Clitheroe. Ecclesiastically it remained in
the deanery of Amounderness.
It was one of the parishes laid waste by the Scots
in 1322, but apart from this its story has been as
peaceful and uneventful as from its out-of-the-way
situation might be expected.
To the tax called the fifteenth Chipping paid
28s. and Thornley with Wheatley 17s. 6d., when
the hundred paid £37 1s. 7d. (fn. 2) To the county lay
of 1624 the two portions paid respectively £2 19s. 6d.
and £1 17s. 2d. towards £100 levied on the hundred. (fn. 3)
In 1666 the East End of Chipping had seventyone hearths liable to be taxed and the West End
forty-five, but no house had more than four hearths.
In Thornley Alexander Osbaldeston's house had seven
hearths and Henry Shireburne's the same; no other
dwelling had more than three. (fn. 4)
The agricultural land is thus classified: arable
land, 46 acres; permanent grass, 6,721; woods and
plantations, 75. (fn. 4a)
Church
The church of ST. BARTHOLOMEW stands on rising ground at the
north-west side of the village and consists
of chancel and nave with north and south aisles, south
porch, west tower and a modern vestry at the northeast corner of the north aisle. The chancel and nave
are without structural division and under one roof,
marked, however on the outside by a very slight
difference in height, the total length being 75 ft., and
are open on each side to the aisles by an arcade of
five pointed arches. The east end of the chancel,
which is 15 ft. wide, is inclosed north and south for
a length of 7 ft. by a blank wall, and the aisles, which
are unequal in width, are continued the full length
of the chancel, the east wall of the building being
straight and unbroken, but they stop short of the full
length of the nave at the west end. The wider north
aisle is under a separate gabled roof of equal height to
that of the nave, but the nave roof is continued over
the south aisle at a slightly flatter pitch. Both roofs
are covered with stone slates and have overhanging
eaves, and the walls are constructed of local rubble
without plinth, but with buttresses of two stages and
diagonal ones at the angles.
The church is largely an early 16th-century rebuilding of an older edifice, which, judging from the
north arcade and the piscina in the chancel, seems to
have been of 13th-century date. Little or nothing,
however, can be said with certainty about the plan
or extent of this early building, as the later reconstruction has made the architectural evidence rather
elusive, but the plan suggests that the church had
north and south aisles in mediaeval times and that
having become dilapidated the south aisle was rebuilt
about 1506 with a new spacing of the bays to which
it was intended to adapt the north arcade. In the
end the north arcade, however, perhaps because it
was in a better state of preservation, was left more or
less as it was, but the piers were largely rebuilt and
new caps introduced, fragments of the older work
being used up. (fn. 5) There are no traces of an ancient
chancel, but if such existed eastward of the present
plan it was probably destroyed before the end of the
16th century. There is, however, no evidence of
this and the character of the original eastern termination can only be surmised. The 13th-century piscina
in the short length of the present chancel wall is
probably not in its original position, but if it is, then
it is possible that the 13th-century church consisted of
a nave extending only as far as the third pier of the
north arcade from the east, but possibly further westward. The two west arches are wider than the
others and the capital of the pier in question is of a
more or less nondescript character. It is scarcely
likely that the present arrangement of plan without
a structural chancel is that which originally obtained.
The tower is an addition or rebuilding of the early
16th century, to which period the rest of the building, where not modern, belongs. In 1702 the
church is said to have been reseated, in 1754 a gallery
was erected at the west end of the nave, and in 1811
a considerable amount of repairs seems to have been
done. (fn. 6) Previous to 1872 the exterior was whitewashed, (fn. 7) but in that year a thorough restoration of the
building was commenced, the roof being found to be
dilapidated, the tower unsafe and the masonry of the
windows decayed. The north and south walls and
south porch were then rebuilt, the ceiling and gallery
removed and the church seated with open benches.
There was a partial renovation of the building in
1909.
The chancel is 25 ft. 9 in. long, occupying the two
easternmost bays, but the wood screen which formerly
stood in line with the second pier has disappeared, (fn. 8)
and the chancel is now only differentiated from the
nave by the raising of the floor and the arrangement
of the seating. The east window, the mullions of
which have been renewed, is of five cinquefoiled
lights with hollow-chamfered jambs and external
hood mould and a low elliptical-arched head without
tracery. The 13th-century piscina in the south wall
has a trefoiled head, edge-roll moulding and nail-head
ornament, but its bowl is gone. In the north wall is
a recess with pointed head, 16 in. wide, originally an
opening but now built up and used as a credence.
The roofs and fittings of the chancel together with
those of the rest of the church are modern, the oak
quire stalls being erected in 1909. The walls
throughout are plastered internally.
The north arcade has five pointed arches of two
chamfered orders springing from octagonal piers,
1 ft. 9 in. in diameter and 6 ft. in height to the top
of the caps. The arches may be the original
13th-century ones and some parts of the caps, as
already stated, are probably of this date. Three of
these caps follow the section of the piers and are
simply moulded with a plain square upper and
rounded lower member. One of them is quite
plain, but the other two are carved in the neck
with, for the most part, very elementary patterns
such as an unskilled carver might naturally use at
any period, and are probably of the time of the
16th-century rebuilding. On two sides of the
westernmost cap, however, there are representations
of mediaeval tracery of a type common c. 1300,
consisting of two small circles, one with quatrefoil
cusping and the other of the 'rose tournante' type,
and a pointed 'window' of three lights with the
mullions intersecting in the head, and on the same
cap a dragon also occurs. It seems likely, however,
that all this work is of one date, the new capitals
being carved by a workman of eclectic tastes having
a general knowledge of mediaeval forms. The 'rose
tournante' occurs also on the base of the font, which
is of 16th-century date. The cap of the third pier
from the east is a made-up one and on the east side
is carved with four heads and a beak which seem to
be original 13th-century work, and the west respond
has also two heads apparently of equal date. The
impost of the east respond, however, suggests rough
work of early 16th-century type, and is evidently
coeval with the patterns on the two caps to which
reference has already been made. The late date of
these seems clear from the introduction of a pointed
'window' as an ornament in a horizontal position,
suggesting a period when mediaeval forms were
copied without being understood. The south arcade
consists of five pointed arches of two chamfered orders
on octagonal piers 16 in. in diameter, with moulded
caps and chamfered bases, 9 ft. high to the top of the
caps, and spaced without reference to the piers on the
opposite side. The north aisle is 70 ft. 6 in. long by
15 ft. 4 in. wide, and is lit by three square-headed
windows of four trefoiled lights in the rebuilt north
wall, with a modern window of three trefoiled lights
at the east and an old one of four lights at the west
end. The aisle extends 6 ft. 6 in. west of the arcade
and formerly possessed, 'near the east end of the north
wall,' a low side window about 18 in. high, 8 in. wide,
and 2 ft. from the ground, (fn. 9) which was done away
with in the restoration of 1872–3, when a small vestry
was erected at the north end of the aisle on the north
side. The organ now occupies the east end. The
south aisle is 68 ft. 9 in. long and 11 ft. 4 in. wide,
and is lit by four square-headed windows of three
trefoiled lights in the new south wall, and by an
original window of similar type at the east end, the
mullions of which have been renewed. The east end
of the aisle was formerly the Shireburne chapel, commonly known as the Wolfhouse quire from the name
of the residence of its possessor, (fn. 10) and was separated
from the rest of the church by a low wooden partition. In the restoration of 1872 a stoup was
found in the wall. (fn. 11) There is a priest's door opposite the second bay from the east, the principal
entrance being at the west end opposite the fifth bay.
West of the door in the south wall is built a plain
piscina without bowl, and there is another similar one
in the west wall between the window and the arcade.
The porch is of stone with gabled roof, the eaves of
which come close to the ground. In its east wall is
a small arched recess built into the wall. At the east
end of the nave roof on the south side is a dormer
window of five lights, rebuilt in 1873, with stone
mullions and timber gable.
The font, which stands at the west end of the south
aisle near the door, is of gritstone, octagonal in shape
and of 16th-century date. On each face is a shield,
three of which are carved with emblems of the
Passion, and the others with the sacred monogram,
the initials J. b. and other devices, one side only
being blank. The stem has eight hollowed sides, and
on the foot is a series of devices in Gothic letters
which have been interpreted as A M G + P D T
(Ave Maria Gratia Plena Dominus Tecum). (fn. 12)
The tower is 13 ft. square internally with diagonal
buttresses of five stages and a vice in the south-west
corner. The stages are unmarked externally by any
string course and the character of the whole is very
plain, the walls being of rubble and terminating in
an embattled parapet with continuous moulding to
merlons and embrasures and with angle pinnacles.
The belfry windows are of two trefoiled lights with
stone louvres but without hood moulds. On the
north and south sides the walls below the belfry
windows are quite plain except for a small square
opening on the north and a clock on the south side,
but on the west side are a pointed door with moulded
jambs and head and a traceried window of three
trefoiled lights and external hood mould. The
tower arch is of two chamfered orders springing from
moulded imposts and was opened out in 1873, the
bells being rung from the floor of the church.
A modern stone pulpit replaces one of wood
which had a massive canopy and was inscribed with
the initials of the Rev. Thomas Clarkson, vicar, and
the date 1723.
In the restoration of 1872–3 during the removal
of the whitewash several painted texts were brought
to light, (fn. 13) but these, with an inscription on the east
face of the central pier of the north arcade, (fn. 14) have
been lost.
On the face of the east respond of the south arcade
is a brass (fn. 15) to the 'two wyves of Robert Parkinson of
Fayresnape,' Marie daughter of Jerome Asheton, died
1611, and Anne daughter of George Singleton of
Stayninge, died 1623. At the bottom of the
inscription are a skull and cross-bones and these
lines:—
'Theire partes theire persons and theire vertvovs lyfe
Now rest in peace freed from the bond of wyfe.'
There is a tablet on the south wall of the chancel,
where he is buried, to the Rev. John Milner, vicar
1739 to 1777, but the other monuments are all
modern. They include a brass to the fifteenth Earl
of Derby, who died in 1893.
There is a ring of six bells cast by Thomas Mears
in 1793.
The plate consists of a chalice of 1601–2 inscribed
round the rim 'The Comvnion cupp of ye Churche
of Chyping in ye County of Lancaster 1602,' with
the maker's mark R.B.; and a paten of 1876 by
Elkington inscribed 'St. Bartholomew's Church,
Chipping, Easter 1876.' There is also a bread-holder.
The registers begin in 1559. The first two
volumes (1559–1694) have been printed. (fn. 16) The
churchwardens' accounts begin in 1809. Plans of
the seating 1635 to 1818 have been preserved. (fn. 17)
The churchyard, which lies principally on the
south side of the church and is approached from the
road by a broad flight of stone steps, was enlarged in
1863. It contains an old yew tree and a stone
sundial dated 1708, inscribed with the initials of the
churchwardens. The plate bears the name of Jas.
Hunter, maker, Wappin, London. The oldest
decipherable dated stone is 1754.
Advowson
Originally the church may have
been a chapel of Preston, the rector
of which place claimed the presentation in 1240 (fn. 18) ; but the right of the lord of
Clitheroe, to whom the manor had been given, seems
in later times to have been admitted without question,
and he and his successors in title presented to Chipping. (fn. 19) Soon after the foundation of the see of Chester
by Henry VIII this rectory was in 1546–7 given to
the bishop by the king in exchange for certain lands, (fn. 20)
and from about that time the bishop enjoyed the
profits of the rectory, (fn. 21) appointing a vicar. After the
establishment of the see of Manchester the patronage
was transferred from Chester, and the Bishop of Manchester now collates. The income of the rectory goes
to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
At the end of the 13th century the benefice was
valued at £10 13s. 4d. a year, (fn. 22) but forty years later,
after the invasion of the Scots, at only £5. (fn. 23) In
1341 this was still the estimate, Chipping being
responsible for 50s. and Thornley for the other
50s. (fn. 24) ; but by 1535 the estimated value had risen to
£25 1s. 8d. (fn. 25) The tithes in 1650 were valued at
£85 5s. a year, and there were other profits bringing
the total value to over £126 'before the wars,' of
which £10 went to the vicar; the officiating
minister in 1650 had £60 out of the whole. (fn. 26)
After the restoration of episcopacy the minister's
stipend would be reduced to its old amount, but
in 1720 his income was certified as £36 13s. 4d.;
the vicar had also the use of the mansion or
parsonage-house. (fn. 27) Grants from Queen Anne's
Bounty were obtained in 1768 and later. (fn. 28) The
value of the vicarage is now stated as £285.
The following have been rectors and vicars:—
|
| Rectors |
|---|
| Instituted | Name | Patron | Cause of Vacancy |
| c. 1230 | Robert (fn. 29) | — | — |
| 29 Nov. 1240 | Peter the Physician (fn. 30) | The King | — |
| 5 Nov. 1241 | William Lawrence (fn. 31) | " | res. P. the Physician |
| oc. 1279 | Ralph de Aldburne (fn. 32) | — | — |
| Roger (fn. 33) | — | — |
| 16 Mar. 1326–7 | Robert de Langton | Queen Isabel | d. Roger |
| oc. 1348–58 | Gilbert de Marsden (fn. 34) | — | — |
| 15 Mar. 1368–9 | Thomas le Wise (fn. 35) | Duke of Lancaster. | — |
| oc. 1391 | John Exton (fn. 36) | — | — |
| 11 June 1393 | William Whitewell | Duke of Lancaster. | — |
| 1 July 1394 | Robert Marshford | " | res. W. Whitewell |
| Robert Gowe | — | — |
| Dec. 1399 | John Maryden (fn. 37) | The King | res. Rt. Gowe |
| 17 July 1421 | John Caton (fn. 38) | " | — |
| 28 Jan. 1441–2 . | Lawrence Caton (fn. 39) | " | res. John Caton |
| oc. 1472–80 | Thomas Swift (fn. 40) | — | — |
| oc. 1481 | James Straitbarrell (fn. 41) | — | — |
| 30 Apr. 1523 | Thomas Mawdesley (fn. 42) | — | — |
| 4 Aug. 1530 | Thomas Westby (fn. 43) | — | — |
| 12 Feb. 1531 | George Wolset, LL.D. (fn. 44) | — | — |
| Vicars |
|---|
| oc. 1562 | John Marsden (fn. 45) | — | — |
| 8 Feb. 1589–90 | Richard Parker (fn. 46) | Bp. of Chester | — |
| 5 Oct. 1616 | William Armitstead (fn. 47) | " | — |
| c. 1622 | John King (fn. 48) | " | — |
| 16 Oct. 1672 | Richard White, M.A. (fn. 49) | " | d. J. King |
| 12 Aug. 1692 | Humphrey Briscoe, B.A. (fn. 50) | " | res. R. White |
| 23 Dec. 1701 | Thomas Atherton, M.A. (fn. 51) | " | d. H. Briscoe |
| 19 Aug. 1721 | Thomas Clarkson, M.A. (fn. 52) | " | res. T. Atherton |
| 29 May 1738 | William Rawstorne (fn. 53) | " | d. T. Clarkson |
| 19 Feb. 1738–9. | John Milner, M.A. (fn. 54) | " | res. W. Rawstorne |
| 11 Mar. 1778 | Thomas Pearce, M.A. (fn. 55) | " | d. J. Milner |
| 3 Aug. 1779 | William Stockdale (fn. 56) | " | res. T. Pearce |
| 21 Nov. 1786 | John Carlisle (fn. 57) | " | d. W. Stockdale |
| 10 May 1807 | James Penny, M.A. (fn. 58) | " | — |
| 28 Nov. 1816 | Edmund Wilkinson (fn. 59) | " | d. J. Penny |
| 8 Nov. 1864 | Richard Robinson, B.A. (fn. 60) | Bp. of Manchester | d. E. Wilkinson |
| 21 Dec. 1886 | John Birch Jones, B.D. (fn. 61) | " | res. R. Robinson |
| 1891 | George Burwell, M.A. (fn. 62) | Bp. of Manchester | exch. J. B. Jones |
| 11 Oct. 1904 | Walter Hudson, M.A. (fn. 63) | " | res. G. Burwell |
A chantry, St. Mary's, was founded by Thomas
Mawdesley, rector 1523–30, (fn. 64) and its priest was Ralph
Parker in 1535. (fn. 65) Its altar was on the north side of
the church.
The free school was established under the will of
John Brabin, dated 1683. (fn. 66)
There does not seem to be any record of the normal
staff of clergy in this parish before the Reformation. (fn. 67)
At each of the visitations of 1548 and 1554 two
names are given, but probably only one was resident,
and he may have been a domestic chaplain. (fn. 68) The
chantry endowment had perhaps been intended partly
to secure at least one resident priest. After the rectory
was appropriated to the bishopric it may be presumed
that the Bishops of Chester usually took care that their
vicar should reside, but there is little on record about
the parish. The vicar of the Commonwealth period
held the benefice during all the changes; and another
noteworthy incident is the hostile reception accorded
by many of the people to Wesley, when John Milner,
the vicar, desired him to preach at Chipping. In
June 1752 Wesley and his friend the vicar returned
to Chipping from an evangelizing tour, and were informed that the churchwardens and some others were
consulting as to the means of preventing Wesley from
preaching. After an interview they were pacified, and
Wesley preached in the church without disturbance.
Next year, however, several of those present stopped
Wesley by force from officiating; but a large part of
the congregation followed him into the vicarage after
prayers, and he preached to them. (fn. 69)
The churchwardens at the visitation of 1753 presented the vicar' for disorderly behaviour in the church
on Sunday the 4th of March in the time of divine
service; also for absenting himself on several holydays
and at divers times neglecting to read prayers as usual;
likewise for introducing strange and unlicensed preachers
into his pulpit, contrary to the canon.'
In 1755 it was stated that there were in the parish
136 families of Protestants and 38 of Dissenters. (fn. 70)
Charities
An inquiry into the charities was
made in 1901. (fn. 71) John Brabin, the
founder of the schools, also established
almshouses, for which there is now an income of
£107 5s., but only part of this is spent upon the six
almswomen. (fn. 72) Edward Helme in 1691 gave land
now producing £35 a year for the general benefit of
the poor. (fn. 73) This sum and £16 10s. from another
foundation (fn. 74) are distributed in money doles in the
township of Chipping. For Thornley with Wheatley
there is an endowment of £9 18s. a year, distributed
in sheets and flannel and skirts. (fn. 75)