Boughton St Matthew

List of Incumbents

In 1200, Aeliz [probably Alice] daughter of William de Bucton and widow of John Burden, lord of Maplebeck, gave land here at Boughton which once belonged to Alan de Bucton and also the advowson of the church to the Priory at Blyth.

The church was not appropriated and remained a rectory thereby enabling Blyth Priory to choose the priest who would be instituted as rector of Boughton by the Archbishop of York.

Rectors

1253, 23 September. MASTER ROGER DE SAR

1269/07, 10 March. ADAM DE WYTENE [WYTHEN]

1292, 23 June. REGINALD called BURDON, acolyte. Granted custody of sequestration by Prior and Convent of Blyth. Instituted as sub-deacon 26 November 1292

1293/4, !5 February. JOHN REYNALD, of Pickering.

1304, 13 December. ROGER DE ELTON

1307, 7 November. HENRY DE BLYDA, acolyte. Commission 22 December 1308 for official to act in case between Robert de Elleton, who had been presented and Henry de Blyda in possession.

1309, 8 August. ROBERT DE ELLETON, subdeacon. As deacon, having letters dimissory for priest 3 June 1310.

1311, 21 September. HENRY, subdeacon. Son of Arnald de Whetelay.

1313, 21 September. WILLIAM LE FUSTER, of Blyda, acolyte. As subdeacon had letters dimissory 21 January 1313/4

1350, 20 April. ROGER, chaplain. Son of Walter de Kirketon. Date of presentation by Crown holding ‘Lenton’ Priory owing to the war with France. ‘Lenton’ may be a mistake and should read Blyth.

1357, 3 August. RICHARD COUPER, of Knesale, chaplain.

1366, 11 July. WILLIAM DE OSSYNGTON, chaplain.

1387, 16 July. THOMAS CROKE, of Embulby [Bulby in Irnham, Lincolnshire] Chaplain of St. Nicholas chantry, Newark, by exchange with William de Ossington. Note: Willam de Carlton, vicar of Stillington, Yorkshire was presented by Crown to Boughton by exchange with William de Ossington on 20 October 1375

Having obtained the consent of the prior, Blyth gave up its right to nominate the rector and Boughton was united by the archbishop of York with the vicarage of Kneesall as a chapelry on the 4th February 1403/04, and appropriated by the chapter of Southwell.

Associated Vicars of Kneesall

1385, 4 January, THOMAS DE HALTON

Pre-1414-35, JOHN [DE] GILBYE

1435, 19 May, JOHN LAYTHAM

1441[43], 22 August, JOHN SUTHWELL [last Rector?]

1467, 31 July, ROBERT MAWER

1475, 17 October, RICHARD CRAVEN

1485, 29 December, THOMAS BIRTON

1487, 21 July, THOMAS MARSHALL

1526, 26 July, WILLIAM THRUSKE [THRYFTE]

1542,4 May, ROBERT MOWBRAY [MOWBERY]

Pre-1587-1617, THOMAS PICKARD

c1617-1625, ROBERT HARGREAVES, non-conformist

1625, 23 November, ROBERT AYNESWORTH, patron, King Charles I, by lapse

1626, 28 April, LUKE [LUCAS] BACON, Non-conformist

1633, 11 May, WILLIAM CLOUGH

1638, 11 September, WILLIAM HEWETT

1654 – c. 1656 THOMAS BOSWORTH, ejected

c1656-62, JOHN TURNER, ejected from living under the Act of Uniformity

1663-1680, THOMAS SALTER, Minister/Curate [Vicar of Caunton 1663]

1682-84, WILLIAM STEPHENSON

1686, J. ETHERINGTON, curate

1688, 28 June, MARTYN HORBYRY [HORBERRY], patron, King James II, by lapse

1691, THOMAS HAWKINS [Induction mandate issued 6 November 1691

1718, HENRY SMITH

1719, 2 December, THOMAS COOPER

1745-57, SAMUEL ABSON

1758-1827, WILLIAM LAW. Despite by 1776 there being a curate at Boughton and Marmaduke Callis (see next) serving at Kneesall from 1782, with Robert and James Cox following, William Law did not relinquish his living until he died in 1827. During 1805 he was reported to be quite ill and was allowed to live out of his parish for two years ‘on account of his infirmity of body’. This was further extended in 1811. We still find reports in Southwell of him celebrating his 88 years of age in 1817, as one of the oldest inhabitants of that town. He died in 1827.

1782-84, MAMADUKE CALLIS, officiating curate

1786-1817, ROBERT COX, officiating curate

1818-27, JAMES COX, officiating curate

1827-31, SAMUEL OLIVER

1831 April, JOHN ISON

c1843, THEO: SAMPSON, officiating Minister

1843-63 December, JOHN CHELL

1863, January-1911, GEORGE RUSSELL CHELL

By Order in Council 10th November 1866, Boughton was separated from Kneesall according to the register of the Bishop of Lincoln and made a perpetual curacy.

By a further order 19th August 1889, the patronage, which had passed from the chapter of Southwell to the Bishop of Ripon, was acquired by the Crown by exchange.

Perpetual Curates

The title of Perpetual Curate can be traced back to before the Appropriation of Benefices Act of 1391, and came into use with the appropriation or impropriation of benefices; that is to say, benefices which were attached, respectfully, to a religious or a secular corporation. These bodies were responsible for funding incumbents who, although they were neither inducted nor collated, were licensed by the Bishop, and had the duties of a vicar and were called perpetual curates – perpetual in the sense that once licensed could not be removed.

At the Reformation, all appropriate livings became impropriate. By the Incumbents Act of 1868, perpetual curates could be called vicars; but they were vicars in name only. Under the Pastoral Measure of 1968 all the remaining perpetual curates became vicars in law. In 1969, the Act of 1391 and subsequent Acts were repealed, and hence the title became extinct on 1st April 1969.

1866, 13 December. GEORGE SENIOR WILKINSON KERSHAW, perpetual curate. Son of Thomas Wilkinson Kershaw of Eccleshall, Sheffield. The patron was the chapter of collegiate church of Southwell

1878, 22 February. JONATHAN ELLERBECK. The patron is noted as Bishop of Ripon

1896, 16 April. CHRISTOPHER EDWARD LEFRO AUSTIN. Son of Rev. Charles Adye Austin, minister of Pernambuco, Brazil. The patron was the Crown

1923, 27 March. THOMAS HALLAM

1928, 4 February. EUGENE KIRKPATRICK HYSLOP. Became perpetual curate for Wellow from 1934.

Vicars of Boughton and Ollerton

1964, JOHN ALAN BANKS

1976, ROY ACKERMAN

1979, C. D. HIBBERT

1986, DAVID T. PERRETT

Under the Faculty No.11104, and Order in Council dated 1st June 1987, the Union of benefices and parishes of Ollerton and Boughton was established.

1995, JOHN M. MASKELL

1998, CANON RICHARD A. KIRTON

2008, RICHARD GOODHAND