SOME RANDOM EXTRACTS FROM THE OLD ACCOUNT BOOKS
To which in some cases are added some notes by Fr. J. F. Splaine, S.J., and others.
The entries at the “Receipts” end of the old Account Books are usually merely records of the amount per month that the members subscribed. At times one finds special or occasional offerings made. For instance on the inside cover of the first Account Book we find pasted a sort of promissory note. It runs:
7th July 1769 After my Deseas my Weaving loomes now in posion (sic) of James Banes I give unto the said James Banes for the benefit of oure Society by me Peter Bolton. Witness hereto John Graystock.
And in another hand and ink are added the words, “The said Looms are sold for £1. 4. 0.” A more humorous entry appears thus: “Apl. 3 1803 Recd from Mr Talbot a fine for an assualt on him by Geo. Gillow £ 3. 3. 0.” And there is a touch of romance in the following: “Dec 6 1805. Recd this day a Benefaction of 20/- from Mr. Marsh of Liverpool in consequence of his marriage.” But as a rule there is a sameness about the Receipts.
It is in the expenditure that one finds items of interest. Here is a selection. Many have been commented on by Fr. Splaine or others. The extracts from the old account books are given in inverted commas. The rest of the text, enclosed within brackets, are notes of Joseph Gillow, Esq. These, like other notes of his are signed with the letter G. Those signed F. are from Br. Foley’s Records, those signed Dr. O. are from the Collectanea Of Dr. Oliver, and those without signatures are by Fr. Splaine, S.J.
We transcribe also these annotations:—
1731. “Pd. to poor box at Ferniough 1/-.” (Ladywell, Fernihalgh.—G.)
1731 “Pd. for tending Jas. Hoskison in sickness 3/-.”
1732. “Easter. Pd. att Robt. Ingam’s Expences 5/-.” (This name is sometimes spelt Ingram. Robert’s last appearance as host is in Apr., 1764. After that date Richard appears.)
1733. May 27. “To Mr. Carter toward his journey £2. 2. 0. (This probably refers to his going to Lisbon College. He came back in 1736. He is the Rev. John Carter.—G.)
1733 June 8. “Pd. to Dolly Wareing toward Holiwell 1/-.” (A pilgrimage to St. Winifred’s Well.—G.)
1733 June 17. ” Pd. Richard Pemerton for loss of two cows 10/-.
1733 Dec. 8. “For particular use for good of ye church 5/6.”
1734. Apr. 8. “Expences att Walton 2/-.” (A meeting of the Society.)
1734 Oct. 13. ” Pd. for Joseph Martin’s board a fortnit 6/-.”
1734. Dec. 8. “Pd. Shott att Wid. Keighley’s 8/-.” (A meeting of the Society.)
1735. ” To Thos. Cotham going to Holiwell I/-.” (Another pilgrimage.—G.)
1735 Sep. 8. “Spent att Ribleton 13/-.” (A meeting of the Society.)
1735 Dec. 21. “For a pair of beads 1/3.”
1736. June 14. “Spent at Spittles Moss 16/6.” (A meeting of the Society.)
1736 Nov. 1. “To 5 gen. Mr. Ro. MT. Ch. Mr. Nai Mr. Cri 15/-.” (Fr. John Robinson, S.J., of St. Mary’s, Preston; Dom Wm. Champneys, O.S.B., of Little Mosna, Walton-le-Dale; Dom Placid Naylor, O.S.B., of Brindle. The last I cannot make out.—G.)
1736. ” For a pair of clogs for one poor 7d.”
1737. April 7. ” To a poor man at ye corection 1/-.”
1738. April 3. “Paid Peter Holderness for his jorney £1.” (I fancy this Peter Holderness went to the Benedictine Monastery of Dieulwart, of which he became Prior. He died 31st Mar., 1803.—G.)
1742 May 3. “Spent att White Bull 3/-.” (This is the first time the name of the place of meeting is given.)
1742 Dec. 8. ” To a carrier in distress 1/-.”
1742 “Note ye 3 windles of wheat as above left £1. 11. 6. Spent about the same 6d.” (This note comes at the end of a list of 32 persons among whom the wheat was divided. Some received a half, some a quarter, but of what measure does not appear. A windle was a woven basket or reel.)
1743. Sep. 8. “Spent at George Greens 8/-.” (A meeting of the Society.)
1743. Oct. 8. “A poor woman in a favour (fever) at Whaleys 3/-.”
1745. Mar. 25. “A girl going to Ireland per Thos. Coope 6d.”
1745 Nov. 2. “To Mr. Green when in Prison.” (Father John Greene, alias Westby, O.P. Chaplain at Sunderland Hall, in Balderstone, between Preston and Blackburn, from 1743. After the defeat of Prince Charles he fled into Yorkshire, but was seized at Halifax, on suspicion of being a priest, and brought up at Quarter Sessions, at Leeds, on October 10th, 1745, and refusing to take the oaths prescribed by the Act of 30 Car. II., he was committed to York Castle, where he was long imprisoned. Eventually he obtained his release, came to Wolfall Hall, near Prescot, Lancashire, and there died April 5th, 1750, at 48. —G)
1746. Feb. 6. “To the Prisoners at Lancaster 4/-.” (Several priests were in Lancaster Castle at this time, though of course this donation might have been to the debtors confined there. —G.)
Here the Society’s work was interrupted, as already stated, for nearly 8 years, i.e., from 6th Feb., 1746, to 1753. In this latter year alms were given to 31 persons.
1755. Apr. 12. “Mary Batterbe 6d., for a young woman going to Paris 10/-.”
1758. ” To John Shorrock for the Twelve Apostles 2/6.” (John Sharrock was a Catholic bookseller or publisher in Walton-le-Dale. “The Twelve Apostles” was probably an engraving. The Sharrocks were a great Benedictine family, and continued their bookselling business well into this century.—G.)
1760. Mar. 23. “To Grimbsay Chappell 10/6.” (Alston Lane Chapel.—G.)
1760 Jan. 26. “To Mr. White for his attendance 5/-.” (Rev. Luke White, alias Leckonby, was the priest at Alston Lane.—G.)
1760 Nov. 9. “To schooling children 3/-.”
1761. Sep. 1. “To the burial of William Chase wife 5/-”
1762. Mar. 28. “To William Robinson to buy a wastcote 2/-.”
1762 Dec. 28. “To a French Prisoner 6d.”
1763 Mar. 27. “To a poor lad 1/- to go to Holywell.” (Probably another pilgrim.)
1764. Mar. 10. “To Will Robison for a shirt 2/8.”
1764 Apr. 15. “To school wages one Quarter for a boy of Marche’s 1/6.”
1764 July 15. “To school wages for Marsh son and Widdow Alston 3/-.”
1764 July 15. “To a poor woman for a shift 2/6.”
1765. Dec. 26. ” For spining weel for poor woman 1/10.
1767. ” Towards a new Chapel at Wooton 10/6.” (This refers to the new Benedictine Chapel at Woolton, pronounced at that date Wooton, and often so spelt. Dom E. B. Catterall, O.S.B., was priest at the time.—G.)
1767 July 9. “A prentis boy 1/-.” (Apprentices often appear on the books as recipients.)
1767July 9. ” Children Skooling Physicks Children 4/-.” (Fishwick’s children.)
1769. Mar. 27. “Poor woman in childbed 1/-.”
1771. Feb. 4. “To cloathing Thos. Conals Doughter in order to be a Prentes £1. 3. 11.”
1722. July 7. “Cloath for shifts for two poor women 6/1-.”
1773. Apr. 4. “Blind Jack’s wife 1/-.”
1773 “Towards Chorlay Chappel 5/-.” (The Chapel was at Slate Delph, Chorley.—G.)
1773 Sept. 12. Allowed in a small half-guinea 2/-. Aloud for a small guinea 4/-.”
1775. Sep. 17. “To a poor man in the small pox 1/-.”
1776. Mar. 30. “To Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Banister, 1/6 each for prayers to be said for Thos. Helm Deceased 3/-.” (Fr. George Clarkson, S.J., transferred the seat of the ancient Jesuit Mission of Slate Delph, in Brindle, to South Hill, Chorley where he erected a new chapel in 1790, of which the builder’s name was Ashton, a good and charitable Catholic, descended from a branch of the Ashton’s of Croston Hall.—G.)
Foley tells us he was born at South Hill and that he died there in 1813, aged 74 years.
(Rev. Robert Banister, of Fernyhalgh, son of Robert Banister, of Hesketh Bank, a stout recusant, was born both Oct., 1725. In 1774, he went to Mowbreck Hall, seat of the Westby family, where he remained 29 years. After a long life, great part of which was spent in teaching rhetoric, philosophy, and theology, he died at Dodding Green, Westmoreland 17th May, 1812, aged 87. —G.)
1776. Mar. 30. “To Mr. Lund to pray for the soul of Thos. Helme 1/6.” (Rev. Ant. Lund, of Fernyhalgh, or Rev. John Lund, of Cottam.— G.)
1776. June. “To Mr. Lun and Mr. Joans for prayers for the living 5/-.” (Rev. John Jones was somewhere in the vicinity of Preston at this time, but I cannot make out where.—G.)
1776 Dec. “Pady Allen 6d.” (The Irish had not then commenced to come over, and settle in England, in any considerable numbers.—G.)
1777. Sep. 7. “To Thos. Jespert’s son going abroad £2.2.0.” to be educated for the priesthood, but, probably, he did not persevere.
We find frequent payments to young men “going abroad.” No doubt they were going to study for the priesthood. It is noticeable that, as a rule they bear good old Catholic Lancashire names. They probably belonged to recusant families, who had suffered much in purse for their religion, and, being unable to go abroad at their own expense, were sent by their brethren, as being of the right kind of stuff for priests, those hard times.
1779. June 27. “Thos. Crombleholme’s son going abroad, £1.1.0.” (This would be John Crombleholme, eldest son of Thomas Cromblehome, of Preston, by his first wife. He was born Dec. 5th, 1766, and was sent to the Benedictine Monastery of Dieulward, in Lorraine, to be educated for the church. Not persevering, he became lecturer at the University at Paris in 1790-91, and in 1794 married Eleonore de Balay, of Franche-Comte, whose sister was the wife of General Claude Francois de Malet. He purchased and cultivated a plantation in the Mauritius, which he named Richmond, but returning to Europe died at Nantes, where he was interred with his wife, Dame Eleonore de Balay, under a coped tomb.—G.)
1782. Sep. 8. “To John Wearden’s son going abroad £1. 1. 0.”
1783. April 13. “Towards building a Catholic Chapel at Blackburn £2. 2. 0.” (The priest was the Rev. Wm. Dunn, vere Earpe, D.D., brother of Fr. Joseph Dunn, vere Earpe, S.J., of Preston. The Chapel was the upper part of a building in Chapel Street Blackburn.—G.) Foley incorrectly says their real name was Hart.
1783 Dec. 26. “To Mr. Cowp 2/-, Mr. Carter 3/- for Prayers.” (Rev. John Carter, born April, 1750, of a recusant family, ordained at Lisbon. He was on the mission at Newhouse, and when the Prince, Charles Edward, was passing, F. Carter obtained from him a promise that his army should molest neither him nor his mission. He died 18th Oct., 1789.—G.) For Mr. Cowp, see infra, 1st July, 1798.
1785. Dec. 26. “To Mr. Westby for a Mass to be said for the Society 3/-.” (Father Peter Westby, vere Walker, born in Preston, 22nd May, 1727, succeeded the Rev. Thos. Weldon at Scholes, near Prescot, in 1786, and died there Nov. 14, 1788.—G.)
1786. Apr. 9. “Towards building a Catholic Church at Brindle, £2. 2. 0.” (Dom Laurence Joseph Hadley, O.S.B., was the priest at Brindle.—G.)
1786 July 2. “To the Incumbant at Lower Hall 10/6.” (Fr. Angelus Ravenhill, O.S.F., was at this time the incumbent at Lower Hall, Samlesbury. He arrived in 1735.—G.)
1787. July 1. “Given to the Sunday Schools, £ 2. 2. 0.” (The Sunday Schools were adopted by Catholics about this time.—G.) This is the earliest mention of them in connection with the First C. C. Society. After this contributions were given not only to the Preston Sunday Schools, but also to those at Brindle and Brownedge. At this last place, Dom. Oswald Eaves, O.S.B., was the priest.
1789. Apr. “To a new chappel at Garstang £2. 2. (Either the Rev. John Shuttleworth, or the Rev. John Barrow, nephew of the Rev. John Barrow, who went to Claughton in 1766, was the priest then at Garstang.—G.)
1793. Mar. 24. “Paid towards the Catholic Chapp. in Preston £4. 4.” (Towards the erection of St. Wilfrids.—G.)
1796. Mar. 20. “To the Franciscans at Osmotherley Yorksh’ £ 3. 3.” (The Franciscans had possessed an establishment at Osmotherly from the reign of Charles II. At this time it was used as a retreat for their infirm brethren, and many died there.—G.)
1798. July 1. “The Rev. Cowpe to new chappell at Craik £4. 4 ” (This would seem to be the Rev. Dom Thomas Jerome Coupe, O.S.B., who is mentioned in Snow’s Benedictine Necrology as being at Brandsby from 1791 to 1794, and at Craike and Oulston from 1794 to 1826. These three places are within from two to six miles of Easingwood, in the N. Riding of Yorkshire. Snow, who says nothing about his whereabouts in 1783, tells us he was born at South Hill, Chorley, in 1754, and Gillow adds that he was somewhere about Preston in 1783. Therefore probably he is the same as Mr. Cowp mentioned above, 26th Dec., 1783).
1799. Dec. 26. “To Chester New Chappel £2. 2.” (The Rev. James Lancaster was the priest at Chester at this time.—G.)
1802. Dec. 26. “To New Chapell at Goosnarg £3 2.” (Fr. Chas. Wilcock, O.S.F., of the Hill Chapel, Goosnargh, ob. there 8th April, 1802, and his successor, Fr. Bonaventure Martin, O.S.F., at once commenced to rebuild the chapel.—G.)
1803. Apr. 3. “Lea Chappell £2. 2.; Stockport Chappell £2. 2.”
1803 Sep. 11. ” Rev. Mr. Lawrenson’s New Chappel £2. 2.” (At Clitheroe, which was opened 8th Nov., 1799, by Fr. John Lawrenson, S.J. – G.)
1805. Sep. 8. “Thurnham Chapell £2. 2.” (Thurnham Hall had been deserted by the Dalton family at this time, and was occupied partly by a farmer. The Rev. James Foster was the priest. He probably was making some renovations at the chapel.—G.)
1807. June 28. “To Grimsargh Chapell £2. 2.” (This was Alston Lane Chapel, often called Grimsargh Chapel. It was a very ancient mission, but a new chapel was erected about this time. The Rev. Richard Edmundson was the priest.—G.)
1808. June 26. “Old Dragoon 3/-.”
1820. “Ladies’ Catholic Charity £3 ”
1820 “Adult School £2. 2.”
preston history 