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The Bells.
The tower contains five bells. Dates and inscriptions are as follows:—
| 1.- | 1615, | "God save the Church." |
| 2.- | 1728, | "Alex: Cave: Vic:Ste: Husband." (The bell was given by Stephen Husband; Andrew, not Alexander, Cave, being Vicar.) |
| 3.- | 1862, | Cast by Warner and sons, London. |
| 4.- | 1864 | ditto |
| 5.- | 1875 | ditto |
Vestments and Altar Plate.
ALTAR PLATE OF DUNHAM-RAGNALL-DARLTON
In Pre-Reformation times Dunham was without doubt well provided with Altar Plate and Vestments. In 1552 Commissioners were appointed to survey the Church goods throughout the Kingdom. The Inventories of Ornaments are very numerous, and we may be thankful that those relating to our three churches have been preserved. "These Inventories do not indeed exhibit such full catalogues as would have been found in 1549, for many things had been sold (especially where they were duplicates) to meet church expenses of various kinds; and some, too, had been embezzled."
From Inventory in Public Record Office.—"Dunham. Commission held in month of September in the sixth year of the reign of King Edward VI. We delivered to the custody of Thomas Pele and John Wilson, churchwardens, to John Hainesworth and John Baldmoe, one chalice of silver and one surplice, and a paten with some bells in the steeple. One cope of some flowered silk there. Vestments, one of blue silk with white birds and flowers, another green, another of them white silk with a red cross, and the third of same silk with a black cross for funerals.'' Five more Chasubles are minutely described, and "one bit of white fustian, and an old Cope Cross" (i.e.; processional cross). "Signed, Joseph Clayton, Anthony Nevyll, John Hircy."
These are what the Commissioners left for use in the church, we are not told whether or not they took any valuables away with them. All these articles have long since disappeared. It was during the Commonwealth, probably, that the Altar Plate was confiscated, and the vestments had probably disappeared during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. As the Chalice now in use is dated 1821, one wonders what was used previous to that time; it may be that the ancient Darlton Chalice and Paten were also used at Dunham. Now in use:—Silver Chalice, height 5% inches, weight 8 ozs. "The gift of Thos. Newstead to Dunham Church 1821." Silver Paten, weight 10 ozs. "The gift of Mrs. Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Eyre, Esq., to Dunham Church, 1819."
Churchyard.—There is no plan of the Churchyard. As it is a custom not to inter more than one corpse in one grave, the same ground is used again and again for interments, except where there are gravestones. Even in these enlightened days a foolish superstition, that it is unlucky to be buried on. the north side of the church, still precludes interments in that portion of the graveyard. The date of the oldest inscription is 1705, a few stones may possibly be of an earlier date the inscriptions on which are obliterated.
STONE FROM ANCIENT VILLAGE CROSS IN NORMAN TIMES
Gravestones, except inside the church, are not found earlier than the end of the 17th century. Previous to that time the corpse was carried to the churchyard in the parish coffin, and at the graveside was lifted out and laid in the grave. Bodies thus interred soon went to decay, and mingled with the dust much quicker than when encased in a coffin. The writer of an article in the Southwell Diocesan Magazine, October, 1910, says: "The parish coffin, which was usually kept in the church, was sent for, and the body, wrapped in a shroud wound round with strips of canvas, called 'swaddling cloths,' was placed therein, and carried on a bier to the church. ... At the graveside the shrouded corpse was lifted from the coffin to be lowered into the grave. This explains to us the rubric in the Burial Service, ' When they come to the grave, while the corpse is made ready to be laid into the earth, the priest shall say, etc,' and again the injunction 'while earth shall be cast upon the body by some standing by.' The earth is now sprinkled on the coffin, not on the body. The general use of coffins is comparatively modern. In olden days there were lead or stone coffins for important personages, such as kings or nobles, bishops or abbots, but these were exceptional. It was only in the 18th century that wooden coffins became common. . . . The fact that thus bodies of the dead, shrouded but not coffined, were interred, enables us to understand how the limited space of ancient churchyards sufficed for so many hundreds of years. The dust returning to dust enabled the ground to be soon re-dug. For centuries the burial-ground has been used over and over again, and the dead are mingled with the dead."
The floor of the old church was probably covered with gravestones, which, alas! have been either broken in pieces, or buried beneath the present floor. A few of these survive in the pavement of the floor of the tower, which are as follows:
Joseph Etherington, A. M., Vicar of this Parish, who departed this life June 12, 1723, aged 62 years.
(Name worn off the stone) his wife, who departed this life March, 1741.
The Rev. Mr. Cave, A. B., late Vicar of this Parish, who departed this life April 3, 1754.
Rachael, the faithful wife of Andrew Cave, who departed this life Nov. 12, 1729, aged 28 years.
John and Rachael, son and daughter of Andrew Cave and Rachel his wife.
Thomas, the son of Thomas and Mary Oldham, who departed this life June 4, 1755.
John Baldwin, . . . who departed this life Nov. 1, 1767.
Samuel Aislabie, . . . who departed this life Feb. 14, . . . aged 57 years.
In the register of Fledborough Church there is an entry as follows:
A. D. 1658. Edward, son of Edward Henshaw, was buried in Dunham Church at John Dexxons seat end.
There is nothing left now to indicate where this grave was placed.
In the register of Wm. de Greenfield, Archbishop of York, it is stated that on Oct. 10, 1309, the churchyard of Dunham was ''reconciled.'' That means that the churchyard had been polluted by the shedding of blood, either as the result of a fight or murder, and that a special service, called "reconciling,'' was held.
In the churchyard on many of the stones are engraved texts of scripture, and on 22 are epitaphs. Many of these epitaphs are similar to what may be found in many cemeteries, and are only to be read as a warning, not to be copied for use, being quite unsuitable to those who have been baptised and believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting. There is one, however, of interest; the inscription is :
Thomas Whitehead, died October 3, 1770, aged 42.
I have lodged in many a town,
And travelled far and near,
Till death with his dart struck me to the heart
And now my lodging's here.
It is stated in the register that Thomas Whitehead was a Linen Draper, tradition says that he was a Packman, and that he died while staying at the village inn. His pack was sold in order to pay the expenses of his burial, which realised sufficient to pay for the erection of a headstone for the grave.
Pentecostal Offerings.
In the Church accounts of 1832 is the statement '' Oct 21. Paid Pentecostal offerings £1 3 3." The payment of Pentecostal offerings to the Church of St. Mary, Southwell, dates back to very early times. Thos. Bailey in his "Annals of Notts," published 1855, says, "By a decree of Pope Alexander, issued A. D. 1171, it was ordered that every year both clergy and laity of Nottinghamshire should, at the Feast of Pentecost, attend at the Church of St. Mary, Southwell, in solmn procession, with a Pentecostal offering from every parish and hamlet in the county. This gift which varied in value according to the population and importance of the place, there is reason to believe was bestowed upon the Church from the period of its first foundation by Paulinus, but had never been regularly appointed until the issuing of this bull. But what is most extraordinary, as respects the decree of Alexander is that these Pentecostal offerings continue after the lapse of nearly 700 years, and notwithstanding the changes in religion and customs which have taken place in this country, to be regulraly paid, by the different parishes and hamlets of Notts as at the beginning, at least so far as their nominal amount extends."
The offering originally paid by Dunham was 1/7, Darlton 1/-, Ragnall 1/6. In the Church accounts entries occur of expenses of journies to Southwell in Dec., 1801, 14/-; May 17, 1804, 14/-; May 3, 1831, £1 10/-. These visits of two men to Southwell may have been to the Archdeacon's visitation, or they may have been to pay the Pentecostal offerings, or perhaps for both reasons. In 1804 it is stated that 3/6 was paid for the clergyman's dinner. By the bull of Pope Alexander it was also appointed that "every year, according to the old and rational usage of that Church, a synod should be there celebrated, and that thither the chrisma should be brought by the deans of the county from the Church of York, to be thence distributed through the other
churches." This synod was abolished by Archbishop Drummond of York at the end of the 18th century. The chrisma distributed to the several parishes was the oil used in anointing the sick (St. James V., 14), having been previously blest by the Archbishop.
Parish Book.
There is in the possession of a parishioner an old Parish Book containing:—
| 1. | Poor accounts from 1799 to 1844 |
| 3. | Church 1801 to 1816 |
| 3. | Church 1801 to 1836 |
| 4. | Road 1799 to 1813 |
| 5. | Minutes of Parish and Vestry meetings. |
The accounts contain matter of much interest. We learn that the Church singing (1818 to 1828) was accompanied by a bassoon, and in 1838 a clarionet was in use. The reeds for these instruments were paid for sometimes from the Church accounts, sometimes from the Constable, and sometimes from the Poor.
There appears to be much overlapping of accounts, e.g., a Book-board for the pulpit was paid for from the Poor account, and payments for killing rats, weasels, and foumarts were made from all three accounts.
The Holy Communion was celebrated four times during the year, two bottles of wine being provided for each celebration. It is evident that there was either a large number of communicants, or else there was far too much wine provided. Perhaps it was customary here, as in many parishes, for the Vicar and Churchwardens to appropriate to their own use so much of the wine in the bottle not needed for the celebration.
The Rite of Confirmation was seldom administered. There was no Confirmation from 1801 to 1818, and from 1818 to 1825; these Confirmations were held at Retford. The Rite was administered in 1833 at Tuxford, and in 1839 at Retford.
In 1839 Dunham was in the Diocese of York, which comprised the whole of Yorkshire and north Notts. The dioceses of Ripon and Wakefield were not then formed.
The bellringers appear to have been remunerated for their services by an allowance of ale to the amount of 4/6, which was paid at Easter, and was charged sometimes to one account, sometimes to another.
Memoranda.
"Memorandum made the tenth day of February 1836 between Thos Newstead, Charles Nicholson, George Pinder, Robert Milnes, Edward Mason and others of the Parish of Dunham and six poor men belonging to the said parish with large families, as follows:—
We the said Thos Newstead, Charles Nicholson, George Pinder, Robert Milnes, Edward Mason, and others do hereby let Lewis Watson, William Otter, Richard Tomlinson, Joseph Turner, John Clarke, and Charles Wilson, a garden each situated in the Parish of Dunham in the County of Nottingham from year to year. And if any of the said men do not pay their rent on the said day appointed they do hereby agree to give up the said gardens without discharge or any further trouble or expense.
Witness our hands this 10th day of Feby 1836."
(The signatures of the aforesaid follow.)
"Memorandum made the 13th of May 1836 at a Vestry meeting in the parish Church by the churchwardens and overseers and all the parishioners that Lewis Watson should be sworn in Pinder and is charge is as follows for stock in the township of Dunham for Beast horse Pigs two pence each for sheep one shilling per score for outen town Beasts horse pigs four pence each for sheep two shillings per score."
The pinfold or pound was situated close to the cottages on the left at the bottom of the hill coming down the road from Laneham.
The Village Feast and Feast of Dedication.
The Village Feast is not always held on the patronal feastival, but here it apparently is according to the old style of reckoning. Originally, it was essentially a religious feast. It was a day on which all parishioners would attend the Parish Church for Divine Service. The pre-Reformation dedication was St. Peter or S. S. Peter and Paul (see chapter on Old Wills), and the Village Feast was kept on the day when the Church commemorates the deliverance of St. Peter from prison (Acts xii, 6 and 7), called St. Peter ad vincula, which is now August 1st. The Village Feast corresponds with the old style of reckoning St. Peter ad vincula, being held on the Sunday nearest the 12th of August.
In the year 1752 the whole calendar was altered, all dates being put back eleven days, so that old Lady Day was April 6th, old Michaelmas Day October 11th, old Christmas Day Jany 6th. This explains the reason for the dates of our Village Feast and rent days; although the Holy Days were altered, the secular usages of those days continued to be observed on the old date.
The patron saint is now St. Oswald. Why and when the dedication of the Church was changed we do not know. Mrs. Arnold Foster in her book on "Church Dedications" gives reasons for change of dedication as follows:—'' At all periods of English Church history English churchmen have been prone to give expression to their special religious sympathies by changing the name of the Church in which they worshipped, whenever the existing name chanced to be distasteful to them, or even beyond the range of their knowledge. In some cases they were happily content to add to the older dedication without entirely superseding it. ... In the Middle Ages the re-consecration that necessarily followed upon the enlarging or rebuilding of a church gave free scope for a change of dedication."
St. Oswald.
Thirteen hundred years ago and more England was divided into seven different kingdoms. All the north, i.e., the part north of the Humber and the South of Scotland formed one kingdom, called Northumbria. In A. D. 616 the king of Northumbria was a heathen, named Aethelfrith; he was slain in battle while fighting against the king of East Anglia. Aethelfrith had seven sons, one of whom was called Oswald. On the death of their father the boys were sent to the Christian Settlement at Iona to be educated.
The king who defeated and succeeded Aethelfrith was called Edwin. He has already been mentioned in connection with Paulinus and the introduction of Christianity into these parts. He added the northern part of Nottinghamshire to his kingdom (after him the village of Edwinstowe and the city of Edinburgh are named, the one at the extreme south and the other at the extreme north of his kingdom). He was slain in battle, A. D. 633, while fighting against the powerful and cruel heathen king of the Midlands (Mercia), Penda, and a British king called Cadwallon.
When Oswald was 30 years old he collected together an army to fight against Cadwallon. He encamped at a place called Heavenfield. There, in a dream, he had a vision of St. Columba, the founder of the Christian Mission at Iona, who appeared to him standing in the midst of the camp with his head reaching to heaven, and shielding with his shining robe all save a small portion of the English army. The saint bid Oswald give battle at once for the Lord would give him victory. Oswald at once ordered his army to be drawn up, caused a cross of wood to be erected as a standard for his troops, and then addressed the army in a loud voice, saying, "Let us all kneel and join in prayer to the Almighty, the living and true Lord, that of His mercy He will defend us from our proud and cruel foe, for He knoweth that the cause for which we fight is just." All knelt with him, and when the prayer was over they charged the host of Britons, and utterly defeated them.
The place of Oswald's camp is still called St. Oswald's, and a little chapel, named after him, marks the spot where he set up his cross as a standard for his army.
We are told he was tall and strong; his face was long and cheery of aspect; he had yellow hair, blue eyes, and thin beard. He lived a strictly religious life. He spent much time in prayer, and the gesture he used in suplication, raising his hands with palms uppermost, was so habitual with him that he generally sat with his hands so spread out upon his knees. Sparing on what he spent on himself, he was lavish on what he spent on the service of God and the relief of the poor. He built churches and monasteries, and sought to bring' the whole of his people to the Christian faith. He completed York Minster, begun by Edwin and Paulinus.
He reigned for nine years. On August 5th, 642, he was slain in battle at Oswestry (i.e., Oswald's Cross), while fighting against Penda, the heathen king of Mercia, and Cadwalader, the son of Cadwallon. He died as he had lived with prayer upon his lips, praying for the salvation of his warriors, "The Lord have mercy upon their souls." His body was buried at Bardney Abbey, near Lincoln, and was subsequently removed to Glouchester, and his head was buried at Lindisfarne. They laid the head of St. Oswald in the coffin of their patron St. Cuthbert, and carried it to Durham.
It is no wonder then that such a deeply religious man, as well as powerful and valiant king, should be regarded by his people as worthy of the greatest honour, namely, a place in the Church calendar, and we shall do well if we try to follow closely his example in prayer, self-denial, zeal for the spread of Christ's kingdom, and his generosity.