The Church Plate
The following information is taken from “The Church Plate of Gloucestershire” by J.T. Evans; 1906.
It contains details of the plate held by each Church. It also contains extracts from the Chantry Certificates by the Commissioners of 2 Edward VI (1548) and from the Returns of Church Goods in 6 & 7 Edward VI (1552-1553).
When Wick and Newport closed the plate came to Berkeley. Each set of plate has its own case and the there are labels with the Wick and Newport boxes to identify them. The 1777 plate has a box bounded with a thick leather strap. The plating on some of the items has worn thin and base metal is visible. Berkeley also has a wafer box, lavabo bowl and cruet stopper tops.
Berkeley (St Mary) About the year 1777 the plate of this Church was stolen, and a new set was then provided which consists of a Pair of Chalices a Salver and Flagon. The maker's mark on all four pieces is illegible. The Chalices are of parcel-gilt and are facsimiles, the date letter in both cases being obliterated. Height, 7½in.; diameter of mouth,3½in.; of foot, 3½in.; weight of each, 10 oz. 19 dwts. The mouths of the cups curve inward at the lip and from the top of each stem there is a setting of fluting broken up into eight claws half way up the bowl. The knops on the stems and bases are ornamented with bead-moulding. The Salver is 9¾in. in diameter, 1 in. high, and rests on three feet. The shape is round but with twelve lobes breaking the regularity of the circle. There is gadroon moulding round the rim which is narrow and bevilled into the depression of the plate. It bears the hall mark of 1776, and weighs 20 oz. 19 dwts. The Flagon is tankard-shaped with two lobed lid, wide base projection, and hall-marked 1777 ; height, 12 in.; upper diameter, 4 in. lower, 6 ¾ in.; weight, 24 oz. 2 dwts. All four pieces are inscribed "Berkeley Communion Plate 1777". The present vicar, the Rev. J. I. Stackhouse, has added a silver Chalice of Pre-Reformation type and a shell Paten. The cup weighs 15 oz. and is not hall marked. The Paten weighs 2 oz. 15 dwts. and bears the hall mark of 1887.
Four Chantries, with endowments for the benefit of the founders' souls and all Christian souls, are specified in the return for this Parish made by the Commissioners of 2 Edw.VI. In the case of two of them, as will be seen, plate was exhibited and duly valued.
(1) Newport Chauntrye, worth £10 9s. 6d., and served for £6 13s.. 4d., by Sir John Baker, a priest who had no other living. Here the Ornaments, plate and jewels are returned as "noone". This like the Cambridge Chauntry in the parish of Slymbridge is described as the foundation of Sir William At Syde by licence of King Edward III " in a Chapell called St. Maurice Chapell of Newport". But there is little doubt that for At Syde's name should be substituted that of Thomas, Lord Berkeley, as the real founder.
(2) St. Andrew's Chauntrye, founded by "Katheryn Barkeley", the relict of Thomas, Lord Barkeley, by licence of Richard II. The value is £7 14s. l1d., of which Sir Thomas Test, the priest, took £6 and had no other living. The Ornaments of this altar of S. Andrew were valued by the Commissioners at £1 7s. 4.d., and the plate and jewels to the same at xvi ounces, £3 4s. 0d.
(3) Ouve Ladye Service, a foundation of unknown origin, worth £7 2s. 5d., maintained a priest named Sir William Patenson, who took £6 and had no other duties. Ornaments, plate and jewels are here however returned "noone".
(4) The King's Chauntry, founded out of certain lands called the park of Shepmshe, was served by Sir William Holder who was paid by the King's receiver of "the lordshipp of Barkleye" £5 6s. 8d., and who also had a pension of £6 a year from the King. Here the Ornaments are valued at 6s. 4d., and the plate and jewels stand at v ounces, 15s.
Besides the above mentioned Chantries the Commissioners report concerning Bradston wardenage or Chauntry in the parishe of Barkeley,-The Chapel of Bradston, often called Bradston College, was founded by Sir Thomas Bradston, Knight Banneret, in18th Edward III. "Plate and Juells weying by estymacion vjCxj ounces," valued at £124 11s.. 7d., the Ornaments, Stuff, Utensils and Goods at £113 8s. 5d.
Wick-A plated Chalice and Paten and glass Cruets.
Breadstone-A service of electro-plate.
Newport-A chalice and Paten carrying the hall marks of 1902. The chalice weighs 9 oz. 2 dwts. and the paten 3 oz. 13 dwts.
During 1998 a group of Church members compiled An Anthology of Berkeley; it has the title “A Sense of Place”. Having read the Churchwardens’ accounts, the extra notes they wrote in the front and back of the books and visited Bristol see the original newspapers, I was able to submit the following item.
CHURCH THEFT - THE BERKELEY FOUR
In the 18th century the communion plate was stolen from Berkeley Parish Church. Joseph Sharp, the churchwarden for the tythinng of Ham, wrote the following in his official account book:
Be it remembered 1777
That whereas it may not be improper in this place to insert, and record it for future ages to oversee.
That whereas some time in the night of the 23rd of April 1777 some villian or villains broke into the parish church of Berkeley by taking four squares, or quarrels out of the window at next to the porch opposite the tower, and getting through the said hole of the window which they made being but 9 inches wide and 11 inches high from which place they advanced to the chancel and broke open the door of the vestry room which was a very strong one and lockt with as strong a lock as could be made (supposed to be done with an iron bar) and when they were in the said vestry room they broke open a large chest which is kept therein to hold the communion table cloths the hangings of the pulpit and Parsons surplice &c. and stole there out the best surplice and tare it off in the middle and carried half of it always, together with the communion plate which they broke open and took out of the large high wainscott cupboard which stands in the left hand corner of the vestry room, consisting of one large flaggon and which would contain or hold as much as 3 quarts or upwards and three cups with covers to each the biggest of which would hold a quart and one patten of salver with a foot to him: the whole about the value of sixty pounds or thereabouts & went off undiscovered.
The reason why I have record this so particularly is, to acquaint future ages of a thing which I think ought to be kept in record ~ and to take on all possible care of all such things for the future.
Joseph Sharp Churchwarden Augt 5th 1777
The theft was reported in the Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser of 1st May 1777. The churchwardens paid £3 12s. 0d. for an advertisement in the following five issues. The advertisement was headed sacrilege and offered 30 guineas for information leading to the offender been convicted and brought to justice.
The churchwardens soon had to pay ‘Thomas Saniger, Thomas Baker, John Jones and Welsh Willy each 12s. 6d. for some acknowledgement for their being taken upon suspicion for robbing the church of the communion plate, wrongfully’.
The people finally prosecuted were William Smith, Hughes Price and his boy. Price was described as being a chimney sweep. The prosecution cost the churchwardens£33 17s. 9d.
The expense did not stop there as the new communion plate bought from Mr. Abraham Bernard of Bristol cost £36 17s 4½d. A couple of years later Mrs. Marklove, who seems to have been a trader in Berkeley, was paid £5 10s. 9d. ‘for a new surplice and making the same’.
Today the church plate is kept in the bank.
It contains details of the plate held by each Church. It also contains extracts from the Chantry Certificates by the Commissioners of 2 Edward VI (1548) and from the Returns of Church Goods in 6 & 7 Edward VI (1552-1553).
When Wick and Newport closed the plate came to Berkeley. Each set of plate has its own case and the there are labels with the Wick and Newport boxes to identify them. The 1777 plate has a box bounded with a thick leather strap. The plating on some of the items has worn thin and base metal is visible. Berkeley also has a wafer box, lavabo bowl and cruet stopper tops.
Berkeley (St Mary) About the year 1777 the plate of this Church was stolen, and a new set was then provided which consists of a Pair of Chalices a Salver and Flagon. The maker's mark on all four pieces is illegible. The Chalices are of parcel-gilt and are facsimiles, the date letter in both cases being obliterated. Height, 7½in.; diameter of mouth,3½in.; of foot, 3½in.; weight of each, 10 oz. 19 dwts. The mouths of the cups curve inward at the lip and from the top of each stem there is a setting of fluting broken up into eight claws half way up the bowl. The knops on the stems and bases are ornamented with bead-moulding. The Salver is 9¾in. in diameter, 1 in. high, and rests on three feet. The shape is round but with twelve lobes breaking the regularity of the circle. There is gadroon moulding round the rim which is narrow and bevilled into the depression of the plate. It bears the hall mark of 1776, and weighs 20 oz. 19 dwts. The Flagon is tankard-shaped with two lobed lid, wide base projection, and hall-marked 1777 ; height, 12 in.; upper diameter, 4 in. lower, 6 ¾ in.; weight, 24 oz. 2 dwts. All four pieces are inscribed "Berkeley Communion Plate 1777". The present vicar, the Rev. J. I. Stackhouse, has added a silver Chalice of Pre-Reformation type and a shell Paten. The cup weighs 15 oz. and is not hall marked. The Paten weighs 2 oz. 15 dwts. and bears the hall mark of 1887.
Four Chantries, with endowments for the benefit of the founders' souls and all Christian souls, are specified in the return for this Parish made by the Commissioners of 2 Edw.VI. In the case of two of them, as will be seen, plate was exhibited and duly valued.
(1) Newport Chauntrye, worth £10 9s. 6d., and served for £6 13s.. 4d., by Sir John Baker, a priest who had no other living. Here the Ornaments, plate and jewels are returned as "noone". This like the Cambridge Chauntry in the parish of Slymbridge is described as the foundation of Sir William At Syde by licence of King Edward III " in a Chapell called St. Maurice Chapell of Newport". But there is little doubt that for At Syde's name should be substituted that of Thomas, Lord Berkeley, as the real founder.
(2) St. Andrew's Chauntrye, founded by "Katheryn Barkeley", the relict of Thomas, Lord Barkeley, by licence of Richard II. The value is £7 14s. l1d., of which Sir Thomas Test, the priest, took £6 and had no other living. The Ornaments of this altar of S. Andrew were valued by the Commissioners at £1 7s. 4.d., and the plate and jewels to the same at xvi ounces, £3 4s. 0d.
(3) Ouve Ladye Service, a foundation of unknown origin, worth £7 2s. 5d., maintained a priest named Sir William Patenson, who took £6 and had no other duties. Ornaments, plate and jewels are here however returned "noone".
(4) The King's Chauntry, founded out of certain lands called the park of Shepmshe, was served by Sir William Holder who was paid by the King's receiver of "the lordshipp of Barkleye" £5 6s. 8d., and who also had a pension of £6 a year from the King. Here the Ornaments are valued at 6s. 4d., and the plate and jewels stand at v ounces, 15s.
Besides the above mentioned Chantries the Commissioners report concerning Bradston wardenage or Chauntry in the parishe of Barkeley,-The Chapel of Bradston, often called Bradston College, was founded by Sir Thomas Bradston, Knight Banneret, in18th Edward III. "Plate and Juells weying by estymacion vjCxj ounces," valued at £124 11s.. 7d., the Ornaments, Stuff, Utensils and Goods at £113 8s. 5d.
Wick-A plated Chalice and Paten and glass Cruets.
Breadstone-A service of electro-plate.
Newport-A chalice and Paten carrying the hall marks of 1902. The chalice weighs 9 oz. 2 dwts. and the paten 3 oz. 13 dwts.
During 1998 a group of Church members compiled An Anthology of Berkeley; it has the title “A Sense of Place”. Having read the Churchwardens’ accounts, the extra notes they wrote in the front and back of the books and visited Bristol see the original newspapers, I was able to submit the following item.
CHURCH THEFT - THE BERKELEY FOUR
In the 18th century the communion plate was stolen from Berkeley Parish Church. Joseph Sharp, the churchwarden for the tythinng of Ham, wrote the following in his official account book:
Be it remembered 1777
That whereas it may not be improper in this place to insert, and record it for future ages to oversee.
That whereas some time in the night of the 23rd of April 1777 some villian or villains broke into the parish church of Berkeley by taking four squares, or quarrels out of the window at next to the porch opposite the tower, and getting through the said hole of the window which they made being but 9 inches wide and 11 inches high from which place they advanced to the chancel and broke open the door of the vestry room which was a very strong one and lockt with as strong a lock as could be made (supposed to be done with an iron bar) and when they were in the said vestry room they broke open a large chest which is kept therein to hold the communion table cloths the hangings of the pulpit and Parsons surplice &c. and stole there out the best surplice and tare it off in the middle and carried half of it always, together with the communion plate which they broke open and took out of the large high wainscott cupboard which stands in the left hand corner of the vestry room, consisting of one large flaggon and which would contain or hold as much as 3 quarts or upwards and three cups with covers to each the biggest of which would hold a quart and one patten of salver with a foot to him: the whole about the value of sixty pounds or thereabouts & went off undiscovered.
The reason why I have record this so particularly is, to acquaint future ages of a thing which I think ought to be kept in record ~ and to take on all possible care of all such things for the future.
Joseph Sharp Churchwarden Augt 5th 1777
The theft was reported in the Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser of 1st May 1777. The churchwardens paid £3 12s. 0d. for an advertisement in the following five issues. The advertisement was headed sacrilege and offered 30 guineas for information leading to the offender been convicted and brought to justice.
The churchwardens soon had to pay ‘Thomas Saniger, Thomas Baker, John Jones and Welsh Willy each 12s. 6d. for some acknowledgement for their being taken upon suspicion for robbing the church of the communion plate, wrongfully’.
The people finally prosecuted were William Smith, Hughes Price and his boy. Price was described as being a chimney sweep. The prosecution cost the churchwardens£33 17s. 9d.
The expense did not stop there as the new communion plate bought from Mr. Abraham Bernard of Bristol cost £36 17s 4½d. A couple of years later Mrs. Marklove, who seems to have been a trader in Berkeley, was paid £5 10s. 9d. ‘for a new surplice and making the same’.
Today the church plate is kept in the bank.