Previous Rectors of St Mary Magdalen
Bermondsey
On the right of the page is a photo of the board in church from which these
names are copied. However, see the notes at the bottom which refer to some
additional information.
1291 John de Ecclesia
1299 John Augustin de London
John de Albini
1315 Simon de Lausell
Hugh de Babington
1323 William de Montesfunte
1323 Nicholas de Ficton
1324 Robert Belde
1329 Walter Wheston de Stratford
1338-9 John Fitz-Adam Cissoris
1340 Peter ---
John Lorkin
1381 Robert Tolthorpe
1383 Thomas Thokes
1394 Thomas Fort
1400 Thomas Goche
1400 John Preston
1406
Henry Dyryk
Walter Euston alias Boydon
1448-9 Robert Burton
1459 John Andever
1480-1 William London
1482 Walter Newton
1482 Robert Warying
1484-5 Robert Warde
John Best
1502 Richard Wyllys
1523 John Fayrwall
1537 Thomas Collys
1537 Thomas Ippeswell
1543 Richard Gele or Gyle
1553-4 John Lewis or Ledwys
Alexander Inglish
1571 John Baron
William Stanninought
1581-2 John Ryder
William Stere
1604-5 Edward Elton
1624 Thomas Paske
William Tasswell (1723) may also be spelt William Taswell.
According to http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924028066847/cu31924028066847_djvu.txt, "William Browning, a fellmonger, purchases a limited advowson of the Rectory, and presents William Taswell, D.D., who occupies, perhaps as (what is vulgarly called) a warming-pan, from 1723 to 1726-7, and then resigns. The son of the patron-purchaser, the Reverend W. Browning, M.A., is now presented, and continues to be the minister until his death, 1740. Mr. Browning appears to think that he has not as yet had money's worth, and so he presents John Paget, M.A.; a lawsuit ensues, and as Mr. Browning has exceeded his time, his nominee, or clerk, as he is called, is in due course ejected. For more on William Browning see the memorials page.
Thomas Paske, the Whitakers and Richard Parr
WikiSource
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Whitaker,_Jeremiah_(DNB00) says that Jeremiah Whitaker succeeded Thomas Paske in 1644; he served until his death on 1 June 1654, and was buried in the chancel. The same source http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Whitaker,_William_(1629-1672)_(DNB00) says that William Whitaker (son of Jeremiah Whitaker) succeeded his father as rector in 1654, which is at odds with Richard Parr (above). Possibly this confusion came about because 1654 was the year that Richard Parr became vicar of nearby Camberwell.The same link as above
http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924028066847/cu31924028066847_djvu.txt
says that "The circumstances of the succeeding incumbency are not clear. We
are told, on the one hand, that William Whitaker, the son of Jeremiah, was
appointed to succeed his father in 1654 ; on the other, that the Rev. Dr. Parr,
chaplain to Archbishop Usher, received the vacant benefice. Mr. Phillips
[see below],
in his list of the Rectors of Bermondsey, does not include William Whitaker, but
represents Dr. Parr as filling the office from 1654 till his resignation in
1682. He does, however, say elsewhere that William Whitaker was ejected at the
Restoration.
Dr. Rendle's account of this divine is as follows: " William, called in 1654 to
succeed his father as Rector of Bermondsey, was a minister indeed ; skilled in
languages - Greek, Latin, and Oriental; fit to be a tutor at his college, i.e.,
Emmanuel, at Cambridge; a peacemaker, whose pride it was to settle disputes, and
leave no rancour behind; just the man, making a conscience of his work, to be
ejected. So in 1662 he was no longer Rector of Bermondsey."
However,
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43026 gives some
interesting and conflicting details
of Thomas Paske and his successors: "In 1624 the patronage was exercised by
Samuel Paske, citizen and merchant tailor of London, probably for one turn. He
appointed Thomas Paske, D.D., master of Clare College, Cambridge. In 1642
the churchwardens and parishioners petitioned the House of Lords because this
Thomas, their rector, had not preached even once a year and had otherwise done
nothing to provide preaching or reading in the church or to supply a dwelling
for a curate. The expense of such arrangements had fallen on the petitioners.
They had lately bought the next presentation to the living and they prayed for a
confirmation of their elect. In the following year a draft order of the
House directed the sequestration of Dr. Paske, a non-resident minister and a
teacher of heretical doctrines, in order that the parishioners might maintain
their own minister. Paske, whose Arminian opinions were as obnoxious as his
negligence, was ejected accordingly in this year, and the parishioners appointed
in his stead Jeremiah Whitaker, an eminent Orientalist, member of the
Westminster Assembly, who held the benefice until his death in 1654 and was
buried in the chancel of the church. He was succeeded by another distinguished
theologian, Dr. Richard Parr, who resigned the living in 1682."
This is a link to an on-line copy of "The history and antiquities of the parish of Bermondsey" By G. W. Phillips, 1841, referred to above.
It would seem that William Whitaker succeeded his father as rector in 1654
and remained in post until 1662, being then succeeded by Richard Parr. If you can
confirm the exact situation here, or add details of any other rector of this
parish, please contact the webmaster.
This page updated 29 November 2009