Greensted rectors of the mid seventeenth century

The list of rectors in the last journal is certainly of interest, not least as it encourages questions about where these men came from, and how they survived in the uncertain times of Bishop Laud's Arminian purges, the puritan reversals of the Civil War and the interregnum, and then the return to orthodoxy after the restoration of Charles II in 1660. This article will look at what is known about the careers of just three of these men.

Firstly, Andrew Harwood who was born in Odiham, Hants, went to Eton on a scholarship, then to King's College, Cambridge. Surprisingly he appears to have been elected a fellow of the college before his graduation as BA in 1620, and he remained a fellow there until 1635. He was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in 1630, and his first living (which he may have held concurrently with his college fellowship, not an unusual practice) was in Tring, Herts.

He was rector of Greensted from 1641 till his resignation in 1647, and then a single record identifies him as the minister of St Alphage's in the City of London in 1650. Nothing else is known about his career in the Interregnum, but by 1660 he was vicar of Asholt in Somerset, and private chaplain to the earl of Montgomery. He died in 1662, probably before he would have been obliged to conform with the Act of Uniformity which led to so many clergy being expelled from their livings on grounds of conscience.

Secondly, Thomas Punter was born about 1614 in Royston, Herts, son of a gentleman of the same name. He went to Hertford School, then on to Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1636 and MA in 1639. He was ordained priest in 1639 and appointed as curate to the north Essex parishes of Heydon and Hadstock. In 1644 he was accused by his parishioners of being 'a common alehouse haunter, who refused to take the covenant, was negligent in keeping the Parliamentary fasts, observed illegal innovations, promised a parishioner a sermon at his wedding …' His further misdemeanors were deemed 'unfit for publication' by his Victorian biographer, almost certainly because they were of a sexual nature! In spite of all this, he was appointed to Greensted in 1646, though his living was sequestered at some point, possibly when his reputation caught up with him. In spite of this, he became vicar of Linton in Cambridgeshire in 1656, a living which he held till his death in 1684.

Like many of the clergy who were thrown out of their livings in the puritan Interregnum, he was restored to the Greensted rectory at the Restoration in 1660. Punter was clearly a controversial character, but perhaps one should not take the 1644 charges brought by his parishioners too seriously. Their grievances were probably liturgical, rather than moral, and most complaints about clergymen at this time threw in the accusation of them being an 'alehouse haunter'. Beer, of course, was the only safe drink, and taverns were the normal - indeed the only - place for everyday social intercourse in towns and villages. The other misdemeanours were probably thrown in to add weight to the parishioners' concerns about his laxity as a puritan minister

Thirdly, Nathan(iel) Lacy was the only local man, one of the sons of Avery Lacy of Chipping Ongar, born in 1626. He too was a Cambridge graduate (BA in 1646, MA in 1650) and appears to have acted as curate in Greensted, perhaps after the living was sequestered from Punter. Lacy was appointed as rector in 1649 and a year later was described by his Greensted parishioners as 'a constant preacher, and well approved of'. At the Restoration, his appointment was not recognized and the living was returned to Punter. Lacy, however, was retained as curate, presumably because Punter was by that time occupying a Cambridgeshire vicarage. As bishops had been abolished during the Interregnum, Lacy required formal ordination at Lincoln in 1662 before he could be re-appointed to the Greensted rectory. He then remained there till his death in 1700, adding the parish of Lambourne to his responsibilities in 1670.

Lacy has been claimed as the first minister of the non-conformist congregation in Ongar, but this is almost certainly an incorrect assumption based on the presence of his name on a copyhold lease for part of the site occupied by the non-conformist chapel in the High Street. It is clear from the lease that his portion excluded the chapel. In addition he is described on the lease as 'clericus', a term unlikely to be applied to a non-conformist minister.

Nothing else is known about these three men. Harward, we may assume, was puritan enough to be appointed to a London parish in 1650, and never had to face the challenge of subscribing to the Act of Uniformity in 1662. Numerous Essex clergy, whose consciences prevented them from doing so, faced real hardship when thrown out of their livings in the autumn of that year.

Punter was clearly a survivor, able to obtain another living in the puritan atmosphere of the 1640s in spite of being expelled from his previous living on grounds of liturgical and moral laxity. He was sufficiently puritan to obtain the Cambridgeshire living in 1665, and conformist enough to retain it in 1662.

Lacy managed a similar volte face, as well as being permitted to look after Greensted as curate for two years after the Restoration in spite of his lack of episcopal ordination. One can only imagine that he was popular in the parish (indeed, he was reported to be 'well approved of' in 1650). In addition the chaos caused by the sequestrations of 1660, and the significant loss of clergy through the enforcement of the Act of Uniformity in 1662, must have resulted in a serious lack of priests to fill vacant livings.