This blog started when a recent enquiry led us to look further into the subject of intruder clergymen, who were appointed to Parishes, sometimes against the will of the congregations, at the end of the English Civil War to preach the more puritan form of worship the Cromwell wanted. They were often then forced out by the Act of Uniformity of 1662.
During this enquiry, whilst looking at an online copy of The Nonconformist’s Memorial by Edmund Calamy, we came across an account of Thomas Chaplyn, who was the rector of Wareham from 1643 until 1660. This caught our eye because of a rather intriguing tale about the burial of his wife and we decided to do some more research.
In The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset by the Rev John Hutchins, who was rector of Wareham from 1743-1773, Chaplyn is described as “a pious and conscientious clergyman” and in Calamy’s book it states that “While he was at Wareham, he was well beloved, and did much good.” Hutchins goes on to suggest that Chaplyn’s replacement by “a man of very different character” made many of his congregation turn to nonconformity.
Chaplyn was very strict about observing the Sabbath. Calamy includes a story of how he was returning from preaching at Arne one Sunday when he caught some boys playing, which they did regularly, but usually they kept a better look out for him. He duly informed the mayor and magistrates who called a meeting with the parents of the boys that Chaplyn had recognised and reprimanded them. This may seem like an extreme reaction, but apparently in later years some of the boys expressed gratitude for his actions.
He was ejected in 1660 due to his refusal to support the Act of Uniformity. At the time he had 8 children and the family turned to malting to support themselves. In our collections we have two documents from 1660 relating to the leasing of a malthouse on Trinity Lane by Thomas Chaplyn and Thomas Toldervy to brewer Thomas Cantloe(D-RGB/KF/112 and 115). Chaplyn also made a wise early investment in the East India Company that gave a good income to his wife for the rest of her life.
He later retired to Cambridge where he died on August 31st 1667 aged 46 and was buried in St Bene’t’s Church, but this was not the end of the families links with Wareham as after his death his wife moved back to the town.
His wife is not named in either Calamy or Hutchins, Calamy does not even give Thomas’s first name, and sadly there are no surviving registers for Wareham for this period due to their destruction in the fire of 1762. This made it a little challenging to discover more about his wife and children. We managed to discover from The Story of the Congregational Churches of Dorset by W. Densham and J. Ogle that his wife was called Dorothy and that after returning to Wareham she continued in the malting business in order to support her family. She was also involved in the nonconformist church. The same book tells us that the licenses issued in 1672 after the declaration of indulgence include one for the “House of Dorothy Chaplyn in Trinity Parish, in Wareham, Dorsett, Presn. Meeting Place, May 16”.
It is her nonconformity that led to the controversy over her burial when she died in around 1681. As the wife of a former rector of St Mary’s Parish she was initially buried in the chancel of the church, but the order came from the Bishops Court for her to be removed because she had been excommunicated due to her nonconformity, despite her children having paid £3 to have the excommunication removed. They then reburied her in the churchyard, but once again the Bishops Court objected.
At this point the Mayor and other towns people wrote back saying that the churchyard was divided into the 3 parishes of Wareham and where she was buried was on a pathway and was not part of any of them. Having had two men swear this is true the Bishops Court accepted this decision and let her rest in peace. Calamy states that members of the Church of England have since requested to be buried in the same place.
This is not the end of the family’s connection with Wareham. Within our collections we have found a fascinating book that was owned by John Chaplyn, one of their sons, who was a doctor in the town. Look out for a later blog to find out more about this.
And I’m descended from the Cantloe’s, at Wareham!!