of Easington Village
CHURCH HISTORY
St. Mary the Virgin Church in Easington Village, has a rich and lengthy history that spans over a thousand years. In May 1995, Rector Neville Vine authored a comprehensive guidebook, delving deep into the church's storied past. While we offer a brief overview of notable historical highlights below, the full guidebook is accessible for purchase at our church for a modest fee.
INTRODUCTION
Easington Parish church is a prominent landmark in East Durham, standing on high ground approximately 3km inland from the coast and 15km east of the City of Durham. The church is situated at the west end of the old village of Easington which is arranged in traditional Saxon style around a square green.
Easington Ward, one of the four wards of the Durham Diocese, stretched from the Wear to Hart and the original parish took in many of the surrounding villages.
Easington was the administrative centre of the area, where the Halmote Courts were held. All sorts of minor crimes, disagreements and land transactions were decided here.
Although the church itself is built in the style of the Norman era, there is evidence to suggest that the first church to be situated upon this hill was built in Saxon times.
An exciting new find was discovered in 1994 by the Historic Buildings Consultant Peter F Ryder during his Archeological Assessment, which can possibly date the site back to as early as the 8th century and which is the most substantial evidence yet of an early ecclesiastic or monastic settlement here.
The church consists of a West Tower, a four-bay aisled nave and a chancel with organ chamber and vestries in the north. It is a unique example amongst parish churches, showing in sequence, the various styles of English architecture extending over every age of Romanesque and Gothic periods, except perhaps, the Tudor, and to the student, is worthy of careful study.
Not only is the church of great architectural interest but historical records exist describing the march of time and notable events from the year 900 AD.
The list of Rectors of this parish through the ages, reveals the names of men of great fame, of which relatively few English churches could rival.
HISTORY
The name Easington is Saxon in origin and probably derived from the family name "ESSYN" and "TUN or TON", meaning village. The history of Easington has been well documented through the ages, probably due to its strong and important links with ecclesiasticism and its close ties to the Bishopric of Durham.
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Easington is first mentioned in a grant to Ealfrid, son of Britulfine, by Cutheard who was Bishop of Chester le Street between 900 to 915 AD.
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"In those days Ealfrid, Son of Britulfine, flying from the pirates, came beyond the mountains towards the west, imploring the mercy of St Cuthbert, and Cutheard the Bishop, that they should give him some lands. And Cutheard gave him these towns, Easington, Sileton, Thorep, Horedon, Yoden, duass Caeton, South Yoden" Surtees History.
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In the year 1193, the Boldon Book was compiled by Bishop Pudsey in response to the fact that there was no mention of Durham in the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror.
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Giving an account of his land holdings, reference is made to Easington and life in the village at that time and it describes the rights and duties of the people. The Bishop claimed three days work each week from them and four extra days at Harvest time.
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In return he provided them with food and drink once per week, at Harvest time, and after each day spent mowing.
Prior to 1222, Bishop Richard de Marisco founded or endowed the church of St Mary of Easington, and granted to John de Romsey, Rector of Easington, and his successors, the lands called Renyngmolmer and several other parcels.
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In 1248 Bishop Nicholas de Farnham, who resiged the Archdeaconry of Durham was granted Easington and Stockton for his sustenation during his life.
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"Essington, a manor pertaining of ancient tyme to the Bishopricke of Durham, for when one Nicholas resigned in tyme of Henry III, he had this towne, Howden, and Stockton, appointed for his sustenation during his life". Lambard
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In 1256 Bishop Walter Kirkham united the Archdeaconry of Durham to the rectory of Easington and appointed Robert de St Agatha to the two beneficies. The same deed decreed the perpetual union of the Rectory and Archdeaconry, and they remained united until 1832.
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Easington has certainly seen its share of misery, pestilence and oppression. It suffered invasion by the Scandinavians, and in the early 14th century, during the reign of Edward II, wars with the Scots resulted in the decline of the population and value of the village.
In 1349, the Black Death raged through the area making the task of filling tenancies extremely difficult for the Bishop's steward.
Between 1377 and 1381, the Hatfield survey was conducted and this gave details of the Easington holdings:
"Nine free tenants are named in that record who performed the service of Embassy. Upwards of 300 acres of demesne lands were leased at a gross rent of 18d. Twenty-nine bond tenants occupied 32 messuages, each holding two oxgangs of 15 acres, and, besides various small money rents at various feasts, they rendered eight bushels of lot oats at the feast of Purification, two hens at the feast of the Nativity, ten eggs at the Passover, and 13d at the feast of St Michael in lieu of other work. They also paid 30s for cornage, 40s for castlemen 12s in lieu of milch cow, and carried a tun of wine.
The cottagers collected the hens and carried them to the Bishop's manors between Tyne and Tees. Sixteen of the cottages were empty and their lands in grass. Richard Colling and eight others held two tenements, two cottages, two tofts, a garden, and a curtilage, parcel of the manor place, and William Swallwells held a garden near le Maysenfieu, and paid 12d.
Nine acres of meadow and the pasture were held by Adam Glede and others at £4, and the same tenants paid for an improvement called the Rydding 16s 10d, for the common forge, 4s, and for the windmill, formerly £13 6s 8d, then only £6 13s 4d"
Hatfield's survey also showed how the holdings had declined since the Boldon Book. However, the importance of Easington in comparison with other villages was still apparent and this was reflected by the much larger number of tenants.
The Prince Bishops of Durham ruled until the arrival of the Tudors when Henry VIII reformed the Church in England. The changes brought about by the Reformation, though great and far reaching, seemed to have been accepted by the villagers.
However, in 1569, six men of the village who supported Mary Queen of Scots and the Roman Catholic faith, joined the Rising of the Northern Earls. Two of them were actually executed on the village green.
During the Civil war of 1642 to 1649, Easington suffered severely at the hands of the Scots. Dr Gabriel Clarke, Canon Archdeacon of Durham, Rector of Easington and master of Greatham Hospital, was expelled by the Parliamentary Visitors. The Bishop, Dean, and all canons of Durham fled before the advance of the Scottish army, led by Alexander Leslie, after the victory of Newburn in 1640.
The victors held Newcastle for a whole year and overran the two counties of Northumberland and Durham and greatly impoverished the district. The Scots levied impost of £350 a day on Durham
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The departure of the Cathedral body deprived the Church of proper leaders and officers, and left many important parishes without reasonable heads. The canons were all pluralists and none of them returned until after the restoration of the constitution in 1660.
During this period there was no church life, or ordinations, no institutions to beneficies or visitations and no pastoral activity.
NOTABLE RECTORS
ANTHONY BEK
Rector of Easington before becoming Prince Palatine
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Anthony Bek became Rector of Easington in the year 1274 and became Bishop of Durham in 1285 where he served for 26 years. He was a courageous man who assisted Edward I to defeat the Scots, under Wallace at Falkirk.
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He was made king of the Isle of Man and the Pope gave him the title of Patriarch of Jerusalem.
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ROBERT DE GENEVA
Rector of Easington before becoming - POPE CLEMENT VII
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In his early priesthood, he was incumbent at Easington, and also at Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland. He was a man of great character who rapidly gained promotion before occupying the episcopal sees of a Therouanne and Cambrai, attaining the dignity of Cardinal.
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After taking part in the election of Pope Urban VI, he expressed doubts as to the validity of the election and as his views were shared by other cardinals, the holy see was declared to be still vacant.
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It followed therefore that on the 20th September 1378 the former Rector of Easington was elected Pope and took the name of Clement VII.
JOHN KEMP
Came to this parish in 1417 where he served for two years, before becoming Bishop of Rochester in 1419, Bishop of Chichester in 1421, Bishop of London in 1422, Archbishop of York in 1426, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1432, and finally, Cardinal of St. Balbina in 1439.
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Other notable rectors are detailed in the guidebook.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
The eldest son of Rev HG Liddell was also called Henry George Liddell. He was a great scholar and became an important member of the Church of England.
In 1855 he was appointed to the prestigious position of Dean of Oxford and also became the honorary chaplain to Queen Victoria and domestic chaplain to HRH Prince Albert. In the year 1852 he baptised his third daughter in Westminster Abbey and her name was Alice Pleasance Liddell.
By the time Alice was 10 years old, a young Oxford Don teaching maths at the University, named Charles Ludwig Dodgson, resided in rooms that overlooked the Deanery Garden. Dodgson would often see the Dean's children at play in the garden and he eventually befriended them. He would entertain them by inventing games, puzzles and stories.
During the summer, Dodgson and his friend the Rev Duckwork would treat the children to picnics and rowing boat expeditions on the river. On such a "Golden Day" on 4th July 1862, Dodgson arranged a boat picnic from Oxford to Godstowe, a distance of three miles. It was on that day that the children Alice, Lorrina, Edith and Harry begged Dodgson to create a story for them as they rowed to their destination.
The story Dodgson told included young Alice and its title was "Alice's Adventures Underground" So captivated by this tale became Alice, she begged Dodgson to write it down for her. This he did, and presented it to Alice in his own handwriting.
In 1875 Dodgson acquired a pen name (Lewis Carroll) and he had his story published entitled Alice's Adventures Underground. It was an instant success and when the new issue was published it became known as Alice in Wonderland, the story that has enchanted children the world over for the past 130 years.
Alice Liddell kept the original manuscript until 1932, when she put it up for auction at Sotherby's where an American bid £15,400 for it. So Alice Liddell had been immortalised by Lewis Carrol.
She grew up to be a beautiful girl who charmed many famous men. Ruskin taught her to paint and draw, Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria's youngest son fell in love with her and it is well supported that Lewis Carroll loved her till the day he died in 1898.
Alice married a wealthy business man and bore him three sons, Rex, Caryl and Leopold. Two of her three sons were lost in action in World War II, Alice died at her home 'The Breeches', on 15th November 1934.
The next time you pass Seaton Holme, let your imagination picture little Alice at play in the rectory garden, which at some time she must have done as Alice's grandfather Henry George Liddell Senior died when Alice was ten years old and it can confidently be assumed that at some time she would have come to Easington to visit her grandparents.
This little girl who Lewis Carroll immortalised was a small but interesting facet of the heritage of Easington Village.
Still she haunts me Phantomwise
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes
'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'
Lewis Carroll
GUIDEBOOK
For those interested in learning more about St Mary's history, the guidebook authored by our previous rector, Rev. Neville Vine is available to purchase for a small fee at the church.
