Page:History of the Fylde of Lancashire (IA historyoffyldeof00portiala).pdf/313



PERPETUAL CURATES AND VICARS OF BISPHAM. -++-+- Date of     |                    |   On whose        | Institution. |              |   Presentation. | Cause of Vacancy. -++-+- Before 1559 |Jerome Allen        |Abbey of Syon      | About 1649  |John Fisher         |                   | In    1650  |John Cavelay        |                   |Resignation of J.             |                    |                   |  Fisher Before 1674 |Robert Brodbelt     |                   |Death of J. Cavelay "   1689  |Robert Wayte        |                   |  "    1691  |Thomas Rikay        |                   |Death of R. Wayte In    1692  |Thomas Sellom       |Richard Fleetwood  |Death of T. Rikay About 1715  |Jonathan Hayton     |                   | Before 1753 |Christopher Albin   |Edward Fleetwood   | In    1753  |Roger Freckleton    |Roger Hesketh      |Death of C. Albin "    1760  |Ashton Werden       |Roger Hesketh      |Death of Roger             |                    |                   |  Freckleton "     1767  |John Armetriding    |Roger Hesketh      |Death of A. Werden "    1791  |William Elston      |Thomas Elston      |Death of John             |                    |                   |  Armetriding "     1831  |Charles Hesketh,    |Sir P. H. Fleetwood|Death of W. Elston | M.A.              |                   | "    1837  |Bennett Williams,   |Rev. C. Hesketh    |Resignation of C.             |  M.A.              |                   |  Hesketh "     1850  |Henry Powell, M.A.  |       Ditto       |Resignation of B.             |                    |                   |  Williams "    1857  |W. A. Mocatta, M.A. |       Ditto       |Resignation of H.             |                    |                   |  Powell "     1861  |James Leighton, M.A.|       Ditto       |Resignation of             |                    |                   |  W. A. Mocatta "    1874  |C. S. Hope, M.A.    |       Ditto       |Resignation of J.             |                    |                   |  Leighton "     1876  |Francis John Dickson|       Ditto       |Resignation of C. S.             |                    |                   |  Hope -++-+-

The living was a perpetual curacy until lately, when it was raised to the rank of a vicarage. The Rev. Charles Hesketh, M.A., of North Meols, has been the patron for almost half a century. Divine worship, according to the ritual of the Roman Catholics, was last celebrated in Bispham church during March, 1559, immediately after the death of Queen Mary, when her protestant successor, Elizabeth, ascended the throne. The pastor, Jerome Allen, a member of the Benedictine brotherhood, assembled his flock at nine in the morning of the 25th of that month, and previous to administering the holy sacrament, addressed a few words of farewell and advice to his congregation. "Suffused in tears," records the diary of Rishton, "this holy and