List of Salford Vicars

Detail of a tombstone in the chancel January 2011

Advowson

The Victoria County History for Bedfordshire, published in 1912 gives a brief history of the advowson of the church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Salford. Lord of the Manor Nigel de Salford granted the advowson to Newnham Priory in the 12th century. When Newnham was dissolved by King Henry VIII (1509-1547) in 1540 the advowson was retained by the Crown.

In 1587 the Crown granted the advowson to Edward Downing who shortly granted it to Robert Barber alias Grigg who, with his brother Thomas, sold it to John Langford about 1597. The advowson remained in the Langford family for over half a century but by 1664 it had passed to Thomas Hackett and Elizabeth, his wife who transferred it at that date to Thomas Sickling.

By 1690 the advowson was with Sir Villiers Chernock and remained with his descendants until at least 1912. At the present time [2011] Hulcote is held with Salford and Cranfield. The patron of the living is the Martyrs' Memorial and Church of England Trust.

The pulpit January 2011

List of Vicars

The following list of Vicars of Salford is as complete as records will allow. On 25th June 1750 Hulcote and Salford were united as a single benefice under one incumbent with one set of parish officers.

• Walter de Saleford: chaplain: 1229;
• William;
• Robert de Stapilford: priest; on the death of William: 13th June 1277;
• John de Barton: chaplain; on the death of Robert de Stapilford: 16th December 1280;
• Simon de Letton: on the resignation of John de Barton: 10th February 1292;
• Hugh Boterel of Tyffeld [Tiffield, Northamptonshire?]: priest; on the death of Simon: 30th October 1328;
• Nicholas;
• Hugh Helm of Lufwyk [Luffwick, Northamptonshire]: deacon; on the death of Nicholas: 14th March 1350;
• Nicholas de Salford: priest; on the resignation of Hugh Helm: 17th June 1357;
• John Aleyn of Cranfield: priest; on the resignation of Nicholas: 16th November 1357;
• John de Caldicote: priest; on the resignation of the last Vicar: 2nd September 1396;
• Richard Chorlee: Vicar of Sarratt [Hertfordshire]; on exchange with John Caldecote: 27th November 1407;
• William Cook: priest; Vicar of Great Barford; on exchange with Richard Chorlee: 11th April 1409;
• Robert Bungay: priest; on the resignation of William Cok; exchanged to Parva Grava [Grove in Buckinghamshire]: 22nd August 1414;
• Walter Cheil: chaplain; on the resignation of Robert Bungay who exchanged to Childeswardesbury: 24th September 1416;
• William Collys: priest; on the resignation of Walter Cheyle: 5th August 1421;
• Robert Wysebeche: priest; on the resignation of John Cowys [?William Collys]: 21st February 1422;
• John Hudson;
• Henry Grymsby: priest; on the resignation of John Hudson: 6th July 1435;
• Thomas Levoth: priest; vacant: 21st January 1443;
• Richard Clifford: priest; on the resignation of Thomas Levoth]: 18tgh March 1464;
• Thomas Whitakre: on the death of Richard Clyfford; collated by Thomas Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln: 13th January 1479;
• Richard Swayne: chaplain: on the death of Thomas Whitaker: 11th September 1491;
• William Scavyngton: occurs as Vicar in this year: 1499;
• William Peers: chaplain: on the death of William Skevyngton: 15th July 1531;
• Roger Burghe: chaplain; on the death of William Peers: 20th June 1535;
• Michael Carpenter: 1553;
• William Nodsonne: clerk: on the death of the last vicar: 27th March 1561;
• Thomas Cooke: clerk; on the deprivation of the last Vicar; presented on petition of the parishioners: 16th May 1565;
• Richard Robertes: clerk: 18th August 1569;
• Richard Harvey: clerk; presented on the death of last Vicar: no evidence of institution: 17th February 1579;
• Richard Pearce: clerk: 19th October 1579;
• Nicholas Lemme: clerk; presented on the resignation of the last Vicar: 13th March 1583;
• Thomas Bingley M. A.: vacant; married Judith Smith on 10th September 1634; buried 11th July 1639: 26th May 1600;
• Ralph Withers: clerk: 1616;
• Charles Langford: clerk; buried 19th February 1620: 16..
• Thomas Eaton: 1635;
• Nicholas Langford M. A.: 27th March 1639;
• William Puttenham: clerk: 5th May 1642;
• John Bunn: minister: 1645;
• Roger Clerke: clerk; buried 21st February 1660: 22nd October 1646;
• Simon Lowth: 27th July 1660;
• Richard Sam A. M.: clerk; buried 27th December 1689: 7th November 1661;
• John Litlejon M. A.: ordained priest by Thomas Morton, Bishop of Durham, 23rd October 1658: 9th June 1690;
• Thomas Whishaw A. M.: on the death of John Littlejohn: 30th November 1713;
• John Littlejohn A. M.: on the resignation of Thomas Wisher: 6th May 1715;
• Edward Hervey: clerk; on the death of John Littlejohn: 5th January 1746

On 25th June 1750 the parishes of Salford and Hulcote were united under one parson – The Rector of Hulcote with Salford.

The font January 2011

Visitations

Volume 81 published by the Bedfordshire Historical Records Society (2002) is devoted to returns made during episcopal visitations to the county by the Bishop of Lincoln in the early 18th century, edited by former County Archivist Patricia Bell. It is particularly useful that these returns were made before the union of the parishes of Hulcote and Salford in 1750 though, as will be seen below, the two were practically one even by 1709 and in 1717 only one return was completed for both parishes. Neither parish completed a return in 1720 and there is no return for Salford for 1712.

• 1709: he lives at Hulcote with his son. They supply both places between them.
• 1717: I do reside at . I have no Curate at Salford it being so near that I supply the Cure my self. I know not of any unbaptized Persons in either of my Parishes. I have severall [sic] that are of a Competent age for Confirmation and prepared for it. I preach at Hulcote every Lord's day in the Morning and at Salford in the Afternoon. I administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper four times in each Parish, and have generally about 30 Communicants in Hulcote and about 20 in Salford.

The fact that both the Littlejohns, father and son, lived at Hulcote clearly suggests that it had a better parsonage. The vicarage at Salford was in ruins by 1824 and was completely abandoned after the union with Hulcote in 1750, being used as a residence for poor people until it became too ruinous..