AdminBiogHistory | Parish of St Michael and All Angels, Urchfont, Wiltshire, in the diocese of Salisbury. In 2007, it was part of the benefice of Redhorn, which is in the gift of a patronage board which includes the D & C
St Mary's Abbey, Winchester (Nunnaminster), presented rectors to the church of Urchfont from at least the early 13th century. It formally appropriated Urchfont Church in 1382. It retained the rectory until 1536 when it was acquired, with the prebend and advowson of the vicarage, by Edward Seymour (later Duke of Somerset). The rectory, prebend and advowson were sold to the Crown in 1547 and given to the Dean and Canons (D&C) in 1547 as part of the New Dotation. They were reconfirmed to the D&C after a court case in 1598.
The chapel of Stert was annexed to the church by the early 13th century, and is still part of the benefice. The D&C remained patrons until 1989 and the establishment of the Patronage Board.
In 1842 the D&C, as appropriators, received a rent-charge of £1088 to replace their rectorial tithes. The prebendal endowment, comprising all the great and most of the small tithes from Wedhampton tithing, formed a distinct part of the church's revenues. In 1824 the prebend was reckoned to be worth £883. In 1842 £240 was allocated to the D&C in place of prebendal tithes.
The rectorial estate passed to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1867. The land, c. 35 acres, was sold by them in small lots over 30 years from 1892.
VCH, Wilts, X, (London, 1975), pp. 155-9, 173-90 passim. |