THE VICARAGE.

We learn from Domesday Book that the Parish Priest of Enfield held a virgate of land, of course in addition to tithes and offerings, which are seldom, if ever, mentioned in that book, as the record is one of land.

We have seen that in 1136 Godfrey de Mandeville granted the Church of Enfield, with all its tithes and other revenues, to his newly-founded Monastery at Walden. The effect of this here, as in other cases, would be to make the Monastery collectively responsible for the cure of the parish. They received all the revenues, and sent one or another of their body, as they thought fit, to discharge the duties. But, after a time, it was more usual to appoint some one priest permanently to serve the cure, who thus became a "perpetual vicar," and had assigned to him a certain portion of the tithes and other offerings, with the sanction of the bishop. We are told that Reginald, Prior of Walden, afterwards first Abbot, appointed vicars to his churches in 1190. Consequently, we may assume that the first vicar, properly so called, of Enfield, dates from that year. There does not appear to be any record of the composition made with him by the abbot and monks; probably he received the small tithes, subject to certain payments to the abbey, as was usually the case. In the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, the Vicarage was valued at £6 per ann.; in the time of Henry VIII at £26. In the report to the Parliamentary

Commissioners in 1650, preserved in the Lambeth Library, it is stated that

The Vicaridge House, with the barns, outhouses, and two orchards, with one close of pasture adjoining, and two acres of arable land in the Common Field are worth 8 pounds per annum. And the petty tythes, oblations, and other dutyes thereto belonging, are worth about £50 per ann." They further report, "that Mr. Walter Bridges, the present incumbent, an able and painful preacher, was presented to the said lyving by the Master and Fellows of Trinitye Colledge, and receiveth for salary the said tythes and proffitts belonging to the said Vicaridge. And that our parish (having no chapel), is of a large extent. Butt our church is conveniently situated, and none of the parishioners are far distant therefrom except some few scattering houses."

In 1777, when the Chase was enclosed, 80 acres out of 519 allotted in lieu of tithes, were appropriated to the Vicar of Enfield. At the same time power was given by the Act (17 Geo. III. c. 18) to Trinity College further to augment the Vicarage by an endowment of 160 acres out of their tithe allotment, on the condition that any Fellow accepting the living should vacate his fellowship. By the award of the Commissioners under the Enclosure Act of 1801, a further allotment was made to the vicar of 382 acres 3 roods 20 perches of land, in lieu of all vicarial tithes in the parish, with the exception of a corn. rent, charged on certain houses, &c. where land could not be allotted, to be valued every 21 years, if required.

This, when the Commissioners made their award in April, 1806, was valued at £43 6s. 11d.

The greater portion of the Glebe land, which lies on the Chase, has never been properly brought under cultivation, and is of comparatively little value. rental of the glebe was less in 1870 than in 1840.

The

THE VICARAGE HOUSE.

Between Silver-street and the Churchyard, enclosed within a wall, are the Vicarage House and grounds, occupying about 134 acres.

In the reign of Edward I., Godfrey de Beston gave a piece of land near the Churchyard, with the buildings on it, to Bartholomew, Vicar of S. Andrew's, Enfield, and his successors, subject to a rent of 12 pence, as appears from the following deed-(Harleian MS. 3697):

"Carta Godefridi de Beston de toto messagio suo dato ecclesiæ S. Andree de Enefeld.

Sciant præsentes et futuri quod ego Godefridus de Beston concessi dedi et hâc plenâ cartâ meâ confirmavi Deo et ecclesie Sancti Andree de Enefeld et Bartholomeo ejusdem ecclesie vicario cum omnibus vicariis ibidem eidem succedentibus totum messagium meum quod emi de Ricardo de Plesseto situm prope cimiterium dicte ecclesie cum domibus desuper edificatis et omnibus aliis pertinentibus habendum et tenendum illi et successoribus suis libere quiete pacifice integre per servitium duodecim denariorum annuatim solvendorum Ricardo de Plesseto et heredibus suis ad quatuor terminos, videlicet ad Pascha, iij. denm: ad nativitatem S. Johannis, iij. denm.

ad festum S. Michaelis Archangeli iij. den: et ad nativitatem Domini, iij. denariorum: pro omni servitio. consuetudine exactione et demanda.

"Ut autem hac mea concessio donatio et carte mee confirmatio perpetuum robus obtineat, presentum paginam sigilli mei munimine duxi roborandum His testibus. Ricardo de Plessito, &c., &c."

To this gift, Richard de Plessito, of whom Godfrey had purchased the messuage, subsequently added 18 perches of garden ground, between the churchyard and the King's Highway, called Ernygstrate, now Silver-street.

"Noverit universitas me pro salute anime mee et animarum patris et matris, &c., concessissee et dedisse et hâc plenâ cartâ meâ confirmasse, Deo et ecclesie S. Andree de Enefeld et ejusdem ecclesie Vicario Bartholomeo et successoribus suis, 18 perticatas gardini mei cum pertinentibus, incipientes a messagio predicti Vicarii quod tenet de me per servitium xii. denariorum annuatim et extendentes se in longitudinem versus Austrum in totam latitudinem ejusdem gardini quod jacet inter cimiterium predicte ecclesie et viam regalem que vocatur Ernygstrate habendum et tenendum."

Richard de Plessito died in 1289, so that the Vicarage must have occupied its present site for nearly six centuries. A great part of the house is extremely old, built of timber, and only cased with brick in 1845, when new kitchens and offices were built. Great alterations had previously been made in 1801 by Mr. Porter, who took down the old chimneys.

In the windows of the dining-room are two diamondshaped quarries of stained glass, evidently taken out of some older window, with Henry VIII.'s badges of the Red Rose and the Portcullis.

The wall between the garden and the churchyard, 362 feet in length, was built by the parishioners in 1800, as stated in a stone tablet over the door.

THE VICARS.

The first vicar, as we have seen, was appointed in 1190, but his name is not preserved. One Bartholomew was vicar, when the vicarage house was given in the reign of Edward I., and an Absolom is mentioned in a later deed, but there is no complete list till the early part of the 14th century, when, for the first time, we can avail ourselves of the Bishop of London's register, which furnishes the following names and dates of presentation (with the exception of those in italics).