Corney Church

THE CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, CORNEY

The earliest mention of Corney church is from 1185 when "Roger f. Copsi confirmed to St. Bees the church of Corneia, which Copsi my father gave."

Another piece of evidence from c 1190 - 1200 states "Henry f. Ketel de Corney gave a portion of his demesne."

The position of the family of Ketel is intimately bound up with the district, and a large number of the most important documents in the neighbourhood between 1160 and 1220 are witnessed by one or more members of the family. Afterwards, from c.1227 the most prominent signature is that of Sir John Langliv-ergh, who by his title was the holder of the lands previously held by Henry F. Ketel, and who occupied till c.1270 the same position in the county that the sons of Ketel did in the previous generation.

Map and Gallery:

 Location Map

 From the above we can see that Copsi was a man of considerable power and substance. The name is not Norman, so he could have been a Saxon, he might have been of Viking Blood, but we don't actually know. What we do know it that he built the first little church at Corney, even smaller then the present one. He will also have built a settlement for his family, possibly under the present Corney Hall, or at The Glebe, beside the church.

C.M.L. Bouch tells us that "in the twelfth century these counties were only sparsely inhabited. As marshland was drained, new clearings in the forest, land brought into cultivation, and the fells used for sheep raising, new communities grew up. Whenever a new village or hamlet was created one of the first things the inhabitants would desire, since people in those days believed in the ministry of the Church, was to have their own chapel. Sometimes the lord of the manor would build one." Another interesting aspect of the area detailed by Bouch is a chart of values of the Deaneries, then in the Archdeaconry of Richmond. In 1291 Corney was worth £8. ( By comparison , Bootle was worth £20. ) In 1318, after Robert the Bruce had paid the area a visit the value was £0. By 1535 it was up to £9.17.1.

The next piece of evidence is a 13th century grave-slab, with a fleurs de lys and a warrior's broadsword. This is now serving as a lintel in The Glebe, which was once the original tythe barn. It is thought that this may be one of the "de Corney" family who are mentioned in charters and rolls, which are still preserved, as early as the second half of the 12th century, but the de Corneys seem to have died out in mediaeval times.

 History of Antiquities of Allerdale Ward, by Charles Jefferson 1842 gives us the next step. He shows some variations on the name and lists Corney as Cornhow or Corno, then goes on "This manor belonged at an early period to Michael the falconer whose posterity assumed the name of Corney. In the reign of King John or Henry III, they were enfeoffed of the manor. This family is supposed to have become extinct in the reign of Henry III when the heiress bought it by marriage to the Penningtons, ancestors of the present Lord Muncaster, in whose family is has remained. The manor-house, which is gone to decay, was at Middleton Place, where the manor court id held. It was the residence of and gave its name to the ancient family of Middletons." He also mentions "A grave stone with a cross and a sword, but without any inscription, is placed as a lintel over the door of an outhouse at the rectory.

At the end of the thirteenth century, the border raids began and the whole area was subjected to raids from the north. It is hard for us to imagine what it must have been like. We do not know what warning, if any, villagers got, but attempts would have been made to hide cattle and sheep where possible. Robert the Bruce himself came down more than once and at one time established himself at Egremont Castle for a while. We have not found any evidence of him actually visiting Corney, which would have been harder to find than most churches. although it was near the old track across the fell.

 In 1347 Bootle was granted permission to hold a market and this must have been used by Corney. Ravenglass also was granted the right to hold a fair, in the tenth year of King John reign, so inhabitants of Corney had no trouble buying and selling.

In September 1428, Archbishop Kemp planned a visitation which never took place due to "the plan being drawn up by a clerk quite ignorant of the localities concerned". In fact the itinerary just wasn't possible, so he tried again in 1441.

In 1536 the Abbey of St. Mary at York presented a rector for the last time. This advowson, or right to appoint a rector then came to the Penningtons whose descendant the first Lord of Muncaster sold it in 1803 to Lord Lonsdale, in whose family it still remains.

 In 1537 two brave men, attempting to act as agents for the suppression of the Monasteries, were taken at Muncaster. Their names were Robert Wetley and Parson Wodall. How long they were detained, we do not know, but they were obviously not popular. A year after the Dissolution, feeling would still be very strong and nobody was willing to pay anything without a protest.

In 1578 there was a visitation from Chester, when it was noted that "At Corney the byble is not of the largest volume".

 Two bells were hung in 1615 and 1621. We have no existing records of rebuilding, but it is likely that there would have been alteration made to the fabric, and possibly a bell tower either replaced or rebuilt.

The registers of 1623-4 show that Millom suffered severely from the plague, but there is no mention of Corney. However, when the church was rebuilt much later, large quantities of bones were found under the Nave. This could be a result of the plague, but it is also a sign that the churchyard has been used for a very long time.
In 1688 the population of Corney was 480 and its area was 4,439 acres. Some of them were remarkably long lived. In 1655 one Mark Noble was born. In 1658 his brother John arrived. These two brothers had an incredible life before them. Mark lived to the ripe old age of 113 and his brother reached 114. If only we could talk to them !!

 About 1750 Corney's most famous person was born. Edward Troughton was born at Welcome Nook. He became famous for his scientific instruments, especially for astronomical observation - sextants, telescopes, and barometers. Some of his instruments were made for Greenwich Observatory, where he is commemorated by a sculpture made of him by Sir Francis Chenty. He left Corney as a young man to train in London and was so successful that the Royal Society awarded him the Copley Medal. He also went to Paris and was equally successful there, and was awarded a Gold Medal by the king of Denmark. He was educated at Cambridge. He was colour blind and later became deaf but was an original member of the Royal Astronomical Society and faithfully attended all its meetings until his death at the age of 82 in the year 1835.

 The oldest parish record starts in 1773, when a William Troughton, Overseer of the Poor, from High Corey opens the book with an accounts entry for 9d. In 1789 a grand meeting is held to discus alterations to the church. Twenty-three people attended this meeting and sign the book. It is agreed that four windows only be put in the church, "one on the south side, in the place of that adjoining chancel, another on the same side adjoining the present great door, another on the north side in the place of that adjoining chancel and another on the north side opposite to the lower window in the south side. The present porch to be removed to the end and a great door to be broken in the centre of the west end and the side walls to be raised so high as to bring the pitch of the roof to eleven inches at every yard and a ceiling beam at the upper end of the church and ceiling joists are also to be put in".

 In April 1790 another meeting was held "A Vestry met here this day agreeable to notice given on Sunday last and are all agreeable that the church be seated a new the isle flagged and a new pulpit and a reeding desk with other repairs." The next month they held a general meeting of the inhabitants of Corney. It is agreed that "Job Borrowdale and Phillip Pritt is to seat or pew Corney Church in double pews to be allocated and every person to pay for his own seats and the reminder of the repair to be done by a settled purvey. It is also agreed that Jos Jackson is to have a double pew next to the pulpit and the rest of the inhabitants and owners of land in Corney is to be put together for the allotting by the said Job Borrowdale and Phillip Pritt. It is also agreed that flagging the isle and spare seats is to be done by the purvey. "Job Borrowdale and Phillip Pritt were the churchwardens.

 In May 1790 another meeting was held as the reading desk, pulpit and clerks desk were to be "made anew". There also follows dimensions for all of the alterations "each pew to be four foot two inched in width from middle to middle a four foot isle to be left in the centre of the church, the pews to be finished off inch and quarter framing and five eights of an inch panelling. Seats to be inch and quarter by twelve inches, the fronts of the pews to be raised". Many more details are given and it ends, " to be finished in a workmanlike manor before the first of September next the lowest bidder to be deemed the undertaker".

The next entry is on 29th May, 1790. "This day the before mentioned work was lett to Wm. Brocklebank and Chr. Leech for nineteen pound fifteen shillings to be paid when finished by us." Signed Phillip Pritt and Job Borrowdale.

The next meeting concerns road maintenance. At that time each parish was responsible for the upkeep of its own roads and collections were made. In June 1796 a trial at law was discussed concerning a piece of road through Burnt Hills, and Mark Noble is "indemnified from all expenses that may attend the trial". Troublesome people are also dealt with by the church jury. The Rev. Stebal upset them all by asking them to provide the bread and wine. The next meeting deals with a John Stable who has left his wife in the charge of the parish. This case runs on for five years.

 In 1819 it is decided that a wall shall be erected around the churchyard "five feet and a half high". This is reputed to be the height a Herdwick sheep begins to hesitate. Now we actually have in writing, instruction for building a good stone wall. "The said wall to be twenty inches broad at the bottom, set upon a groundwork of two feet and fourteen inches at the top; the copin or cam .. to be seven inches in height and no more, a row of through stones to be put in at three feet height, one in every yard of length - the whole to be laid in lime and sand, and dashed on both sides and done in a complete workmanlike manner. The wall to be drawn from stakes now fixed at the four corners, & the undertaker is to rid and make a sure groundwork & provide stones, lime and sand and find all other things necessary for accomplishing the work. The whole to be finished by 5th April 1811." At the same meeting Benjamin Braithwaite undertook the erections of the wall around the churchyard.

 In 1819 the church jury was called to assist in the parish of Bootle in the trial of William Grindel "A Pauper", "who is likely to become chargeable to the parish of Corney". In 1821 there is more trouble. there is a dispute about the poor rate with Bootle. Bootle is attempting to claim this on the moors belonging to Middleton Place. In August of that year another meeting sets the rate at which the poor rate is charged as one shilling in the pound. Several families are reviewed who request help and in 1827 a meeting is held "to discus the beneficial results which are likely to accrue to the parish of Bootle in the contemplated erection of a new Poorhouse. Do hereby agree to join the Parish of Bootle aforesaid in the maintenance of such as may hereafter become troublesome". A special committee of substantial landowners was formed to deal with this, and absence from meetings was fined at one shilling! Two boys are apprenticed and bound until they are twenty-one and the farmer is paid £2.00 by the parish to take them. In 1827 they discuss the idea of renting a room in Whitehaven Poorhouse. Finally they decide to take over Hungary Moor and convert it into a poorhouse. In 1832 they agree to pay for Jos. Brockbank, joiner and his family to go to America.

 In 1847 they raised enough money from the parish to build the vestry and in 1882 they raised £511.17.6 for a restoration fund to rebuild the church. It is not until 1894 that we get a few details. First comes a notice that "service was held in the old church for the last time on Whitsunday May 28th 1882. During the time the work of restoration was in hand, service was held (once a day) in the afternoon in the large barn at Corney Hall Farm. The church was re-opened by the Bishop of Carlisle on Friday afternoon November 10th 1882". The account shows that Joseph Huddart was the contractor and was paid £425.00 Mssrs. Paley and Austin drew up the plans, but no detail are given of the construction. The rest of the money was spent on items such as hassocks, gates a stove and repairs to the bells. It was at this time that the new font was installed, price £23.15.0 Sadly the later books do not report in the lively style of the old ones, and none of the cut and thrust in the community comes through, merely the presentation of accounts and the re-election of churchwardens, although it is clear that the life of the parish does not change. One of the present churchwardens can remember as a child being sent to collect tithes on behalf of her father., as he was too busy on the farm. In 1924/5 the new parish hall and supper room was built at a cost of £231.

 The greatest change in the parish came with the two world wars. Many men volunteered to serve with the armed forces and never came back. Their wives and children had to struggle on as always making a little go a long way indeed. It ahd all happened before in the Napoleonic Wars, when Corney was forced to grow wheat and barley to prevent starvation and farmers' wives reared poultry as an extra income. During the twentieth century wars, invasions of rabbits were at first regarded as a plague and then quickly turned to advantage to help supplement the meagre meat ration. Moleskins were sold to London as families struggled to feed not only their families, but threshers and visiting labour, who were never paid in money, but always with meals.

 Corney is still a busy, thriving farming community, managing just to pay its way and to maintain its church, though there is growing uncertainty about what the future will hold for it.