Roman Catholic Church, Stourton
In the year 1560 the Bishop of Salisbury was instructed to visit all the parishes in his diocese to ensure that every priest had accepted the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. They had to recognise Queen Elizabeth as Supreme Governor of the Church of England; those who refused lost their living. Most were content to accept their Queen, and by 1570 only thirteen priests had been deprived. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth’s view was simple – if the Catholics were loyal to the Queen and discreet in their worship, she would tolerate them. After years of religious turmoil she was keen to achieve a settlement. Although her authority was tested at times, by the end of Elizabeth’s reign a more balanced view had developed.
Catholicism remained strongest in remote areas and distance from London was an advantage. It was the homes of the wealthy that became important centres for Catholicism. Churches appeared to provide an acceptable service whereas in reality Mass was being heard in manor houses. Catholic priests were attracted to these families, who were able to support and protect them. Stourton House and its successor Bonham House provided between them one of only two Catholic centres in Wiltshire, and it endured from 1559 until 1950. John, Lord Stourton, who held Stourton from 1557-1588, was one of the leaders of the Roman Catholic party.
Catholicism remained strongest in remote areas and distance from London was an advantage. It was the homes of the wealthy that became important centres for Catholicism. Churches appeared to provide an acceptable service whereas in reality Mass was being heard in manor houses. Catholic priests were attracted to these families, who were able to support and protect them. Stourton House and its successor Bonham House provided between them one of only two Catholic centres in Wiltshire, and it endured from 1559 until 1950. John, Lord Stourton, who held Stourton from 1557-1588, was one of the leaders of the Roman Catholic party.
Stourton village was a community consisting chiefly of tenants of Lord Stourton, so they were inclined to follow their Lord’s lead in religion as in other matters. As a wealthy local landowner, Lord Stourton was both able and willing to support a Catholic priest, and apart from the years 1704-5, the complete list of priests from 1609-1950 has survived. They deliberately kept a low profile, but quietly ministered to a committed Catholic community.
In 1714 Lord Edward Stourton was heavily in debt, and although he sold the manor for £19,400 only £800 was left after his debts were paid. Catholicism only survived in Stourton because Edward’s younger brother Thomas bought the neighbouring property at Bonham and lived in Bonham House. In 1785 the 17th Lord Stourton sold the Bonham estate, but retained the chapel and part of Bonham House as a residence for the Benedictines who served the mission. He also provided the £50 annual stipend. From this time the priest at Bonham ceased to be a chaplain and became more of a missionary, living and working among the ordinary people in the neighbourhood. Bonham House is in a remote spot, and would have provided a convenient place for a priest to carry out his work.
In 1714 Lord Edward Stourton was heavily in debt, and although he sold the manor for £19,400 only £800 was left after his debts were paid. Catholicism only survived in Stourton because Edward’s younger brother Thomas bought the neighbouring property at Bonham and lived in Bonham House. In 1785 the 17th Lord Stourton sold the Bonham estate, but retained the chapel and part of Bonham House as a residence for the Benedictines who served the mission. He also provided the £50 annual stipend. From this time the priest at Bonham ceased to be a chaplain and became more of a missionary, living and working among the ordinary people in the neighbourhood. Bonham House is in a remote spot, and would have provided a convenient place for a priest to carry out his work.
Because of their attempts to avoid attention, little is known about the individual Catholic families in the village. The churchwarden’s presentment of 1662 lists by name 48 people who were believed to be practising Catholics. Many other names appear in the parish registers where baptisms and burials are recorded. These events had to take place in the parish church; for example, it was difficult to prove wills if children had not been baptised in the established church. A child would often receive the Catholic baptismal rite before being taken to the parish church; burials would be preceded by the Catholic rite and earth blessed by the priest would be buried with the deceased so that he or she could be considered to be in consecrated ground. In the 18th century the parish priest would often add a note to the register entry saying ‘a papist’. A broad cross section of the community is noted in the registers. Members of the Stourton family are buried in the parish church, as is ‘a papist from the workhouse’ who was buried in 1763.
Catholic marriages appear in the registers after 1753. By this time it is probable that the Catholic and Anglican ministers were content to accept each other’s presence. The parish return for 1767 notes 107 Catholics in Stourton, without naming them. In principal, the presence of Catholics or Non-conformists in a community was an admission of failure by the parish priest, but in practice it was accepted that such communities did exist and had to be accepted.
In 1829 the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, allowing Catholics to become Members of Parliament. From this time on there is nothing to distinguish village life in Stourton from that of any other village in the area. In 1839 the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District stated that there were 1,241 Catholics in Wiltshire. The congregation at Wardour numbered 1,000; there were 115 at Salisbury and 126 at Bonham. The religious census of 1851 stated that on Sunday, 25th March there were 770 persons at mass at Wardour, 145 at Salisbury and 80 at Bonham.
The chapel finally closed in 1950, probably due to a dwindling congregation.
In 1829 the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, allowing Catholics to become Members of Parliament. From this time on there is nothing to distinguish village life in Stourton from that of any other village in the area. In 1839 the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District stated that there were 1,241 Catholics in Wiltshire. The congregation at Wardour numbered 1,000; there were 115 at Salisbury and 126 at Bonham. The religious census of 1851 stated that on Sunday, 25th March there were 770 persons at mass at Wardour, 145 at Salisbury and 80 at Bonham.
The chapel finally closed in 1950, probably due to a dwindling congregation.