Passer by , reflect - Cherington Warwickshire
"Passer by, on reading this memorial, reflect on your own life's fickle fleeting fortune
Here lies CHRISTOPHER SMITH whom in his lifetime, his children found loving, his friends found kind- hearted, his parishioners found sincere, his peers found of sound doctrine and one and all found steadfast.
A priest of this church learned, famed and loyal, this great theologian was outstanding in teaching and intellect; he was no less conspicuous in his way of life. He excelled in various faculties, though not professing any, and was therefore worthy of this, the most praiseworthy of inscriptions, because he deemed himself unworthy of the humblest. Of all the abundant comforts of his life, he readily recognized the greatest to be his wife Constance Smith, a woman of charm, modesty and an outstanding disposition, and held in the highest affection by him. Just as he was distinguished amongst men, so did she shine amongst women - undoubtedly a most blessed woman who was a daughter of the supreme church and married to a supreme husband. They were ever equal companions in their views and in all turns of fortune; For many years they experienced great mutual joy with humility and with the approach of death, they suffered great illness with calm resolve. Finally in those painful times, they yielded cheerfully to death. While each of their bodies repose here in the cloisters of the dead, their souls rejoice, love, hope and exult in the embrace of the Redeemer
He died 19th day of July 1688 aged 78
She died 7th day of May 1686 aged 66"
(Christopher Smith was presented to the Living in 1640 entering in the Register that he has read the 39 Articles. His witnesses were Stephen Jarrett and William Steele, “both churchwardens.” He held the living for 48 years, all through them Commonwealth and for 28 years after the Restoration. The Registers of the time are in bad order and there is nothing in them to throw light on conditions in Cherington at that time, with one exception. At the end of the oldest Register is written, “1653 Collected for the inhabitants of the towne of Marlborough in the parish of Cherington the sum of 14 shillings and 3d. Christopher Smith, Minister.” This refers to a disastrous fire in Marlborough in 1653, which destroyed over 100 houses. A public appeal for help was issued, “backed” it is said by Cromwell. The sum of 14s. 3d. was generous from so small a village at a time when a working man’s wages were but 9d. or 1s. a day.
It may be worth while to notice that Christopher Smith signs the entry as “Minister” and not as Rector. Many incumbents were expelled from their Livings by the
Parliamentarians, and those suffered to remain may have found it wise not to claim any rank. When he died in 1688 the entry in the Register is “Christopher Smith, Rector, was buried.”
In September 1688, a second Christopher Smith became Rector, who may have been his son as he describes himself as “of Cherrington in the county of Warwick,” and Charles Smith, one of the witnesses to his reading the Articles may have been a brother. The Rector has added in the Register, “Memorandum that Edward Day, Senior, William Bishop, Senior, William Meades, and William Steele were all present also at my reading ye said Articles and din’d with me the same day.” He died in 1695 and the entry in the Register is “Mr. Christopher Smith, Rector, was buried.”
(Margaret Dickens - freepages.rootsweb.com/~simba/history/cherington/maintext... ) - Church of St John the Baptist, Cherington Warwickshire.
Passer by , reflect - Cherington Warwickshire
"Passer by, on reading this memorial, reflect on your own life's fickle fleeting fortune
Here lies CHRISTOPHER SMITH whom in his lifetime, his children found loving, his friends found kind- hearted, his parishioners found sincere, his peers found of sound doctrine and one and all found steadfast.
A priest of this church learned, famed and loyal, this great theologian was outstanding in teaching and intellect; he was no less conspicuous in his way of life. He excelled in various faculties, though not professing any, and was therefore worthy of this, the most praiseworthy of inscriptions, because he deemed himself unworthy of the humblest. Of all the abundant comforts of his life, he readily recognized the greatest to be his wife Constance Smith, a woman of charm, modesty and an outstanding disposition, and held in the highest affection by him. Just as he was distinguished amongst men, so did she shine amongst women - undoubtedly a most blessed woman who was a daughter of the supreme church and married to a supreme husband. They were ever equal companions in their views and in all turns of fortune; For many years they experienced great mutual joy with humility and with the approach of death, they suffered great illness with calm resolve. Finally in those painful times, they yielded cheerfully to death. While each of their bodies repose here in the cloisters of the dead, their souls rejoice, love, hope and exult in the embrace of the Redeemer
He died 19th day of July 1688 aged 78
She died 7th day of May 1686 aged 66"
(Christopher Smith was presented to the Living in 1640 entering in the Register that he has read the 39 Articles. His witnesses were Stephen Jarrett and William Steele, “both churchwardens.” He held the living for 48 years, all through them Commonwealth and for 28 years after the Restoration. The Registers of the time are in bad order and there is nothing in them to throw light on conditions in Cherington at that time, with one exception. At the end of the oldest Register is written, “1653 Collected for the inhabitants of the towne of Marlborough in the parish of Cherington the sum of 14 shillings and 3d. Christopher Smith, Minister.” This refers to a disastrous fire in Marlborough in 1653, which destroyed over 100 houses. A public appeal for help was issued, “backed” it is said by Cromwell. The sum of 14s. 3d. was generous from so small a village at a time when a working man’s wages were but 9d. or 1s. a day.
It may be worth while to notice that Christopher Smith signs the entry as “Minister” and not as Rector. Many incumbents were expelled from their Livings by the
Parliamentarians, and those suffered to remain may have found it wise not to claim any rank. When he died in 1688 the entry in the Register is “Christopher Smith, Rector, was buried.”
In September 1688, a second Christopher Smith became Rector, who may have been his son as he describes himself as “of Cherrington in the county of Warwick,” and Charles Smith, one of the witnesses to his reading the Articles may have been a brother. The Rector has added in the Register, “Memorandum that Edward Day, Senior, William Bishop, Senior, William Meades, and William Steele were all present also at my reading ye said Articles and din’d with me the same day.” He died in 1695 and the entry in the Register is “Mr. Christopher Smith, Rector, was buried.”
(Margaret Dickens - freepages.rootsweb.com/~simba/history/cherington/maintext... ) - Church of St John the Baptist, Cherington Warwickshire.