Readers may be familiar with the old Cumbrian custom of preventing bridal parties leaving the church. John Thompson describes an occasion when this practice went too far and resulted in a court case.
The following newspaper report on 4 January 1843 describes an assault by John BOUSTEAD on the Parish Clerk of St. Peter’s Church, Castle Carrock, whilst trying to free a marriage party from the locked church.
“SINGULAR CUSTOM—CAUTION—On Saturday week a young man named John Boustead was brought before the magistrates at the Court Houses, Carlisle, charged with an assault upon Adam Batty, the parish clerk of Castle Carrock. It appears that for some years past the idle part of the population of that and the neighbouring parishes have been in the habit of assembling in considerable numbers at the church doors on the occasion of all weddings that may happen, and while the ceremony is being performed they usually contrive to lock the parties in the church. In following up this custom on a recent occasion at Castle Carrock, the defendant Boustead and a number of others as usual, and by rattling chains and other noises, created much disturbance, so much in fact as to cause the ceremony to be suspended for a time. After the ceremony had been completed, the clerk attempted to open the church door, but found it tied with a cord. On a former occasion the door had been broken, and when it was repaired, a hole had been left purposely to enable the marriage party to extricate themselves, and Batty appears to have attempted to cut the cord through the hole; but while doing so, he was repeatedly struck at by Boustead, whom he fully identified. The magistrates having expressed their surprise that so singular and unbecoming a practice should have escaped so long with impunity, severely reprimanded the defendant for his misconduct, fined him in a penalty of 10s. and costs, and ordered him to find bail for his good behaviour for twelve months. At the same time the bench expressed a determination to punish all future offences of this description with the utmost severity.”
Adam BATTY, the Parish Clerk who was assaulted, is recorded as Adam BATEY in census and registration records. A resident of Long Dyke, Castle Carrock he was born in Haltwhistle c.1791 and died at Long Dyke on 4 December 1875. He was a master stone mason and the Parish records show that he carried out repairs to church walls. He was also a census enumerator in 1851 for 63 houses in Cumwhitton and the villages of Northwaite and Hornsby.
On 23 April 1819 Adam Batey married Margaret THOMPSON (born in 1789, died 24 August 1875 at Long Dyke). She was the daughter of William Thompson (born in Ireland c.1763, died 14 October 1841 at Long Dyke) who was the Parish Clerk of St Peter’s Church, Castle Carrock for 47 years prior to his death. Like Adam Batey, who also took on that role from his father-in-law, William had taken on the role of Parish Clerk from his father-in-law, Joseph HODGSON, in 1793.
William Thompson is my 3x Great Grandfather. On 2 November 1786 he married Elizabeth Hodgson (born in 1759, died in 1856). They had seven children:
- Mary (1787-1858) who married in 1809 John DODD and in 1823 Thomas SESSFORD.
- Margaret (see above).
- Elizabeth (1791-1873) who married in 1814 Joseph MILBURN.
- John (1793-1875).
- Nancy (1796-1885) who married in 1819 Joseph HAMILTON.
- Twins Bella (1799-1799) and William (1799-1887) who married in 1830 Margaret HARRISON.
Cumbria Family History Society: www.cumbriafhs.com
Picture from Parochial Church Council