Eglesfield

Anthony Eglesfield M.A. was appointed as the incumbent of Chewton Mendip on 18th October 1588 according to the list of incumbents of Chewon Mendip Church. It may be coincidence but one of the other members of Mary I household who involved with Sir Edward Waldegrave was Sir Francis Englefield. The spelling of names was still very flexible so Anthoney Egglesfiled and Francis Englefield could have been  related . It is possible that Sir Francis Englefield also received a gift of land from Mary I that later contained Egelfelde house.

The Clergy database uses a  number of spellings for his name including Egglesfeelde and Eglisfield but it is assumed they were all the same person. He got his MA from Oxford and was ordained in Wells in 6 September 1576.

He was listed as rector at Charlton On Oxmoor in Oxford from 20/11/1578 – 15/02/1581. The Clergy database records he was first appointed as vicar of Chewton Mendip from 8/10/1588 – 12/07/1606. His patrons are listed as Elizabeth I and Roger Manners . What is significant is that the Clergy database shows he was ‘upgraded’ to a prebend of Wells cathedral from 08/12/1599 – 17/07/1620. The Hampshire Archive show that the Kingsmills bought two thirds of the rectory mannor and it is assumed the Bishop of Bath & Wells retained the remaining third. Anthony Eglesfield was also vicar at Walton and a number of curates are listed but both sources agree he died in 1635.

The church was suffering from financial problems after the dissolution of the monasteries and the series of reformations and counter reformations that had occurred during the Tudor period. The Bishop of Bath & Wells was particularly strapped for cash.

Somerset archive record A\BDB/2/1/1 dated  lists the pre nuptial agreement between Sir Charles Waldegrave, son of Sir Henry Waldegrave, late of Staninghall, Norfolk, deceased, and Jane Helen his wife on one part and Anthony Englefyld of White Knight, Berkshire, Esq., and Anthony his son, gent. This supports the theory that the Sir Francis Englefield who was imprisoned with Sir Edward Waldegrave was related to the vicar of Chewton Mendip.

This probable family link is another example of how most people changed their religious beliefs when they were told to. Sir Edward Waldegrave and Sir Francis Englefield were imprisoned because of their Catholic convictions when they risked death. Anthoney Egglesfiled had to be a practicing Anglican to be appointed. Roger Manners , his patron, had already made the transition from staunch supporter of the Catholic Mary I to showing the same support for the protestant Elizabeth I.

Richard Jenkins, was the last of a long line of prebends of Wells to have been connected to Chewton Mendip. He was the owner of the Chewton Priory and the records show that there were ruins on the site when he built his house in the 1780s.  It is not beyond reason to suggest that the ruins were what remained of the house that Anthony Eglesfield built himself at Bath Way which was a convenient place for somebody who split his time between Chewton Mendip, Wells and Street. However, other records suggest there was a house linked with the family at  the end of Reeves Lane.

A James Eglesfield was paid £3 3shillings (£3 15p)  by the churchwardens in  c1700 (page 2003b). This suggests the family have fallen on hard times or the payment could have been a form of pension he was due. His payment was not the most generous and was in line with payments to other people known to have been poor.